about

Sekou Koulibaly is a Project Associate in Economic Incentives at Empire State Development (ESD), where he supports the administration of New York State's entertainment tax credit portfolio. His work spans the NYS Film Tax Credit Program (Production and Post-Production), the NYS Independent Film Production Tax Credit Program, and the New York City Musical and Theatrical Production Tax Credit, programs designed to attract and retain film, television, post-production, and live theatrical productions across New York State. His responsibilities include reviewing and processing incentive applications, ensuring compliance with program requirements, analyzing program data, and coordinating between production companies and ESD's Economic Incentives Department.

He is also an Adjunct Lecturer at the Borough of Manhattan Community College (BMCC), City University of New York, where he teaches undergraduate courses in criminal justice. His teaching emphasizes critical thinking, public institutions, and the practical application of policy to contemporary social issues.

His research lies at the intersection of political economy, natural resource governance, and economic development, with a regional focus on Guinea and Sub-Saharan Africa. His work examines how state institutions, governance arrangements, and market structures shape development outcomes in resource-rich economies, particularly within the artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) sector.

His current research introduces selective state presence as an analytical framework for understanding how uneven state engagement across the artisanal gold mining value chain constrains economic development. Drawing on original qualitative fieldwork conducted in Kintinian, Siguiri, and Conakry, Guinea, his research shows that while the state is active in licensing and exports, it remains largely absent at the production level, limiting the sector's contribution to inclusive economic development.

Koulibaly holds an MPhil in Development Studies (Economic Development) from the University of Cambridge. He also earned an MIA in International Affairs  (Trade Policy and Global Economic Governance) from Baruch College, a BA in Political Science with a Minor in Public Policy from the City College of New York, and an AA in Liberal Arts from the Borough of Manhattan Community College, all part of the City University of New York (CUNY).