Go Back

President & CEO

Kathleen St. Louis Caliento

Dr. Kathleen St. Louis Caliento has spent the past two decades committed to urban education, student success, and dismantling social injustice. Before joining Cara Collective in 2021, Kathleen was the Chief Learning and Design Officer at the Academy Group, where she worked to help people rise above the effects of poverty, while demonstrating a professional commitment to access and equity. Prior to the Academy Group, she held several leadership positions at Spark, including Executive Director of Spark Chicago. Kathleen serves on the Boards of Adler University and Leadership Greater Chicago LFA Board. Additionally, she attended the Civic Leadership Academy at the University of Chicago and is a Fellow of the 2020 class of Leadership Greater Chicago. A published author, Kathleen earned her Master of Arts in Secondary Science and her Doctor of Philosophy in Science Education from Columbia University. Originally from New York City, but calling Chicago home since 2003, Kathleen enjoys running, playing the guitar, and traveling with her family.
Kathleen’s first job: “I delivered newspapers seven days a week when I was 12 years old.”

Meet the Rest of the Executive Team

Managing Director of Cleanslate
Brady Gott
Brady is the Managing Director of Cara Collective’s flagship social enterprise, Cleanslate. Since 2007, Brady has overseen the financial health...
Learn More
Executive Assistant
Emily Billups
Emily graduated from Dominican University in 2014 after majoring in criminology and sociology. She later joined Medix Staffing Solutions where...
Learn More
Chief Business Development Officer
Joe Mutuc
A native Chicagoan, Joe began his nonprofit career in 2006 as a Corporate Account Manager at Cara. In his current role,...
Learn More
Chief Financial Officer
Joel Pomerenk
Joel leads our Finance, Contracts & Compliance, HR, Facilities, and Solutions teams. He joined Cara Collective in 2019, bringing more...
Learn More
Chief Program Officer
Kim Massenburg
Dr. Kim Massenburg holds a doctorate in counselor education and supervision from Argosy University. She has over 15 years of...
Learn More
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...
Learn More
Managing Director of Cara Plus
Sara Wasserteil
Sara leads Cara Collective’s national expansion arm, Cara Plus, where she drives growth, strategic partnerships, and impact to help businesses...
Learn More
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...
Learn More