Our Team

Prior to joining the NLC national staff, Cat co-directed NLC Los Angeles’s 2018 Institute, served on the NLC LA governing board, and was a national LEAD trainer.

Cat has worn many hats throughout their career. As co-founder and Chief Operating Officer of Pantsuit Nation, they built a national 501(c) 3 and 501(c)4 using the training they received as a New Leaders Council Fellow. They have also wielded clipboards on behalf of the South Carolina Democratic Party, worked as a community organizer for ballot initiatives in California, managed projects in corporate arenas, and created digital communication strategies for events and campaigns.

Cat hails from South Carolina and now lives in Portland, Oregon with their wife and their co-dependent dog and cat. They are is an avid backpacker and amateur photographer. In their free time, you will find Cat chasing perfect light in the Pacific Northwest and High Sierra.

Pronouns: They/Their/Theirs; She/Her/Hers

As the former Executive Director She Should Run, Clare created its Incubator serving over 20,000 members, and has trained thousands of women and girls to own their leadership path and run for office. When she served as Political Director for Women’s Campaign Fund, the first PAC founded to support pro-choice women, she launched their endorsement program supporting first time candidates of color and LGBTQ candidates.

Clare also consulted with global brands on diversity, equity, and inclusion strategies, trainings, and programs - from advising Hollywood studios through change in the #MeToo & #OscarsSoWhite era, to expanding representation in tech and consumer product industries.


With a background in women and girl’s empowerment, Clare also advised corporate social impact and philanthropic efforts focused on ending the Dream Gap for girls' confidence, aspirations, and opportunities. 

Clare is a proud NLC veteran. She was a 2012 DC Fellow, 2013 DC Curriculum Chair, 2014 DC Chapter Co-Director, former SPARK presenter, and has been a LEAD Trainer for the last 7 years, training hundreds of Fellows around the country. 

A 40 Under 40 Honoree by the Center for Leadership Excellence, Clare has been recognized for her leadership impact in the public sector. She graduated with a Masters in Public Management from Johns Hopkins University and earned a B.A. in Communications, Law, Economics, and Government from American University.

Clare just set down roots in Northern VA with her husband, and is a Midwesterner at heart who grew up in Cincinnati, OH.

Pronouns: She/Her/Hers

Karen has been deeply involved with New Leaders Council since her fellowship with NLC Broward in 2016. As a national LEAD trainer, she has brought her passion for leadership to over 10 chapters across the country. She has also served on the Broward chapter’s board, co-founded the NLC Black Caucus, been a Spark! Talk presenter and mentor at NLC Convention, and authored policy papers on behalf of the organization. 

Using the skills and network she gained from her NLC fellowship, Karen took Chef Kulture, an organization that supports and promotes leaders in the food industry so they can have impact on the communities they serve, from an idea to a movement. Chef Kulture addresses issues in Black and Brown communities such as food justice and access, community economic sustainability, and small business development, and currently has 8 chapters across Florida, Kentucky, Maryland, and Georgia.

She has dedicated her career to the fight for equity. Previously, Karen has been a community organizer and program manager in the non-profit sector and provided entrepreneurial mentorship to her community. Karen holds a Juris Doctor from St. Thomas University Law School and a Bachelor of Arts in Organizational Leadership and Group Communications from Trinity International University. She is the former Board Chair of the LA Lee YMCA and was a founding member of Communities of Promise Health & Wellness Coalition, both located in Florida.

Karen is wife to Chef Chad Cherry and the mother of three children: Kytana, Kyrsten and Zyon. 

Pronouns: She/Her/Hers

Kate’s background is in philanthropy, public policy, and political fundraising. Most recently, she was advising philanthropists in Los Angeles and the Bay Area on their giving strategies. She previously worked for US Senator Tim Kaine in his Senate office and on his political campaigns. While working on the 2016 Presidential campaign, Kate traveled the country with Senator Kaine and his wife, Anne Holton, meeting with local leaders and nonprofits. She also has experience working with cities using federal grants to improve energy efficiency and promote sustainability in their communities. 

Kate earned her Bachelor’s from the University of Virginia where she studied Foreign Affairs and Urban and Environmental Planning. A native of the D.C. area, Kate spends her spare time with her family, friends, and dog, Penelope. 

Pronouns: She/Her/Hers

Kimberly is very dedicated in serving others, leadership development and giving back to her community. Kimberly was a member of the 2018 Inaugural Fellowship for NLC Dallas. In 2018-2019, she rose to Co-Director of the Dallas Chapter. Kimberly also serves as Vice President of the Alpha Omicron Sigma Charitable Foundation - the charitable arm of the Dallas Chapter of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc. The main foci for the foundation include youth empowerment and educational enrichment. Kimberly is also an Active Member of the Junior League of Dallas where recently she has served in a variety of roles on the Provisional Committee. By virtue of her life’s experiences, Kimberly is passionate about health care issues and has become a powerful advocate for Health Equity, Women's Health, and Children & Youth. She serves as the Board Secretary for Sisters Network Dallas, a community-based organization comprised of African-American Breast Cancer survivors. 

In her spare time, you will find Kimberly attending hot yoga classes and spending time with her friends and family.

Pronouns: She/Her/Hers

Tristan is driven by an intense internal mission to improve the world around her via practical and useful actions. She is a natural born organizer who is most in her element solving complicated problems with her team.

In 2016 this innate passion for equity and fairness drove her to a career in politics while simultaneously pursuing her masters degree in public health. Starting on a congressional campaign as a campaign coordinator, she later transitioned to field organizing with Nextgen America where she served as a regional organizing director in the 2018 election cycle in Florida. Also in 2018 she completed the NLC Fellowship and is a proud alum of the NLC Tampa Bay Chapter.

She holds a B.A. from the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill in Environmental Studies with a minor in Urban Planning and received her MPH in Health Policies and Programs from the University of South Florida.

INTJ/ENTJ depending on # of cups of coffee. Currently residing back home in her beloved state of North Carolina with her fiancé and purebred mutt after several years out of state.

Pronouns: She/Her/Hers