Dr. Emily Chamlee-Wright is the president and CEO of the Institute for Humane Studies (IHS), a cross-sector catalyst for liberal renewal. Through a 7,000-strong network of scholars, policy experts, and organizational partners, IHS links ideas to action in defense of a free and abundant liberal democracy.
Unlike a think tank or academic center, IHS operates at the systems level—building distributed research communities, reducing cross-sector friction, and advancing liberal ideas where they are most needed.
IHS’s ScholarsEdge platform connects scholars and practitioners to the talent, resources, and AI-powered tools and data architecture that accelerate rigorous inquiry and broaden reach. Paired with fast-cycle grantmaking and curated convenings, IHS drives high-impact collaboration, speeding the path from insight to implementation.
IHS is also home to Liberalism.org, an online magazine that applies liberal principles to address humanity’s greatest questions and most complex challenges.
Emily joined IHS in 2016 with an accomplished record as a scholar, academic leader, and educator. She speaks and writes on the challenges confronting liberal society and the norms and institutions essential to its renewal, including:
Building trust through limited government
Resisting injustice through compassion
AI, human agency, and the future of democracy
Safeguarding philanthropic freedom
Fortifying executive restraint in a post-Trump era
Avoiding the perils of regime uncertainty in US trade policy
Resisting tariff-based populism
Cultivating an abundance mindset
Defending higher ed independence and its Enlightenment roots