Rachel Marie Brooks Atkins

Rachel Marie Brooks Atkins is an Assistant Professor/Faculty Fellow in the Management and Organizations Department at the Stern School of Business. She received a Ph.D. in Public and Urban Policy from The New School, an MPA from NYU, a Master of Government Administration from The University of Pennsylvania, and a B.S., summa cum laude, from West Chester University.

Rachel's research centers on the entrepreneurial activity of blacks in the US. Using economic theory and econometric methods as a foundation, she explores some of the unique dynamics that black entrepreneurs face as a group in the US economy. Her dissertation, “Black Entrepreneurship and the Business Cycle: Firm Entry and Outcomes During Economic Downturn,” examined how black-white disparities in entrepreneurship changed over the last two business cycles and evaluated the role of labor and housing markets in explaining those changes. During this postdoctoral fellowship Rachel will embark on the next project in her research agenda, which seeks to understand how black firm owners utilize technology and engage in innovative activity.

RESEARCH INTERESTS

• Racial inequality and public policy in entrepreneurship, organizations, technology, and innovation.

Education

• Doctor of Philosophy - PhD The New School's Milano School (2013 — 2019)
• Master of Public Administration (MPA) New York University (2010 — 2013)
• Master of Government Administration (MGA) University of Pennsylvania (2006 — 2010)
• BS West Chester University of Pennsylvania (2000 — 2004)

PUBLICATIONS

Peer-Reviewed Publications

• Atkins, R., Cook, L. D., & Seamans, R. (Forthcoming). Using Technology to Tackle Discrimination in Lending: The Role of FinTechs in the Paycheck Protection Program. American Economic Association Papers and Proceedings
• Atkins, Rachel M.B. (2021). Push-Pull Theory in Black and White: examining racial differences in firm starts before and after the Great Recession. Journal of Developmental Entrepreneurship
• Atkins, R., Cook, L. D., & Seamans, R. (2021). Discrimination in Lending? Evidence from the Paycheck Protection Program. Small Business Economics

Working Papers

• Atkins, Rachel M.B., Pablo Hernandez-Lagos, Cristian Jara-Figueroa, and Robert Seamans. 2022. What is the Impact of Opportunity Zones on Employment Outcomes? Revise and Resubmit: Journal of Urban Economics: Insights
• Atkins, Rachel M.B. 2022. When Opportunity Doesn’t Knock: The relationship between labor market opportunity and necessity entrepreneurship among Black workers. Target: Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice
• Atkins, Rachel M.B. 2021. Homeownership, home equity, and black-owned business starts: examining the impact of racial disparities in housing assets on firm creation. Target: Management Science
• Atkins, Rachel M.B., April Burrage. 2021 Racial and Ethnic Representation in 21st Century High Tech Self-employment. Target: Journal of Economics and Management Strategy