Founder and Chief Possibility Catalyst
The L.E.A.D. Agency LLC, United States
Dr. Kimberlin Butler is the Founder & Chief Possibility Catalyst at The L.E.A.D. Agency. A connector, convener, and collaborator for social impact, she catalyzes possibilities and facilitates collaboration across diverse networks to achieve their vision. Dr. Butler pioneered the concept of Youth-Possible Philanthropy™ as an equity-centered foundation practice, engaging young people as essential partners in youth and education-programmatic investments. She inspires foundations to catalyze investments for communities and youth to L.E.A.D. – Learn, Excel, Achieve, and discover their Destiny. Dr. Butler engages foundations as a Network Leader in the Causal Pathways Initiative. She builds the awareness and readiness of the philanthropic sector to understand how and why change happens in systems. Formerly as Mathematica’s Senior Director of Foundation Engagement, she developed the evidence-informed grantmaking strategy framework – an approach that partners with foundations to deeply understand community context to shape investments. She founded the Equity Community of Practice and catalyzed companywide efforts to center equity in philanthropic practice. Dr. Butler advances collaboration across the philanthropic ecosystem and amplifies the voices of those most proximate to social challenges as experts in shaping solutions. Her extensive experience includes leadership roles in the Obama Administration advising the U.S. Secretary of Education and facilitating White House convenings, Grantmakers for Education leading national funder networks, StriveTogether managing a $15M Accelerator Fund, and the launch of Beyond 12’s Atlanta office to advance college completion for under-resourced students. An avid volunteer sitting on numerous boards, she received Women We Admire’s Top 50 Leaders of DC for 2023 Award. A native of Baton Rouge, Dr. Butler received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Mass Communication from Louisiana State University and a Master of Public Administration degree from the Maxwell School of Syracuse University. She also earned a doctorate in educational and organizational leadership at the University of Pennsylvania.
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Shifting Power, Lifting Perspectives: Incorporating Youth Voice into Participatory Learning
Wednesday, October 23, 2024
4:15 PM - 5:15 PM PST
Embracing causal pathways to engage new voices: One foundation’s journey
Thursday, October 24, 2024
3:45 PM - 4:45 PM PST