Ceyhun Elgin is primarily affiliated with Columbia University as a lecturer in discipline but also works as a Professor of Economics at Bogazici University in Turkey. He got his BA in economics from Bogazici University and then subsequently obtained his Ph.D. in economics at the University of Minnesota in 2010. His research interests are in applied macroeconomics, economic growth, development economics, and political economics with a particular emphasis on the economics of the informal sector. Previously, Dr. Elgin also had visiting positions at Boston University, Tilburg University, NYU, IMF, and the World Bank.

Laila holds an AB in Social Studies with an emphasis on post-colonial theory and history from Harvard University, and an MM from the New England Conservatory in Jazz Voice. While in college, she held leadership roles on the Undergraduate Council, the Arts & Humanities Student Board, and a variety of activist organizations, including the Harvard Graduate Student Union.