Kari Dunn Saratovsky

Founder and Principal at KDS Impact Strategies

Kari Dunn Saratovsky is a Principal at Third Plateau Social Impact Strategies. An innovative and entrepreneurial leader, Kari has spent her career working in both government and the philanthropic sector building strategic alliances, directing programs, and facilitating national efforts that advance social change. At Third Plateau, she helps guide organizations through the development of innovative program design, strategic planning processes, community engagement, and strategic communications. Her approach is deeply rooted in her unique understanding of next generation engagement.

Kari served as Vice President of Social Innovation at the Case Foundation. As a member of the Foundation’s senior leadership, Kari helped set the programmatic direction of the Foundation. She also managed a variety of cross-sector partnerships to strengthen civic engagement and played a lead role in developing initiatives such as America’s Giving Challenge and Social Citizens, which emphasized the use of new and emerging technology to accelerate new approaches to giving and philanthropy.

Kari is co-author of “Cause for Change: The Why and How of Nonprofit Millennial Engagement” and is a highly sought after speaker, keynoting and moderating major conferences and events, including: SXSW interactive, Personal Democracy Forum, National Conference on Volunteering and Service, NetImpact, NTEN, the Council on Foundation’s Family Philanthropy Conference, among others. She frequently writes and blogs about the rising generation of Millennials and how they are transforming the culture of institutions.

With a lifelong passion for service, Kari served as Executive Director of the President’s Council on Service and Civic Participation, a White House initiative to support and expand volunteer service throughout the country and around the world. She oversaw the growth of its President’s Volunteer Service Award Program which has now recognized more than two million Americans for their volunteer efforts.

Kari received a B.A. in Political Science and Public Policy from Indiana University. She is an avid volunteer and served as Chair of the Board of Mobilize.org. She currently serves on the national board of Repair the World, the Jewish Federation of Greater Houston and is an advisor to Fuse Corps and the Future Caucus. A Midwesterner at heart, after stints on both coasts, Kari now resides in Houston, TX with her husband Elias, and their three young children Liya, Ezra and Dalia.