Our People

Joshua Baum is an urban planner, economic researcher, and community engagement professional. They are currently the Director of Public Policy & Community Development at Zenith Economics and Principal at Hilgard Analytics.

Prior to their current role, Baum completed countless housing, demographic, and sectoral employment studies at Beacon Economics. Baum also conducted extensive work and research with the Southwest Mountain States Regional Council of Carpenters, the Southern California Association of Governments, the City of Los Angeles, and the Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies. 

Joshua Baum is a proud Double Bruin and holds degrees in Political Science (BA) and Urban and Regional Planning (MURP) from UCLA.

​Anthony Davis is a dynamic facilitator and strategist with a decade of experience in innovation and public policy. He is currently Head Policy and Strategy Advisor at Zenith Economics and Partner at Convene Strategies.

Mr. Davis has an extensive history in public policy, including serving as Asst. Deputy Chief of Staff for the Office of Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont; serving as Senior Advisor to the Office of Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs; serving as Policy Advisor to the U.S. Presidential COVID-19 Health Equity Task Force; and conducting various market and policy research at Deloitte Consulting.

Mr. Davis has a Master's in Public Policy (MPP) and Project Management Professional (PMP) certification.

Makayla Keasler is an experienced Illustrator and Designer specializing in professional reports, editorials, and data visualization. 

Ms. Keasler has utilized a wide variety of professional design software, including Lightroom, Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, Procreate, Canva, Final Draft, Microsoft Office, Cura, and Premiere. In her previous work as a freelance designer for her own brand, Makayla Keasler designed ad campaigns for Walmart and created set pieces for Netflix.

Ms. Keasler has a Bachelor's of Art in Studio Art & Media Arts and Culture from Occidental College.

Dr. Kevin M. Williams is an accomplished economist currently serving as an Assistant Professor in the Occidental College Economics Department. Dr. Williams' research focuses on the intersection of education, social networks, and labor economics. His work has been published in leading journals such as the Journal of Labor Economics and Economics of Education Review.

Dr. Williams' ongoing research examines the market of higher education, including the returns to majors, student achievement, international enrollments, and social networks.

In addition to his research, Dr. Williams currently teaches courses in Applied Econometrics, Game Theory, and Advanced Econometrics at Occidental College. He previously taught at the University of Utah.

Dr. Williams earned his Ph.D. and M.S. in Economics from the University of California, Davis, following his B.A. in Economics (with Honors) and Computer Science from Claremont McKenna College.

Ian Van Dusen is a Geospatial Data Scientist specializing in satellite imagery analysis, geospatial data processing, and hydrological monitoring. Mr. Van Dusen possesses deep expertise in geospatial processing pipelines, high-resolution mapping, and providing insights to support data-driven decision-making. He has experience working with tools such as Python (GeoPandas, Rasterio, Pytorch), Google Earth Engine, and ArcGIS, with a strong focus on machine learning models, cloud-based analysis, and automation of geospatial workflows.

In past roles, Mr. Van Dusen has contributed to key projects in surface water dynamics, fire-priority mapping, and using satellite data to enhance environmental monitoring and disaster response efforts. He holds a Master’s degree in Geography from the University of Oregon, funded by NASA, and a Bachelor's degree with Honors in Geology from Occidental College.