Economic Growth Institute – University of Michigan

Ashlee Breitner is Managing Director of the University of Michigan’s Economic Growth Institute (EGI) and Workforce Director for the Electric Vehicle Center (EVC), where she leads statewide and national initiatives at the intersection of workforce development, advanced manufacturing, and economic resilience. With nearly 20 years of experience spanning industry, academia, and government partnerships, Ashlee is nationally recognized for building multi-sector collaborations that help communities and small-to-medium manufacturers adapt to technological and market change.

She serves as Principal Investigator on multiple federal and state grants focused on electric vehicles, clean energy, defense supply chains, and inclusive workforce systems, and teaches graduate-level courses in innovation and workforce strategy within the University of Michigan College of Engineering. A rural Michigan native, Ashlee is deeply committed to creating access and opportunity to resources for companies and communities across the state. She also serves on several regional and national advisory and governing boards supporting mobility, clean fuels, and small business growth.