Elizabeth Lusskin
Executive VP, Small Business Development - ESD
Elizabeth Lusskin is the Executive Vice President for Small Business and Technology Development at Empire State Development, leading a division with 40+ staff and programs exceeding $1B, across five areas, focused on small business and innovation sectors: Capital Access, Entrepreneur Development, NYSTAR focused on technology and research commercialization, Life Science Initiative and Venture investments. Previously she was President of the LIC Partnership and Executive Director of the LIC Business Improvement District, promoting economic development across Long Island City’s industrial, commercial, residential and cultural arts mixed-use community. She served as Co-Chair of the NYC BID Association, and a Member of the Queens Tech Council, the NYC Workforce Business Council, and Mayor Eric Adams and Queens Borough President Donovan Richards Transitions Committees, among other roles. She served as Co-Chair of the Sunnyside Yard Master Plan Steering Committee and Co-Chair of the Amazon Community Advisory Committee Project Plan Committee. Prior to LIC, she served as the Chief of Staff and Vice President of Strategic Initiatives at the Polytechnic Institute of NYU. Through her former consulting practice, Elizabeth Lusskin Consulting LLC, she advised public, private for-profit and non-profit clients on economic and community development, organizational management and strategic planning. Elizabeth has served as Deputy Commissioner of NYC SBS, General Counsel to the Downtown Alliance and Legislative Counsel in the NYS Office of Federal Affairs. She is a graduate of Yale University and NYU School of Law.