Expanding Access to Economics Education
Learn about the mission, vision, and people creating free economics education for communities.
Fred McKinney, Ph.D.
Education and Experience
Dr. Fred McKinney earned his Ph.D. in economics from Yale University in 1983 and has over 30 years of experience working with diverse businesses and large data sets.
Academic and Leadership Roles
Dr. McKinney served as the Carlton Highsmith Chair for Innovation and Entrepreneurship and Director at the Peoples Bank Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship at Quinnipiac University School of Business (2018–2021). He was previously Managing Director for Minority Business Programs at the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College (2015–2018).
From 1987 to 2001, he taught economics, entrepreneurship, and business statistics at the University of Connecticut School of Business.
Policy and Consulting Work
Dr. McKinney worked as an economist at the White House Council of Economic Advisers (1977–1978) and has served as a consultant to the Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco for over 20 years. He has advised dozens of Fortune 500 companies on supplier diversity and supported more than 100 diverse business owners in developing marketing and operational strategies.
Publications
Dr. McKinney has published five books and more than 100 articles and editorials. His latest book, Critical Issues Facing America: Selected Essays from a Black Economist, 2016–2025, was released in November 2025 by Palgrave Macmillan.
Board and Community Service
He has served on numerous boards, including Yale New Haven Healthcare’s Bridgeport Hospital, Habitat for Humanity of Bridgeport, Gateway Community College Foundation, Bridgeport Community Foundation, Fairfield County Community Foundation, and the Boston Federal Reserve Bank’s Community Advisory Committee.
Business and Entrepreneurship
Dr. McKinney is co-founder and principal of BJM Solutions, LLC, an economic consulting firm established in 1999. He also co-founded Jamaica Gourmet Coffee Company in 1984, the oldest continuously operating Black-owned gourmet wholesale coffee roaster in the United States, and patented the “Bean Machine” (U.S. Patent No. 5,957,332).