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President & CEO

Kathleen St. Louis Caliento

Dr. Caliento has spent nearly three decades focused on issues of social justice, including educational equity, workforce development, and economic empowerment. She currently serves as President & CEO of Cara Collective, a social impact enterprise dedicated to transforming the lives of individuals affected by poverty and promoting a more inclusive economy. Cara Collective produces nearly 1,000 jobs annually, surpassing national retention norms by nearly 20 points.

Prior to her role at Cara Collective, Dr. Caliento served as the Chief Learning and Design Officer at the Academy Group. She helped students land coveted mentorship and internship opportunities throughout Chicago. Her impact extends to her time at Spark Program, where she held multiple leadership roles and led a 3x increase in revenue, corporate investment, and workplace apprenticeships.

Dr. Caliento is deeply committed to civic leadership and community engagement and serves on the Adler University Board of Trustees, Leadership Greater Chicago LFA Board, and Hollister Confidence Fund Advisory Board. She is also a Fellow of the 2020 class of Leadership Greater Chicago, a member of the Economic Club of Chicago, and a graduate of the University of Chicago’s Civic Leadership Academy.

A published author, Dr. Caliento earned her Master of Arts and her Doctor of Philosophy in Secondary Science Education from Columbia University.


Kathleen’s first job: “I delivered newspapers seven days a week when I was 12 years old.”

Meet the Rest of the Executive Team

Chief Social Enterprise Officer
Brady Gott
Brady is the Chief Social Enterprise Officer at Cara Collective. Since 2007, Brady has overseen the financial health of the...
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Executive Assistant
Emily Billups
Emily graduated from Dominican University in 2014 after majoring in criminology and sociology. She later joined Medix Staffing Solutions where...
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Chief Financial Officer
Joel Pomerenk
Joel leads our Finance, Contracts & Compliance, HR, Facilities, and Solutions teams. He joined Cara Collective in 2019, bringing more...
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Chief Impact Officer
Kim Massenburg
Dr. Kim Massenburg holds a doctorate in counselor education and supervision from Argosy University. She has over 15 years of...
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Chief Operating Officer
Lauren Feldman
Lauren Feldman joined Cara Collective in 2023. Previously, her work focused primarily in the education sector. Most recently, she served...
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Chief External Affairs Officer
Tara Harper
Tara Harper is a passionate and strategic non-profit leader, with nearly 20 years of experience working to advance racial equity...
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