Kate Smiles Email & Phone Number

Denver, Co, Us

Remote (Colorado)

• Conducted applied mixed methods research on finance transformation and organizational performance designed to surface best practices and foster learning. Research focuses on inter- and intra-team collaboration, including ways of working, agile, and organizational structure.• Authored research notes and case studies on finance topics, including Addressing Organizational Silos, Org Structure Innovations, How to Counter Technology Bias in Transformation, and Leadership of Transformation and Digital Delivery• Achievements: 2023 Fastest Start in a Peer and Practitioner Research Role - Runner-up (company-wide); Insight Fest Planning Committee member (annual company-wide research event)

Denver, Colorado, United States

• Led program operations for $24M+ grant portfolio, including product scoping, contract management, grantee enablement, and reporting• Partnered with 100+ nonprofit/education technology grantees to accelerate innovation and social impact• Collaborated with internal partners and grantees to maximize grant impact• Established and managed company-wide crisis response product donations process• Improved program efficiency and effectiveness by introducing new tools/processes: program tracker to document key aspects of each grant; application to ensure standardized vetting/selection; reporting process to streamline grantee experience while also gathering more actionable information; interactive dashboards to guide program delivery and decision-making

Denver, Colorado, United States

Oversaw and partnered with a portfolio of nonprofit and education customers who have received Salesforce technology grants intended to leverage Salesforce’s technology to accelerate social impact, explore innovation, and inspire the sectors.

Denver, Co

• Led data collection, analysis, and reporting across 13 regions, serving over 11,000 students and 14,000 volunteers annually• Managed three multi-year evaluation studies ensuring timely and high-quality delivery of research products• Led Salesforce implementation, including requirement gathering, change management, and user training/support• Coached organizational stakeholders on theories of change/logic models, data quality and reliability, and leveraging data for learning• Led both the Data & Evaluation Department and Salesforce Implementation Team, sitting at the intersection of impact management and technology• Presented research findings to school, district, and foundation partners• Established and managed FERPA-compliant data sharing agreements across partner school districts• Served as the organization-wide Data Privacy Officer

Denver, Co

• Conducted performance reviews of federal programs in areas including nuclear security, public diplomacy, grant accountability, and tax policy • Designed and conducted focus groups, interviews, case studies, literature reviews, content analyses, and expert panels• Delivered project findings through congressional briefings and study reports

Denver, Colorado

• Led teams in all phases of mixed methods research projects, including developing theories of change and research questions; selecting study design/methodology; collecting and analyzing data from interviews, focus groups, observations, surveys, and administrative sources; and summarizing project findings and recommendations• Simultaneously managed multiple complex and multi-year research studies, including a randomized controlled trial (RCT) and quasi-experimental studies• Chaired the Executive Committee on Contributions, providing free and low-cost evaluation resources to the nonprofit and public sectors

Washington D.C. Metro Area

• Conducted performance reviews of federal programs in areas including nuclear security, public diplomacy, grant accountability, and tax policy • Designed and conducted focus groups, interviews, case studies, literature reviews, content analyses, and expert panels• Delivered project findings through congressional briefings and study reports

Led two graduate-level research methods labs and provided one-on-one support to participating students.

Managed the publication process for four articles on timely public policy topics; oversaw the editorial process, including managing four associate editors and two technical editors.

Denver, Co

Conducted a literature review on school violence prevention programs. Analyzed research conducted on prevention programs for methodological rigor and significance of outcomes. Also synthesized meta-analytic work on school-based prevention and environmental crime prevention techniques for submission to the U.S. Department of Education.

Ithaca, New York Area

• Community Programs Specialist: Acted as liaison between student volunteers and Ithaca community agencies to match community need with student skills and resources. Scheduled meetings and provided general office support for student groups, as well as faculty and staff. Maintained a database of over 200 community volunteer requests.• Pre-Orientation Service Trip Team Leader (POST): Led groups of ten first year university students during a week-long community service program intended to engage undergraduate students in the Ithaca community during their college careers. Responsible for collaborating with local organizations and leading daily service projects.• Alternative Breaks Program Board Chair, Student Team Leader and Student Participant: Responsible for coordinating recruitment, team development, pre-trip meetings, lodging, transportation, food, and community agency partnerships for two week-long service-learning trips in the spring and one month-long trip during the summer.

Master'S Of Public Policy, Public Policy

Activities and Societies: Policy Perspectives (journal), Statistics TAGraduated at top of class

B.A., Social Psychology

Activities and Societies: Alpha Phi Omega, College Scholar, Alternative Spring Breaks, University Public Service CenterGraduated Magna Cum.