Kristen (she/her) joined LAANE in 2014 as a development associate. After being promoted to senior development associate, Kristen assumed the role of development director in 2021. In 2023, Kristen became LAANE’s grants director.
Prior to LAANE, Kristen worked as a fundraiser for a variety of organizations and causes, including the California League of Conservation Voters and Grand Performances. She also publishes fiction as Kristen Leigh Schwarz. Kristen holds B.A.s in English and Spanish from USC, and an M.F.A. in fiction writing from the University of California, Irvine.