Chike Aguh

Chike currently serves as Senior Advisor at Harvard University’s Project On Workforce, Senior Fellow on Workforce at Northeastern University’s Burnes Center for Social Change, Senior Fellow at Burning Glass Institute, and Senior Advisor at the McChrystal Group.

Previously, Chike was appointed by President Biden on day one of his administration to serve as Chief Innovation Officer at the US Department of Labor, the first black person to do so. Reporting to Deputy Secretary and later Acting Secretary Julie Su, he led efforts to use data, emerging technologies (AI, quantum computing, etc.), and innovative practice to advance and protect American workers.  These efforts included creating the department’s first enterprise data strategy, serving a pivotal role in the $2B modernization of the nation’s unemployment insurance system, piloting the nation’s first workforce scorecard, and serving as the DOL’s designee to the National Space Council.

Previously, Chike was founding leader of the Community College Growth Engine Fund, a national multimillion dollar effort supporting 41 community colleges training thousands for good jobs.  Chike has also worked as an education policy official and teacher in America’s largest school system; Fulbright Scholar in Asia; director of corporate strategy and performance technologies at technology company EAB; CEO of a national nonprofit which helped connect 500,000 low-income Americans to affordable internet and digital skills; and Director of Strategy and Future of Work Lead at the McChrystal Group, a business advisory firm founded by Gen. (ret.) Stanley McChrystal.

Chike holds degrees from Tufts University (B.A.), Harvard Graduate School of Education (Ed.M), Harvard Kennedy School (MPA), and University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School (MBA). He is a lifetime member at the Council on Foreign Relations, Presidential Leadership Scholar; 40 under 40 honoree from Wharton and Washington Business Journal; Wharton commencement speaker, Young Leader with the American Swiss Foundation and former member of the Harvard Kennedy School Alumni Board.  Chike and his work have been featured at/in the White House, Harvard, Wharton, Fast Company, Forbes, Fortune and Wired Magazine.