Stephanie Kater is a partner in The Bridgespan Group’s Boston office. Since joining the organization in 2011, she has focused her work in the areas of education and impact investing. She currently co-leads Bridgespan’s impact investing practice.

Much of her work has been on developing performance measurement systems for domestic and global organizations, as well as for their investors. On the investor side, she led work with TPG’s Rise Fund—where Bridgespan has partnered to develop and deliver rigorous, quantitative impact underwriting, as detailed in Harvard Business Review’s “Calculating the Value of Impact Investing.” She also supported Lime Rock New Energy as they launched their fund, supporting the development of their impact measurement framework and leading “impact diligence” on their investments. Internationally, she supports ABC World Asia to establish the right rigor and methodology for credible impact analysis. Kater’s project work spans from large foundations, to global NGOs, to high-net-worth-individuals, to private equity firms across the globe.

She is passionate about using data to make change. She has authored “Geek Cities: How Smarter Use of Data and Evidence Can Improve Lives,” as well as “How Is Investing in “What Works” Working?” Additionally, Kater helps lead Bridgespan’s consultant recruiting worldwide.
 
Prior to Bridgespan, Kater worked at the US Department of Education. She also spent three years as a consultant in Silicon Valley at Webster Pacific, a boutique strategy consultancy, where her projects included developing an impact and growth strategy for a large charter school network and advising on operations for 20+ small and medium-sized businesses.
 
Kater is based in the Washington, DC area, where she resides with her husband and two small children. She holds a BS in civil engineering from Stanford University and an MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, where she had the privilege of being a distinguished fellow. Kater now serves on the advisory council for Chicago Booth’s Rustandy Center for Social Sector Innovation.