Think Like an Economist: Resilience in a Warming World

Why Miami is the proving ground for tomorrow’s economy

FEATURED CONTENT:
Learn how thinking like an economist sets the stage for resilience in our latest interview with Prof. Joseph Aldy with the Harvard Kennedy School. Listen or watch here.

Join us on April 23rd for our Education as Economic Power event at Miami Dade College with our Academic Leaders Council and The Helios Education Foundation. Register here.

Miami is writing the economic blueprint for resilience in a warming world.

“You’re on the forefront. Let’s experiment and scale what works.” This challenge from Professor Joseph Aldy of the Harvard Kennedy School—shared during the Opportunity Miami Interview —is more than a quote.

It’s a call to action.

It’s a blueprint for shaping Miami’s next economy.

From Farm Roots to Policy Frontlines

Aldy is a Professor of the Practice of Environmental Policy at the Harvard Kennedy School. His research focuses on climate change policy, energy policy, and regulatory policy.

Professor Aldy’s journey to global impact didn’t begin in a think tank or a boardroom. “I grew up on a small farm, in a family that loved being in the outdoors. I always had this affinity for the outdoors,” he shared. “It was really exciting for me to think about the tools of economics, to think about human behavior, to think about how businesses operate and…that intersection with public policy where you can drive really important change.”

It’s at that intersection—between lived experience and system-level thinking—that Aldy now shapes national and international strategies. And it’s in that very space where Miami is building its next chapter: balancing urgency with ingenuity and aligning values with velocity.

The Future Won’t Wait

“We don’t really have a strong enough incentive as an individual to reduce our emissions. Businesses don’t have strong incentives. Nations don’t have strong incentives,” Aldy explained. The system wasn’t built for today’s complexity, but that’s not a dead end. It’s an invitation.
“What are ways we can bring our research and our evidence and our insights to craft more effective policies that can better align people’s incentives?” he added.

At Opportunity Miami, we’re answering that very question—connecting data, ideas, and people to shape a more resilient and prosperous region. We don’t wait for the future. We help build it.

Why Miami? Why Now?

If risk is the frontier of the next economy, Miami is the base camp. “Miami is, within the United States, the front line,” Aldy declared. “When we think about storm risk, when we think about heat stress, it’s one of our large cities that’s most at risk”​.

But risk is only half the story.

“There’s a lot of opportunity here to learn, experiment as an entrepreneur and then to scale,” Aldy said. “That attracts people to say, ‘Here’s where I test out my ideas today.’”

Miami is already there, whether it’s leveraging data to map flood risks, piloting cooling centers in heat-affected neighborhoods, or partnering with universities to embed fellows inside public and private institutions.

And the blueprint? It’s flexible, dynamic, and open to iteration.

“We don’t really know what the future is going to look like,” Aldy acknowledged. “But we ought to be open-minded. We’re seeing it in insurance markets, real estate markets, stock markets, which means we also have that incentive to take action.”

The Role of Talent

Some of Aldy’s greatest hope lies not in policy but in people. “They know what they want to do to go make a difference,” he said of his students. “Being able to sort of harness that passion and that experience and give them additional training in the tools so that they can then go make a difference is why it’s always exciting to stand in front of a classroom.”

Talent isn’t just a workforce strategy. It’s the engine of transformation. That’s why we’re building pipelines between universities, companies, and communities—training the next generation to think with rigor, act with urgency, and lead with impact.

To further the conversation on the economics of investing in education, please join us on April 23rd at Miami Dade College for the Education as Economic Power panel, where The Helios Education Foundation will present its latest research, and our Academic Leaders will share progress on the 2040 Talent Goals. Register here.

Our belief is that our greatest challenges present our biggest opportunities. That a more innovative, inclusive, and sustainable future can only be built together—with you.

Whether you’re a student with an idea, a founder with a bold concept, or a policymaker ready to reimagine the system, Miami is where you can test, build, and grow.

“You’re on the forefront,” Aldy reminded us. “Let’s try to be creative. Let’s experiment and scale what works.”

Let’s build the future— together.

PITCH US

If you have a company or entrepreneur to suggest or an idea to share that relates to building Miami’s future, email us at next@opportunity.miami. We invite you to subscribe to our YouTube channel and follow us on our social media channels. If you were forwarded this newsletter, you can subscribe by clicking here. And if you are new to Opportunity Miami, you can learn about our mission and work here.

~ Opportunity Miami