Kristen is an architect and community collaborator with experience working in community development, affordable housing and disaster recovery. Before joining Hester Street, she was an Enterprise Rose Fellow in Boston with Urban Edge and Jamaica Plain Neighborhood Development Corporation where she helped lead work that amplified residents’ understanding and ownership of their communities and built environment. She was involved in a community-driven land acquisition process and the creation and execution of leadership training modules for Boston Housing Authority residents about design, development and community engagement.
Prior to serving as a Rose Fellow, she managed projects at the Pratt Center for Community Development in New York City related to post-Sandy recovery and energy efficiency retrofits. In her work, she finds strength in partnering with community-based organizations, policymakers and government agencies to equip those on the front lines with the resources, tools and technical assistance to advocate for more equitable and just communities. Kristen serves on the board of the Association for Community Design. She holds a Master of Architecture from Parsons School of Design and an undergraduate degree from Brown University.