Alí R. Bustamante is the Deputy Director of the Education, Jobs & Worker Power program at the Roosevelt Institute, where he specializes on how public policy can structure markets around both economic and social value and empower Americans through the provision of public goods and stronger labor protections. Dr. Bustamante is an expert on labor, economics, and public policy and a native Spanish speaker. His research and analysis have been featured on The New York Times, USA Today, NPR, CNN, Forbes, Charities USA, and other media outlets.

Prior to joining Roosevelt, he served as chief economist at the Louisiana Workforce Commission, senior research associate at the Southern Economic Advancement Project, and as faculty at Florida International University, the University of New Orleans, and Loyola University New Orleans. Dr. Bustamante earned a BA and PhD from the University of Miami, specializing in political economy. Born in Masaya, Nicaragua and raised in Miami, he now lives in New Orleans.