Kristen Lee

Kristen is a first-generation Chinese American from North Carolina whose career has centered on poverty alleviation and the redistribution of wealth. After graduating from college, she worked in outdoor education in Wyoming and on the crisis response team at the United Nations Development Programme. She then moved to GiveDirectly, where she has spent her career designing and operationalizing unconditional cash transfer programs that combine rigorous research with scalable technology. She believes strongly in the power of cash transfers to give recipients the dignity of choice in how they meet their own needs. Her work has included partnering with the governments of Togo and Malawi to implement national social protection cash programs. Most recently, as a Senior Product Manager, she built cash transfer programs supporting climate resilience and refugee self-reliance across multiple countries. At SPIA and in the years that follow, she plans to deepen her career in climate adaptation and the safe development and use of artificial intelligence. Outside of work, Kristen enjoys learning Jiu Jitsu and playing the mandolin.