Regina M. Lewis is a doctoral candidate at the University of Kentucky’s Martin School of Public Policy and Administration and the Lead Data Scientist for Black Yarn Inc., a Lexington-based nonprofit that uses research and film to confront economic injustice and amplify Black experiences. Her work brings clarity to complex issues, bridging public policy, labor economics, and spatial inequality to expose how racialized systems shape opportunity, wealth, and mobility.

Regina’s research focuses on the intersection of race, policy, and place, with a particular emphasis on the racial wealth gap and the unequal risks embedded in systems like homeownership, entrepreneurship, and education. Her ability to align data with narrative helps communities, organizations, and institutions move from vision to impact. Her work serves as the foundation for Lexington: Resilience in the Redline, a documentary that uncovers the lasting impacts of racialized housing policies through powerful storytelling and community voices,

She has presented her research at national and regional venues including the Kentucky Law Journal Symposium, the Association for Public Policy Analysis and Management (APPAM), and the National Academy of Public Administration’s Social Equity Leadership Conference. Regina has also worked as an interdisciplinary project manager at the University of Kentucky and has years of experience supporting leadership development in both the corporate and nonprofit sectors.

A financial literacy advocate and certified financial coach, Regina was awarded the Bluegrass Community Foundation Neighborhood Grant and has taught money management to multi-ethnic communities. She holds a master’s degree in Nutritional Sciences and was a UNITE Predoctoral Fellow. She is also a gratitude enthusiast, a guest lecturer, and a nationally competitive amateur Strongwoman athlete who believes transformation begins with mindset and mission—not perfection.