Carolyn Lee is the president and executive director of the Manufacturing Institute (MI), the workforce and education arm of the National Association of Manufacturers. Since 2017, she has led the MI in scaling national programs to build a resilient manufacturing workforce. Under her leadership, the MI has expanded initiatives such as the Heroes MAKE America program for veterans, the 35×30 mentorship effort to engage more women in manufacturing, and the Creators Wanted campaign—manufacturing’s largest national workforce initiative. She also helped grow the Federation for Advanced Manufacturing Education and launched the MI Workforce Summit. Raised in a manufacturing family, Lee is driven by a personal understanding of the industry’s power to transform lives and communities. Prior to her MI leadership, she held roles at the NAM, the Telecommunications Industry Association, 3M, and on Capitol Hill. Through partnerships, research, and industry convening, Lee ensures manufacturers are equipped to address workforce challenges and compete globally.