About Nesta

Nesta is an innovation foundation. For us, innovation means turning bold ideas into reality and changing lives for the better. We use our expertise, skills and funding in areas where there are big challenges facing society.

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Maria Brackin

Researcher, Innovation Growth Lab

She/Her

Maria is a researcher at the Innovation Growth Lab (IGL).

Her role focuses on evaluating the outcomes of past programmes in support of small and medium-sized businesses in the UK, using experimental and quasi-experimental methods.

Before joining Nesta, Maria conducted research for her PhD in Behavioural Science at the École Normale Supérieure (PSL) and Mohammed VI Polytechnic University, with a focus on the role of social cognition in credit use and adoption of financial technologies.

Alongside her research, Maria consulted for the Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab running a microcredit randomised controlled trial in Morocco, and designed a program evaluation framework for an impact investment company. She has also worked as an investment administrator for venture capital fund managers Amati Global Investors and as a visiting lecturer in data science, teaching programming and statistics for public policy.

Maria holds a Masters of Public Policy from the University of Erfurt, an MSc in Philosophy from the University of Edinburgh, and a BA in Philosophy from Northwestern University.