Larry Dubinski
President and CEO
Larry Dubinski has served as President and CEO of The Franklin Institute (TFI) in Philadelphia since July 2014. In this role, he leads one of the nation's most celebrated science centers and the most visited museum in Pennsylvania.
A leader in the international museum community, Dubinski serves on the Board and Executive Committee of the American Alliance of Museums (AAM), where he was elected Treasurer in 2025. He is also Co-Chair of the AAM Annual Conference taking place in Philadelphia in 2026. Dubinski previously served as Chair of the Association of Science and Technology Centers (2019–2021), a global organization that serves science centers in over 40 countries, where he helped navigate the organization and the field as a whole through the COVID-19 pandemic.
Since becoming President and CEO of TFI, Dubinski has introduced experiences designed to engage new audiences, increase attendance, bring science into the community, and significantly raise the museum's profile. Under his leadership, The Franklin Institute has grown into a national force in science education, implementing national and regional programs that have garnered national acclaim.
He led the Turning the Key and Inspire Science capital campaigns, securing more than $120 million for transformative projects—including the construction of the Nicholas and Athena Karabots Pavilion, which added vital space for traveling exhibitions, a state-of-the-art conference center, and the award-winning Your Brain core exhibit. Today, he is spearheading the Mission: WOW! campaign with a working goal of $110 million to reimagine the museum's core exhibitions to meet the evolving needs of 21st-century audiences. To date, the campaign has produced three new exhibits: Wondrous Space, Body Odyssey, and the Hamilton Collections Gallery, with a fourth set to debut in 2026.
Dubinski has positioned The Franklin Institute as a premier destination for world-class traveling exhibitions, forging international partnerships with institutions such as China's Shaanxi Cultural Heritage Promotion Center, Museo Galileo, Warner Bros. Discovery, and Disney. Recent world premieres include Harry Potter™: The Exhibition and Disney100: The Exhibition. Under Dubinski's leadership, TFI is entering a new era of traveling exhibition development. The forthcoming Universal Theme Parks: The Exhibition is being produced by The Franklin Institute in collaboration with Universal Destinations & Experiences. Following its world premiere in Philadelphia in 2026, the exhibit will embark on a North American tour, further solidifying TFI's role as a leader in immersive experiences.
Dubinski's focus on securing key initiatives to support a new strategic business model approach while maintaining the museum's mission to inspire a passion for learning about science and technology has earned him global recognition. In 2021, he was honored as one of the "Power 10" on the international Blooloop 50 Museum influencer list. From 2022 through 2025, he was named to the Philadelphia Business Journal's "Power 100" list. Previous honors include "Fundraising Executive of the Year" by the Greater Philadelphia Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals, "Circle of Excellence Award" from SmartCEO, and "Most Admired CEO" from the Philadelphia Business Journal (2017 and 2024). Dubinski is also a five-time Mid-Atlantic Regional Emmy Award winner for producing compelling content for The Franklin Institute Awards.
In addition to AAM, Dubinski currently serves on several boards, including Vanguard Charitable, Germany's Deutsches Museum, the Philadelphia Convention and Visitors Bureau, and the Satell Institute, where he serves as Vice Chair. He is also a member of the Young Presidents' Organization.
He holds a B.A. from the University of Texas at Austin and a J.D. from Temple University Beasley School of Law. Before becoming President and CEO, Dubinski held multiple senior roles at The Franklin Institute and practiced law at Morgan Lewis.
As the most visited museum in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and a top-five tourist destination in the City of Philadelphia, The Franklin Institute is one of the leading science centers in the country and serves as both a prominent educational and cultural resource, and as an anchor of the local economy.