Parvathi Santhosh-Kumar Email & Phone Number

Chicago, Illinois, United States

Greater Chicago Area

I worked collaboratively with leaders across the organization to lead and align comprehensive, impactful strategies to coach cross-sector leaders to use data and engage community to advance equity; convene community partners through engaging peer learning experiences; codify real-time learning to build field knowledge; influence local and state policymaking; and invest in high-potential communities to accelerate results from cradle to career. I also served as managing director for StriveTogether’s Chicago office.

Greater Chicago Area

I implemented intensive capability-building strategies to enable 600+ leaders in 30+ communities to use StriveTogether’s collaborative improvement approach. I shepherded change management processes to expand the use of Results Count leadership skills internally and across the Cradle to Career Network as the first Results Count Hub designated by the Annie E. Casey Foundation.

Greater Chicago Area

I activated learning strategies to codify and share practices with community leaders and contributed to field-building thought leadership (e.g. presented at the World Economic Forum in Davos, published an article in the Stanford Social Innovation Review).

Greater Chicago Area

I designed the Accelerator Fund, a prototype for the Cradle to Career Challenge, a $60 Million capacity-building and grant opportunity for 35 partnerships. I also supported the design and implementation of the StriveTogether Leadership Program, an intensive results-based collaborative action series for 25 cross-sector leaders from five communities.

I advanced the Mayor’s policy agenda supporting youth from birth to college and career by generating policy ideas; rapidly developing rapid policy analyses; and composing grant proposals to support critical priorities. I managed the implementation of the Mayor’s signature education and youth priorities, including the disbursement of $36 Million in new early learning funding. I also shepherded relationships with key leaders across sectors to incubate Thrive Chicago, a new cradle to career partnership and member of the StriveTogether Cradle to Career Network.

Greater Chicago Area

Reporting directly to the Mayor's Deputy for Education, I supported the development and implementation of the Mayor's education policy agenda. I spearheaded the design and implementation of the nation’s first citywide digital badge system to measure skills and competencies gained through 100+ formal and informal learning opportunities as part of the first-ever Summer of Learning, which grew into a yearlong City of Learning.

I served as a liaison to a subcommittee of Council members and provided strategic support to the full Council, a diverse group of prominent cross-sector leaders engaged to spotlight effective community-based solutions to support Opportunity Youth. I conducted research, outreach, and special projects, i.e. mapping federal investments in youth development.

Master In Public Policy, Social And Urban Policy

Concentration in Social and Urban Policy; capstone project on performance management; honored with the Robert F. Kennedy Award.

Bachelor Of Arts, Cum Laude, American Studies

Concentration in school redesign and urban education policy; honors thesis on addressing the implementation gap and improving teacher.