Her Story
About Kidist
I spent 15 years in academia as a university lecturer and researcher, earning two master's degrees and a PhD. My doctoral work at Indiana University Lindley Family School of Philanthropy focused on bringing underrepresented voices into philanthropy discourse, particularly studying giving behavior among Ethiopians in Ethiopia and the U.S. diaspora. This research was celebrated by my academic community and presented at multiple conferences. In early 2025, I made a bold transition from academia to the nonprofit industry, focusing on fundraising and development work. I currently serve as the volunteer development lead at Digital Aid Seattle, a nonprofit supporting other nonprofits with their technology needs, where I am building the fundraising team, strategic plan, KPIs, and systems from the ground up. I also founded my own consultancy business in January 2025, working with clients like Faithful Work International on grants development, pipeline creation, and proposal preparation, and Sophos Africa, where I act as development director implementing diversified fundraising systems including grants, corporate giving, individual and recurring giving, and website and email campaigns. Throughout my journey, I have navigated life as an immigrant in the United States, completed my PhD while raising my oldest daughter and giving birth to and caring for my youngest daughter. I was selected as commencement speaker for the May 2024 graduation, recognized not only for academic excellence but for the resilience I showed throughout the program. I am passionate about dedicating my voice to women who are building and growing quietly in the face of obstacles, and I choose to show up with purpose, optimism, persistence, and continued growth and learning.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Kidist
01What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to resilience, discipline, and the strength to keep moving forward even when the path feels very challenging. My life has not always been comfortable or stable, but I completed my PhD while raising my oldest daughter and giving birth to and caring for my youngest daughter, all while navigating life as an immigrant in the United States. This experience taught me the importance of caring for myself on a daily basis, staying grounded, and using a positive mindset no matter what, especially in difficult seasons. I believe that I cannot control every outcome, but what I can control is how I show up. I choose to show up with purpose, with optimism, with persistence, and with continued growth and learning. I have learned to be a person with purpose, to be discerning, and to focus on the things that are important. Even though I have experienced burnout and mental health struggles, I made a choice to be happy and to work on myself, to sustain myself, and to keep growing and building even when I don't see the results yet.
02What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
I would definitely encourage her that she can do this, but also give her some practical advice from the lessons I learned in my journey. I would tell her to assess her journey and see where she wants to go, because that decision will help her make some practical changes now. For example, from my experience, I would have taken time to volunteer and be engaged with the nonprofits around me if I knew that I would choose going to the nonprofit sector. So what I would share is encouragement and some practical tips from my lived experiences.
03What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
The most important values to me are authenticity, resilience, and purpose. I always want to be authentic and not hide myself. I don't want to lose myself in the process of balancing different things. Even though it takes me time to get wherever I want to get, I don't want to hide myself in the process. I have learned to be kind to myself, to pause and reflect, and to feel good in my own skin. I choose to show up with purpose, optimism, and persistence. I am invested in my family and love them, but I also give time for myself and my own growth. I want to be culturally sensitive in my leadership and be a person with purpose who focuses on the things that are important.
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