Watering the Roots

Meet Kristin Armstrong, the newest member of the UCDF Board!

"Watering the roots- that's where I want to hang out"

Kristin joins the UPAVIM Community Development Board (UCDF) with a life-long passion for women's empowerment.

Raised by a single mother, Kristin grew up acutely aware of economic hardship. Growing up white but often living within communities of color, she quickly realized how society treated her differently compared to people that were not white. Her young awareness of how easily our society "others" and marginalizes people different to ourselves, whether because of race, gender, class, family structure, or other signifiers, made a huge impact on her path. Those early life experiences fostered a life-long dedication to creating a more just world and a mission to empower women in particular.

For over 25 years, Kristin has worked as an Organization and Leadership Development Strategist and Consultant. She has worked in over 25 countries and with a variety of non-profit organizations, corporations, and individuals. At the heart of her work, she considers herself a builder, helping people and organizations grow. Whether working with individuals or organizations, she seeks to foster sustainable change from the roots up.

Aside from her role on the UCDF Board, she is an active member of Chief, an organization dedicated to supporting women in positions of power and leadership. She believes that women are uniquely positioned to help grow capacity in people and seeks to create space for them as future leaders of the planet.

Kristin was drawn to the work of UPAVIM principally because of what she saw as the intersection of extraordinary suffering in an un-workable environment, combined with a powerful expression of entrepreneurial creativity and goodness found in UPAVIM and its women leaders. She is inspired by the dignity of the UPAVIM women and their determination to build solutions for themselves within their own communities.

Kristin is excited to share her passion and expertise with UPAVIM to improve the quality of life for women in La Esperanza, Guatemala.

Welcome to the UCDF team Kristin!

Interested in becoming a Board Member? Contact us at learnmore@upavim.org