Kjerstin Erickson

Kjerstin Erickson’s Bio

Kjerstin Erickson is a Special Project Fellow at GuideStar, where she works on initiatives to improve the effective flow of philanthropic capital. Prior to GuideStar, she spent 9 years as the Founder and Executive Director of FORGE, a strategic-impact nonprofit that provided education, skills training, and entrepreneurial resources to more than 70,000 refugees in war-torn Africa. Having started FORGE at age 20, Erickson established a reputation for her commitment to bringing more frankness and transparency to the nonprofit sector. Erickson’s awards include the Skoll Scholarship for Social Entrepreneurship, the Do Something Award for public service, and the Stanford Haas Public Service Fellowship. She has also been named a “Top 40 Leader Under 40” by the Young Leaders Council, a “Person You Should Know” by CNN, and a “Top 10 College Woman” by Glamour Magazine.