Libby McDonald

Libby McDonald is a Lecturer and Associate Director for Practice at MIT D-Lab. She leads the Inclusive Economies program, which integrates marginalized populations into formal economic systems through digital financial services and participatory approaches. Her work spans Latin America, West Africa, and India, focusing on collaborations between multinationals, governments, and informal sector workers.

• Current roles: Lecturer at D-Lab, Associate Director for Practice.
• Key initiatives: Inclusive Economies program, D-Lab: Gender and Development course.
• Collaborators: NGOs, Inter-American Development Bank, United Nations Development Program.

Her research emphasizes sustainable economic systems for informal sector workers like smallholder farmers and waste pickers. She previously served as Program Director of Global Sustainability Partnerships at MIT Community Innovator Lab, working in Nicaragua, Panama, Brazil, and Mexico.

News coverage highlights her work in gender analysis, health equity, and community resilience. She coordinates student projects internationally and contributes to MIT’s educational mission through field training and curriculum development.