hansen headshot

Emerson Fellow

Kiese Hansen

25th Class, 2018-2019

Kiese graduated from the University of Maryland in 2015 with a degree in economics. Kiese holds a deep interest in domestic economic inequality, particularly as it relates to race, gender, food insecurity, and wealth. This is reflected in both her past work and volunteer experiences, which have included time with the Urban League of Greater Madison, The Raben Group, and Community Tax Aid D.C. After graduating, Kiese worked as a program associate for the Aspen Institute’s Financial Security Program, a program dedicated to increasing savings opportunities for low-and moderate-income households and families. While at Aspen, she also served as co-chair of the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee.

Field placement: Greater Twin Cities United Way

Minneapolis, Minnesota

Kiese is working with the Greater Twin Cities United Way’s (GTCUW) Community Impact Food Security team (Minneapolis, MN) to support their Full Lives Grant Program, which aims to support and strengthen the local community food system within North Minneapolis. The two-year program brings together 11 community organizations working across 14 different projects to build long-term solutions for improving food security and is made possible in part by generous support from the General Mills Foundation. During her time with GTCUW, Kiese will be working on communications-specific capacity building projects for the Food Security team and the grantees. This includes the development of a white paper on the grant model, as well as a set of case studies that will help capture stories of impact and successes the grantees have had within their communities.

Policy placement: Center for Law and Social Policy

Washington, D.C.

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