Elliot Blake

Background

About Elliot Blake

After graduating Summa Cum Laude and Phi Beta Kappa from Columbia University with double Honors B.A. degrees in Philosophy and Psychology, I started working as a Managing Director at 13D Research and Strategy, a finacial research firm recognized globally for it’s comprehensive and forward-thinking analysis and strategic insights into global economic trends, geopolitical developments, investment opportunities, and market movements. I was drawn to 13D’s holistic approach to problem-solving, which transcends obvious conclusions to develop and interpret nuanced outcomes. With 13D, I write on numerous subjects including higher education, empirical psychology and clinical neuroscience, philosophy, and the impact of technology on culture and minds. I strongly endorse the view that philosophy, psychology, and the arts will be our greatest tools in informing and improving our understanding of humanity—and in doing so, will guide us in addressing the challenges of our contemporary moment. During my time at Columbia, I specialized my studies in ancient philosophy and presented my research on ancient Stoic ethics and epistemology at Columbia’s Undergraduate Research Symposium. I was honored as a 2023 Rhodes Scholarship Finalist for District 6, served as a commentator at Columbia’s End of Summer PhD Workshop as part of the Research Group in Ancient and Contemporary Philosophy, contributed as a commentator to the Harvard-Columbia Workshop in Ancient Philosophy, and was the recipient of the James P. Shenton Prize in Contemporary Civilization. Also during my undergraduate studies, I was elected to serve as the youngest Senator on the Columbia University Senate where I attended monthly plenaries to address concerns between the student body and the schools within the university. I was Chair of the Senate’s largest subcommittee, Health and Wellness, and Co-Chair of the Senate’s Financial Insecurity Subcommittee during the COVID-19 pandemic where I priroitized COVID-related financial concerns including technological accessibility, emergency housing, and emergency relief funds. I was appointed by Columbia University’s former President Bollinger to serve as the student representative on Columbia University’s Presidential Advisory Committee on Sexual Assault and was the only undergraduate student board member of the Columbia Alumni Association. I also worked as a Research Assistant for three years in Columbia’s Department of English and Comparative Literature and as a Research Assistant in the Department of Philosophy.