Jennifer Keeling

Jennifer Keeling has dedicated her career to advancing equity, innovation and outcomes in the nation’s education, workforce development, and criminal justice systems. She currently serves as the Director of Strategic Partnerships for Chicago CRED and leads the development of a citywide strategy for comprehensive violence reduction in partnership with a multi-sector collaborative of stakeholders.

Prior to joining CRED, Jennifer was the director of ecosystem advancement for LRNG (an education technology start-up) where she led a national network of 12 cities as they developed and implemented out-of-school learning networks for youth. Jennifer also served as the founding director of Thrive Chicago, a collective impact effort that seeks to improve outcomes for young people across the cradle-to-career pipeline. In this role, she grew Thrive from an initiative at the Mayor’s Office to an independent non-profit that serves as the coordinating hub across hundreds of organizations. Prior to Thrive, Jennifer was the director of policy for the Chicago Jobs Council, a respected advocacy organization focused on improving access to workforce development and career pathway opportunities for people living in poverty. Jennifer began her nonprofit career at the Coalition for the Homeless in New York City, working directly with formerly homeless women as they prepared to enter the workforce.

Jennifer holds a BA in sociology from Middlebury College and an MA from the University of Chicago’s School of Social Service Administration, where she was a McCormick Tribune Fellow.