About Dr. Audrieanna Burgin

Dr. Audrieanna Burgin is a Jacksonville native and one of the few economists leading change in Northeast Florida. She serves as Vice President of Data, Impact, & Funding Strategy at LIFT JAX, where she leads data and impact efforts that support community-led solutions and expand access to opportunity for families. Her work explores the intersections of education, labor, and wealth to advance more inclusive economic systems. It is deeply informed by her lived experiences and long-standing commitment to expanding access and opportunity in the communities that shaped her.

She also served as the founding director of the University of North Florida’s Diversity in Business Program, a community of support for students of color within the Coggin College of Business, launched with a $700,000 investment from CSX. Over her career, she has helped secure more than $10 million in grants and endowments for higher education institutions and education nonprofits, serving as a strategist on research and funding initiatives.

Prior to her current role, Dr. Burgin served as Chief Executive Officer of 904WARD, where she guided the organization’s mission to strengthen community relationships through dialogue, data, and collective action.

A former Visiting Assistant Professor of Economics at the University of North Florida, Dr. Burgin earned her Doctor of Philosophy in Economics from Florida State University, where her dissertation focused on educational attainment and labor outcomes. Known for her engaging teaching style, she is passionate about translating complex data and economic insights into strategies that drive real community impact.

A recognized civic leader, Dr. Burgin is a Hightower Fellow (Class of 2023) and was appointed to the Hightower Fellowship Board of Directors in 2025. In 2024, she was named a Top 40 Under 40 honoree by the Jacksonville Business Journal and a Top 20 Under 40 recipient by Florida Black Excellence. That same year, she was appointed to Mayor Donna Deegan’s African American Advisory Council.

Dr. Burgin currently serves on the boards of Ascension St. Vincent’s Foundation and the Nonprofit Center of Northeast Florida.

Dr. Burgin holds dual Bachelor of Business Administration degrees in Economics and Management, a Master of Science in Economics, and a Doctor of Philosophy in Economics.