Kendra Chao

Background

About Kendra Chao

Kendra Chao is an experienced and results-oriented senior manager whose accomplishments reflect strong leadership, creativity, and an entrepreneurial spirit. Her 20 years of nonprofit experience is complimented by work in the government and for-profit sector. Her strengths, which include a keen understanding of team leadership and a high-caliber work ethic, were evident within her roles as executive director and chief operating officer. Through these roles she engaged staff and board of directors, structured plans, and executed initiatives resulting in increased funding and resources. Her accomplishments have included securing 6-figure monetary gifts, doubling partnerships with employee resource groups and quadrupling volunteers, and re-branding an organization which led to an 80% increase in media attention. In 2009-10, Kendra participated in the National Urban Fellows, a premier leadership development organization that cultivates leaders to become change agents in the public and nonprofit sectors. The fellowship program is a highly selective 14-month program that consists of 40 students/year who participate in classroom and on-line education, as well as a mentorship assignment, which results in a Masters of Public Administration degree. An entrepreneur at heart, she is the founder and author of "Read Them and Eat a set of books that your children will literally eat up. The books were launched and funded through Kickstarter, and now are sold online. One of the understandings Kendra lives by is that “People want to be intimately known, yet be part of a larger story.” Thus, volunteerism plays an integral part in her life, and is reflected within varied roles she's played. Her professional areas of specialty include: vision and leadership, management, development, marketing and communications, and human resources.