MIT World Speakers

Stephen Heintz

Stephen B. Heintz has held top leadership positions in both the nonprofit and public sectors. Until he joined the RBF on February 1, 2001, Heintz was Founding President of Demos, a public policy research and advocacy organization working to enhance the vitality of American democracy and promote more broadly shared prosperity. Prior to founding Demos, Heintz served as Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of the EastWest Institute (EWI), where he worked on issues of economic reform, civil society development, and international security. Based in Prague, Czech Republic, from 1990 through 1997, Heintz worked extensively throughout Central and Eastern Europe and the New Independent States. Prior to joining the EastWest Institute, he was a policy analyst and cabinet official in the State of Connecticut, where he served as Commissioner of the Department of Economic Development and Commissioner of the Department of Income Maintenance (Social Welfare). In 1988, he helped draft and secure passage by Congress of "The Family Support Act," the first major effort to reform the nation's welfare system.

He has published articles in The International Herald Tribune, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal Europe and several books and journals. He is a magna cum laude graduate of Yale University.