At a moment of inequality and division, who is advancing the vanguard of economic and social progress to bolster under-served communities? Whose work is fostering the inclusive growth that ensures every individual thrives? Who will set the ambitious standards that mobilize whole industries, challenging their peers to reach new altitudes of social impact? 

In 2025, Impact Next — an editorial flagship series from NationSwell — will spotlight the standard-bearing corporate social responsibility and impact leaders, entrepreneurs, experts, and philanthropists whose catalytic work has the potential to shape the landscape of progress amid urgent need for social and economic action.

For this installment, NationSwell interviewed Katy Knight, Executive Director and President of Siegel Family Endowment.

Greg Behrman, Founder and CEO, NationSwell: What brought you to this moment? What has your journey to becoming a senior impact leader been like?

Katy Knight, Executive Director and President, Siegel Family Endowment: My first job at 14 was as a reading tutor, and later I interned at that same organization. That’s when I discovered the nonprofit world, which felt meaningful to me, even though my family had the usual “doctor or lawyer” expectations. At first, I wanted to start my own nonprofit, but quickly realized there were already plenty out there. When I learned about philanthropy, I was drawn to the idea of investing in social impact ideas, but found there weren’t many entry-level paths into the field. Soinstead I stayed in nonprofit, then moved to Google, which allowed me to work with nonprofits while also learning about how tech could be used for positive impact. Eventually, I left to lead corporate social responsibility at a company called Two Sigma, where I connected with one of the cofounders, David, who was starting a foundation. That opportunity brought together everything I had learned from nonprofits, CSR, and government affairs, which led me becoming the deputy director of the foundation.. 

It wasn’t a traditional path. Through various nonprofit roles, stints at Google, and even catering on the side to make ends meet. Honestly, I had almost given up on working on this side of the table before I finally landed here.

But I had incredible support, especially from my grandmother Angelina, who recently passed away. She always kept it real with me that there would be a lot to overcome in life as a woman of color who didn’t come from a family of money. When we buried her, my great aunt, her sister, grabbed my hand and said, “You know, your grandma thought you would be president of the United States — she believes you can do anything.” That unyielding support is really the kernel of  the seed that she and my mom really nurtured – this belief that, even though it’s going to be really hard, you can do anything you want to do.

Behrman, NationSwell: What would you describe as the North Star of your leadership? Are there any particular principles or philosophies that guide you?

Knight, Siegel Family Endowment: I see my role as helping others grow. Whether as strong individual contributors or future leaders. I believe deeply in giving people the autonomy to try new things, even if it means making mistakes along the way. 

My team jokes about it, but when someone comes to me with a new or unconventional idea, nine times out of ten I’ll say ‘sure, go for it — I don’t need to know any more, just try it and let me know how it works out.’ I’ve learned so much through my own mistakes, and I want people to have the opportunity to be scaffolded, to know what they’re doing, to succeed in their job, but also to try new random novel things and make mistakes on their own so that we can learn and grow together.  I try to walk alongside people across all levels of the organization and stay engaged with them as they evolve in their roles and grow in confidence.

Behrman, NationSwell: As an impact leader, how are you sense-making the current moment? How are you navigating where we are and where we’re going?

Knight, Siegel Family Endowment: We’re living in a moment where everything feels complex and divided, where clear answers are hard to find and shared facts are increasingly rare. When I zoom out, it’s clear this is a historically unique moment. What’s challenging, but important, is serving people across the country who may not share our politics or even understand why philanthropy or social impact matters. What keeps me grounded is our mission: to use technology to ensure everyone has a fair shot in an innovation-driven society. That mission cuts across political and ideological lines. We want to level the playing field for everyone, regardless of their views. Technologyhas played a role in deepening some of the divides we’re facing. But  t I believe we can also use it to help fix what’s broken. I’m trying to hold onto that hope as I make sense of what has happened and what we want to happen for things to be better.

