Grace Kumchulesi is an economist with over 15 years of professional experience in government, academia, and think tank institutions in Malawi. She is currently the Director for Development Planning at the National Planning Commission and was a key architect of the current long-and medium-term development plans for Malawi. Her research interests are in the areas of labour markets, poverty reduction, income distribution, and demography. Previously, Grace held a lecturing position at Chancellor College in the University of Malawi. She obtained her Ph.D. in Economics from the University of Cape Town.