Carolyn Musyimi-Kamau is the Research and Policy Fellow at the New Hampshire Women’s Foundation, supporting the Foundation’s research, policy, and advocacy programs. With a background in international development, policy analysis, and community leadership, Carolyn’s career has been dedicated to advancing gender equity, social justice, and the empowerment of marginalized communities.
Her work spans both local and global contexts. Before joining the Women’s Foundation, Carolyn served as Program Manager at the Organization for Refugee and Immigrant Success. She also worked with the United Nations Kenya Mission in New York on the Economic and Financial Committee, where she contributed to the formulation of the Post-2015 Development Agenda, which laid the groundwork for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Additionally, she has served as Executive Director of New American Africans, supporting immigrant communities, and has held roles at World Vision Kenya and the Consortium for Law and Development at Boston University School of Law.
Carolyn is the founder of Mbaitu Inc., an organization that mobilizes the Kenyan diaspora to support food security and education in Southeastern Kenya, and Upendo Women Alliance, which promotes financial empowerment among Kenyan women in the U.S.
She holds a Master’s degree in Sustainable International Development from Brandeis University and is currently completing her Ph.D. in Global Leadership and Change at Pepperdine University. Her dissertation, which focuses on enhancing food system resilience in Southeastern Kenya, has been recognized with funding from the Pepperdine Provost Grant and was selected for presentation at the 9th Annual GSEp Research Symposium in Vevey, Switzerland.
Passionate about using research, policy, and community development to drive meaningful change, Carolyn is committed to making an impact both locally and globally. She is married to Francis, and together they have two sons, Jabali and Tafari. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her family, biking, traveling, sightseeing, and walking.