Dean Karlan is a development economist and social entrepreneur who bridges the gap between rigorous academic research and practical solutions to global poverty. As the Frederic Esser Nemmers Distinguished Professor at Northwestern University and founder of Innovations for Poverty Action (IPA), he exemplifies a new paradigm in economics: using scientific evidence—particularly randomized controlled trials—to test and improve development programs. His work demonstrates that poverty alleviation need not rely on ideology or assumptions; instead, careful measurement and experimentation can identify what actually works and enable better allocation of limited resources to maximize human welfare.
Karlan founded Innovations for Poverty Action in 2002 with a simple but powerful mission: to promote the use of scientific evidence in poverty alleviation. IPA has grown into one of the most prolific organizations conducting development research, having collaborated with over 400 academics to conduct more than 900 evaluations across 52 countries. The organization tests interventions across multiple sectors critical to poverty alleviation: microfinance, education, health, governance, agriculture, small and medium enterprises, and social protection. Rather than funding programs based on theories about what should work, IPA conducts randomized controlled trials to measure actual impacts, ensuring that resources flow to evidence-backed solutions.
Karlan has been instrumental in advancing randomized controlled trials as a gold standard for development evaluation, working alongside leading economists including Esther Duflo, Abhijit Banerjee, Sendhil Mullainathan, and Edward Miguel. His contributions extend beyond research into policy influence; he served as Chief Economist of USAID from 2022-2025, bringing evidence-based approaches to US development assistance. He also co-founded ImpactMatters in 2015 (acquired by Charity Navigator in 2020), creating rating systems based on rigorous impact evaluation. His work demonstrates that combining academic rigor with practical implementation creates pathways for evidence-informed development policy at scale.