Anirban is Chairman & CEO of Sage, an economic and policy consulting firm in Baltimore, Maryland that he founded in 2004.  Dr. Basu is among the most recognizable economists, in part because of his consulting work on behalf of numerous clients, including prominent developers, bankers, brokerage houses, energy suppliers, law firms and business associations.

Dr. Basu has written several high-profile economic development strategies on behalf of government agencies and non-profit organizations, including co-authoring economic development strategies for Baltimore City and Baltimore County, Maryland.  Among other things, Anirban serves as the chief economist to Associated Builders and Contractors (national) and as chief economic advisor to the Construction Financial Management Association.

In recent years, he has also focused upon health economics, the economics of education, and economic development.  He has lectured at Johns Hopkins University, most recently in global strategy.

In 2007 and then again in 2016, Dr.. Basu was selected by the Daily Record newspaper as one of Maryland’s 50 most influential people. The Baltimore Business Journal named him one of the region’s 20 most powerful business leaders in 2010.

Over time, Dr. Basu has had occasion to serve on many boards, including the boards of the University of Maryland School of Law, First Mariner Bank, the Baltimore School for the Arts, the Baltimore City Public School System, and Union Memorial Hospital.  He served as chairman of the Maryland Economic Development Commission from 2014-2021. He was recently appointed to the University System of Maryland Foundation Board and is also on the Board of the Archdiocese of Baltimore School System and the Lyric Opera House.

Dr. Basu earned his B.S. in Foreign Service at Georgetown University in 1990.  He earned his Master’s in Public Policy from Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government, and his Master’s in Economics from the University of Maryland, College Park.  His Juris Doctor was earned at the University of Maryland School of Law in 2003, and he completed his Ph.D. in health economics at UMBC in 2020.

His experience includes: consulting with clients on business, financial, economic, management and investment developments and trends; developing economic forecasts and capital market strategies and asset allocations; analyzing and developing public policies for improved fiscal performance and economic development; advising investment firms and making economic, capital markets and business management presentations to a wide variety of business and trade organization groups. He has been a guest commentator on Neil Cavuto’s popular Fox News financial show and has been interviewed by a number of publications and broadcast media including The Wall Street Transcript, The Washington Post and The Philadelphia Inquirer.

He has been a key contributor of economic, financial and business planning for government entities in the state of Maryland, businesses, law firms and trade organizations and provides economic and capital markets strategy to investment advisory firms whose assets aggregate nearly $1 billion. A frequent speaker at financial and business forums, he has addressed numerous organizations including Vistage International, The Alternative Board, National Foundation for Credit Counseling, TMI Executive Resources, Parente Beard Company, the Greater Baltimore Technology Council and the Urban Land Institute, providing valuable insights into domestic and global business, economic and financial market conditions and future trends.