Michael Ehst

Michael Ehst is a Senior Private Sector Specialist with the World Bank’s Finance, Competitiveness, and Innovation Global Practice. His work focuses on entrepreneurship support and innovation policy. Michael has led World Bank lending and research related to SME support, entrepreneurship, and early-stage venture finance for the Africa and East Asia regions of the World Bank. He helped to design and launch the Climate Technology Program that supports clean technology innovation centres in seven countries globally. Previously, he held positions with the science committee of the U.S. Congress and the U.S. National Academies of Science and worked on technology policy issues for the Japanese government. Before his work in public policy, he worked in technical and managerial leadership roles within startup internet and software businesses. Michael received a BS in business administration from the University of Colorado and an MA in the economics of technological change from George Washington University.