Kristin Baddour

Kristin Baddour joined ESG in 2024 as a Project Manager, where she supports high-quality delivery of projects that help K-12 and postsecondary students access and complete education pathways that lead to economic mobility. Sitting at the intersection of client-facing project work and internal operations. Kristin designs and strengthens ESG’s systems, routines, and information flows to deliver strong results for ESG’s clients. She also partners closely with the higher education leadership team to support strategic planning and execution of organizational priorities.

Prior to joining ESG, Kristin served as Deputy Director of National Programs at The Hunt Institute, where she led programming for governors and senior policymakers and supported their development of equity-based education agendas. She previously served as a Policy Analyst at National Governors Association, supporting states on workforce development, and as an Associate on the Career Readiness team at the Council of Chief State School Officers, working on the New Skills for Youth Initiative.

Kristin has a B.A. in Political Science from The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Why are you in this work?

I’m in this work because I’ve seen how higher education opened doors for my family and how much students’ experiences can vary depending on where they live. These experiences reinforced an interest in ensuring that all students, regardless of their background or zip code, have access to quality education and careers.

Why ESG?

I was drawn to ESG’s mission-driven work and the range of projects that strengthen state and district leadership in service of students. I was equally drawn to a team that is smart, kind, and consistently solutions-oriented.