Kristen Edgreen Kaufman is a trustee at Carnegie Council for Ethics in International Affairs where she has led strategic planning efforts as a member of the Programming and Development Committees.
Kaufman is a leading expert in international public private partnerships, foreign policy, and subnational diplomacy with experience spanning not-for-profit, private, and government sectors. She possesses a nuanced understanding of the nexus of strategic planning and commerce as well as a track record launching programs with thought leaders to further global efforts in various arenas to promote economic growth and improve the quality of life.
Previously, she served as the deputy commissioner of public private partnerships and economic development in the NYC Mayor’s Office for International Affairs, where she helmed the global exchange of best practices with other major cities around the world and served as the keynote speaker at diplomatic and international events, conferences, panels, podcasts, universities, and international delegation visits, including World Woman Davos Agenda, the Smart Cities Summit in Barcelona, the Concordia Summit of the Americas in Miami, George Washington University, and the Columbia University Paris Global Center. She also led all trade and investment initiatives with the Americas and Europe and was the key relationship manager for European consulates.
Through engagement and economics-centered discussions and working in tandem with the Economic Development Corporation (EDC), Kaufman curated/launched roundtables with the mayor and CEOs from Europe and the Americas to bring foreign direct investments (FDI) into NYC infrastructure projects and economy, and to attract and retain global businesses in NYC.
In 2024, Kaufman was accepted into the Fulbright Specialist Program for a focus in city diplomacy, and the Department of Defense (DoD) selected her as one of 40 participants in the Joint Civilian Orientation Conference, the oldest public liaison program in the DoD for civilian leaders.
Kaufman began her career with Merrill Lynch, Natixis Bleichroeder, and Lazard Asset Management and has previously served on the board of Teach for America. She holds an MBA from Columbia Business School and is a lifetime member of the Council on Foreign Relations, a sustaining member of the Leadership Now Project, and a member of the Women’s Foreign Policy Group, Women’s International Forum, United Nations Association of the USA, Network 20/20 Foreign Policy, and Women in International Security. Her work has been published in Newsweek and Cities Speak.