Kevin Klowden is executive director of the Milken Institute's Center for Regional Economics. He focuses on issues connected to job creation, technology-based development, small business access to capital, and California's role in the global economy. Klowden is the lead author of numerous publications, including 'A Hollywood Exit: What California Must Do to Remain Competitive in Entertainment and Keep Jobs' as well as 'Strategies for Expanding California's Exports' and 'A Golden Opportunity with China: How California Can Become an Even Bigger Destination for Chinese Foreign Investment.' He has written about the importance of a skilled and educated workforce in maintaining regional competitiveness, and the need for increasing exports by small and mid-sized businesses to grow the economy. A frequent speaker, he currently serves on multiple advisory boards, including the Los Angeles Regional Export Council, and particularly as Chair of Trade Finance Advisory Council for the U.S. Department of Commerce. Klowden holds graduate degrees from the University of Chicago and London School of Economics, where he studied Asian financial centers and foreign direct investment.