Jonathan Bowles

Jonathan Bowles "has spent the past two years running the Center for an Urban Future, a New York City-based think tank dedicated to independent research and innovative thinking about key policy issues facing New York and other cities. Prior to becoming director of the Center in 2005, he was the organization’s research director for seven years. While at the Center, he has authored more than two-dozen reports, including a widely acclaimed 2007 study about the impact immigrant entrepreneurs are having on cities’ economies. His research about key economic trends facing New York and its five boroughs, the value of small businesses to cities, and the economic impact of industries ranging from air cargo to biotechnology has been covered in publications ranging from the New York Times and USA Today to The Economist. He served on Governor Eliot Spitzer’s transition committee on labor and workforce development issues and was appointed by the city’s Economic Development Corporation to serve on its Telecommunications Policy Advisory Group. In 2006, City Hall News named him one of 35 “Rising Stars” Under 40. In 2005, Time Out New York named him “New York’s Finest Troublemaker.” Before joining the Center, he worked as research director for New York State Senator Franz Leichter. He also spent time as a freelance journalist; his articles and commentaries have appeared in Newsday, New York Daily News, The Village Voice and City Limits. Jonathan graduated from the University of Virginia with a B.A. in Political Science and a B.A. in Sociology. He lives in Astoria, Queens with his wife Shweta and son Sahil."