Behrman, NationSwell: Is there anything about the impact strategies, initiatives, or partnership models you’re championing right now that feels particularly unique or differentiated in the field? 

Knight, Siegel Family Endowment: At Siegel, we have a strong focus on infrastructure. But we think of infrastructure broadly: not just bridges and roads, but also the physical, digital, and social systems needed for society to thrive and for everyone to have equal access to opportunity. That perspective shapes our grantmaking. We prioritize efforts that build capacity and durability, beyond just short-term pilots.. 

For example, last year we partnered with the Walton Family Foundation on the Learning Landscapes Challenge. Instead of asking for new education ideas, we asked what existing efforts could improve or scale with better infrastructure. We’re about raising awareness but also creating lasting impact, and it’s exciting to see this infrastructure approach gaining traction among peers.

We also think intentionally about our place-based strategy.. While we’re anational funder, we know that solutions must be tailored to local contexts. We’ve done deep work in New York, expanded our K-12 computer science efforts to Atlanta, partnered with the Center on Rural Innovation to understand diverse rural communities, and recently started exploring workforce and education initiatives in Birmingham, Alabama. Each community offers unique insights, and we’re excited to continue learning and connecting changemakers together.

Behrman, NationSwell: If there were two big problems you could solve for that would make your work easier and more effective, what would they be?

Knight, Siegel Family Endowment: The first is digital divide. It’s embarrassing that, in one of the wealthiest and most technologically advanced countries in the world, many people still lack access to reliable high-speed internet. . In many cases, this isn’t a massive infrastructure issue — I call it the “last 200 feet” problem, where getting the internet from the main road into the subdivision is the infrastructural challenge we need to solve for. Solving this would open up opportunities in education, employment and so much more.

The other problem I’d solve is a bit more ephemeral, but closely related which is capital concentration. This year, I asked my team to imagine a map of the U.S. where opportunity isn’t just confined to the  coasts. Right now, most venture capital and resources flow to a few select markets, but what if we could redirect that capital to create hubs all across the country? We could unlock new economic hubs, creating jobs supporting entrepreneurs and revitalizing communities that have been left behind.That’s the big-picture vision I’m aiming for.

Behrman, NationSwell: Of your peers in the social impact space, who are a few whose leadership inspires you, and whom you hold in high esteem?

Knight, Siegel Family Endowment: I’m fortunate to be surrounded by incredible women doing remarkable work. One is my friend and colleague Dr. Allison Scott at the Kapor Foundation — an amazing leader on computer science equity, tech, and the digital divide. She’s smart and funny, which is always important. We’re lucky to work together often with Michele Jawando at Omidyar Network, who is also incredible. Another is Lydia Logan from IBM, who’s done everything and been everywhere-I want to be her. I was just on a panel with her last week, and she’s insanely talented; the world is lucky to have her. Closer to the ground, my friend and colleague Nabiha Syed, now leading the Mozilla Foundation, is brilliant. She’s done incredible work as a lawyer, founder of The Markup, and is guiding Mozilla’s next phase, focusing on tech and society to build a better world. She’s contributed to major efforts like the Snowden files. I’m truly surrounded by greatness and just trying to keep up every day.

Behrman, NationSwell: Could you recommend any insightful resources – maybe a book, report, podcast, or article — that has significantly influenced your thinking or inspired your leadership?

Knight, Siegel Family Endowment: I’ll confess to being a bit of a nerd — I have a classic “Nevertheless, she persisted” Elizabeth Warren poster on my wall, and I look up at that on tough days. It’s become a rallying cry for women this decade. I also have a shelf full of books on philanthropy and social impact. One of the earliest I read was Carnegie’s classic The Gospel of Wealth, and now pair it with Darren Walker’s New Gospel of Wealth. When I think of these seminal, foundational texts, I’m reminded that philanthropy has a rich but imperfect legacy. Reconciling that history with the world we want to create guides how I think about the future of philanthropy and social impact.