Heske van Doornen leads operations and product strategy for INET’s Young Scholars Initiative, a 25,000-member global community of early-career economists who are commited to serve society.
Working directly with a team of engineers, she steers the systems, tools, and internal processes that enable a small team to administer over 200 scholar-led projects each year. Heske has been instrumental in transforming YSI into a lean, innovative program that combines global reach with local empowerment.
She has led initiatives to overhaul YSI’s digital infrastructure, streamline international payment systems, growing team capacity while reducing costs. She also developed YSI’s annual reporting and impact tracking system, strengthening stakeholder visibility and fundraising capacity across INET.
Before joining INET, Heske worked at an edtech startup, partnering directly with the founder, engineering, and design teams to grow adoption across U.S. business schools. She holds a Master’s degree in Economic Theory and Policy from the Levy Economics Institute at Bard College, and a Bachelor’s in Economics and Global Studies from Bard College.
A systems thinker with a passion for mission-driven innovation, Heske bridges strategy and execution to build the connective infrastructure that helps bold ideas thrive.
Heske van Doornen
Featuring this expert
Young Scholars Initiative Early Career Days, Second Session
As young scholars we are confronted with many challenges: publishing, teaching, the job market, work-life balance and institutional barriers, often we face these demands alone and without much institutional or even moral support.
Young Scholars Initiative Early Career Days
publishing • the job market • writing • teaching • mental health • work-life balance