As learning and events specialist, Kristen Craig (she, her, hers) supports the planning and execution of PEAK’s programming and events. Kristen brings over a decade of program management, event planning, and workshop design experience to PEAK.

Before joining PEAK, Kristen served as the nonprofit leadership and effectiveness associate at the Greater New Orleans Foundation. In this role, Kristen managed the delivery of timely and relevant learning opportunities, in-person and online, for nonprofits in southeast Louisiana. She also led nonprofit enrollment for GiveNOLA Day, a community-wide giving day initiative with over 900 nonprofit participants.

Kristen is an active volunteer, especially when it comes to supporting efforts around education, youth development, and food justice. She earned her bachelor’s degree in political science from Tulane University.  She is a proud resident of New Orleans, Louisiana. As such, you can find her spending her spare time cooking flavorful treats on a treasured cast iron skillet that is twice her age.

“I am passionate about knowledge work because organizing and sharing knowledge empowers funders and grantees alike to dismantle systemic barriers and maximize their real-world impact.”

As a Kentucky native, Beth Willett Jones has a passion for serving local communities and strives to help create community conditions where all people can achieve their own defined level of success and well-being. Beth became the Great Clark Foundation’s first program officer in 2014 and managed its largest investment to date—the transformation of a former hospital site into a world-class park. Beth now serves as the Senior Program Officer for Learning and Knowledge Management.

Prior to joining GCF, Beth served as the public health services manager at the Clark County Health Department in Winchester, KY and as a research assistant for the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences Superfund Research Program at the University of Kentucky. Beth has a master’s degree in Dietetics Administration and a bachelor’s degree in Natural Resources Conservation and Management from the University of Kentucky.

Beth was drawn to her work at GCF by the aspirational question What’s Your Ambition?! “It asks us to think deeply about the hopes and dreams of ourselves, our families, and our communities.” During her tenure at GCF, Beth has deepened her knowledge and broadened her views on social equity and civic engagement work, and how it relates to building stronger, more cohesive, and inclusive communities.

“Before this work, I thought knowledge lived in reports, research, and evaluation. What continues to surprise me is that knowledge work is woven into nearly every conversation, every relationship, and every decision we make. The most valuable knowledge isn’t simply collected—it’s created together through curiosity, trust, and reflection.”

Ari Kramer is Director of Knowledge Management at the Robert Johnson Foundation (RWJF), responsible for enabling strategic, efficient, and equitable use of key institutional knowledge in alignment with RWJF’s vision and goals. An RWJF staff member since 2009, Ari currently oversees a centralized knowledge management function and resources that aim to help all RWJF employees make best use of key institutional knowledge as part of their ongoing work.

In this role, Ari leads the development and implementation of strategies, platforms, processes, and initiatives that enhance organization-wide knowledge access, sharing, and learning. Previously, Ari was a managing officer on RWJF’s digital team and a member of RWJF’s Program communications team, with a primary emphasis on public health.

Prior to joining the Foundation, Ari managed communications and member services for the Council of New Jersey Grantmakers, a state-level philanthropy infrastructure organization.

Extending the reach of his work at RWJF, Ari serves on the board of the Technology Association of Grantmakers and works with other foundations and sector organizations on efforts to advance KM practice in the field.

“I am passionate about knowledge work in philanthropy because I think it drives much of the value our sector brings to the world.”