Kimberly Cernak is a senior executive in international development with experience spanning philanthropy, government, and non-profit advocacy. Kim is currently incubating a project on the future of U.S. global development policy, dubbed Aid 2035, focused on leveraging diverse voices and bright ideas to forge a path towards renewed U.S. development leadership. In addition, Kim is the founder and principal of KPC Strategies, where she advises non-profit organizations and philanthropies on strategic planning, policy & advocacy, and provides executive leadership support.
From 2019-2024, Kim served as the Managing Director of the Eleanor Crook Foundation, a private philanthropy focused on global hunger and malnutrition, where she oversaw the Foundation's strategy and investments in advocacy, global policy, and scaling research, as well as the day-to-day management of the organization. Prior to her time at ECF, Kim served in senior leadership roles in non-profit advocacy organizations, driving engagement, strategy, and business development. Kim started her career in the U.S. Government, where she served as, among other roles, the Deputy Director for Policy at USAID, a Special Assistant to the Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources, and the Development Advisor to the Special Representative for Burma/Myanmar at the Department of State. In 2022, Kim co-founded the Malnutrition Advocacy Fund, a 501c4 social impact organization focused on global hunger and malnutrition and she serves on the Board of Directors. Kim is a non-resident fellow at the Center for Global Development and a fellow of the Truman National Security Project.
