Colleen Dougherty

Research Officer
Nowak Metro Finance Lab

Colleen Dougherty (she/her) is a Research Officer at the Nowak Metro Finance Lab, where she specializes in financing for small businesses, inclusive economic growth, and the industrial transition. Prior to her current role, she served as a Research Analyst at the Center for Regional Economic Competitiveness, leading and supporting various programs, including the State Small Business Credit Initiative (SSBCI), the Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP), the Build Back Better Regional Challenge (BBBRC), the Building Equitable Pathways Community of Practice (BEP-CoP), and other economic and workforce development initiatives. Colleen holds an M.A. in German and European Studies from Georgetown University. During her time as a graduate student, she worked as a graduate research assistant, with a focus on post-industrial regions across the transatlantic. Additionally, she earned a BA in Philosophy, Law, and Politics from John Carroll University and originally hails from Erie, PA.