Emily Desmond is a Special Projects Manager at the Nowak Metro Finance Lab where she provides analysis, writing, and project management support across work streams. She also conducts research on the intersection of federal investment and capital networks with local economic development strategy. Prior to joining the lab, she was a Manager of Strategy at Greater St. Louis, Inc., the St. Louis region’s economic development organization, where she broadly focused on promoting regional collaboration, developing and executing research plans, and optimizing internal processes. Most notably, she led the year-long effort to build a regional Capital Projects Map of major developments and infrastructure investments across the 15 county St. Louis MSA in collaboration with over 70 partners. Emily is originally from central Massachusetts and was brought to St. Louis through the Coro Fellows Program after graduating with a B.A. in Government from Cornell University. In her free time she serves on the Board of City Greens Market, a neighborhood grocery and community space that provides access to fresh, quality, and affordable produce and helps promote a more resilient local food system.