For more than 100 years, The Conference Board has existed as a nonprofit business membership and research organization, working at the intersection of business performance and societal advancement; among its areas of focus and expertise is sustainable capitalism. To open the Chautauqua Lecture Series week on “Innovation in Capitalism: How to Meet 21st-Century Challenges?,” Erin McLaughlin and David K. Young — two of The Conference Board’s leading experts on the economy and economic development — will discuss not just sustainable capitalism, but their perspectives on the importance of sustaining capitalism, and how The Conference Board is leading this work.

Erin McLaughlin is a senior economist at The Conference Board’s Economy, Strategy and Finance (ESF) Center. Within ESF, McLaughlin focuses on a new area of research for the organization: energy, infrastructure and environment.

McLaughlin joined The Conference Board in 2022 after five years with the American Council of Engineering Companies, where she was vice president of private market resources. In that role, she led the council’s efforts in analyzing economic and market activities, as well as connected policy implications — such as from 2021’s Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. Previously, McLaughlin spent 10 years with Dewberry, a large engineering and professional services firm, and was also National Federal Market Leader at global architecture firm HOK.

McLaughlin holds a Master of Science in transportation (planning concentration) from the University of New Orleans, as well as an MBA from Marymount University and a Bachelor of Arts in American civilization (urban studies concentration) from George Washington University. In addition to completing Oxford University’s Infrastructure, Development and Finance course, she has a Certificate in economic measurement from the National Association for Business Economics and a Certificate in mitigation planning from the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Emergency Management Institute.

David K. Young is president of the Committee for Economic Development, the public policy center of The Conference Board.

Previously, Young was chief executive officer of Oxford Analytica and responsible for the company’s global strategy and business operations. Founded in 1975, Oxford Analytica is a leading geopolitical and macroeconomic analysis and advisory firm working with a range of governments, multilateral organizations and multinational companies to navigate critical global issues impacting businesses, governments and society. Prior to his time at Oxford Analytica, Young was a management consultant at Atos, where he advised senior executives on how best to achieve business objectives by leveraging emerging technologies, and a director at an international charity. He has co-founded a cloud-based, mobile payment company and a boutique due diligence firm, and advises multiple early-stage and not-for-profit organizations.

Young graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in government from The College of William and Mary, a master’s degree in international security from the University of London, and an MBA from The McDonough School of Business at Georgetown University.