Kelly Bathgate

Kelly is a seasoned leader in the social sector with over 20 years of experience and a deep commitment to creating equitable opportunities for all people to thrive. Her career spans roles in direct service, policy advocacy, academic research, and philanthropy (in both program and development functions).

Prior to founding StarrWise, Kelly most recently served as Chief Program Officer at Tipping Point Community, a foundation focused on alleviating poverty in the San Francisco Bay Area. In that role, Kelly oversaw all of Tipping Point’s program investments (totaling over $50M annually) and managed a team of 15+ professionals. She also served as a strategic advisor to both corporate partners and nonprofit grantees. Kelly has helped many organizations, ranging from large Fortune 500 tech and finance companies to small, grassroots nonprofits, set ambitious impact goals and develop the strategies to reach them.

Kelly started her career in the social sector working in education and youth development. She taught and ran a multi-site out-of-school arts education program in East Palo Alto, working with kids ranging from 6 to 18 years old. She remains passionate about providing opportunities for young people and has served on a variety of advisory and leadership boards in the education space, including Year Up Bay Area, San Francisco Education Fund, and Mindful Life Project, where she currently serves as Board Chair.

In her consulting practice, Kelly focuses on organizational and team development, program and strategy development, executive and board coaching, and nonprofit board recruitment and governance. Kelly was recognized in 2020 as one of San Francisco Business Times’ Most Influential Women in the Bay Area.

Kelly holds a bachelor’s degree in Architecture from the University of California, Berkeley, and a master’s degree in Education Policy, Organization, and Leadership Studies from Stanford University. Kelly splits her time between Truckee and San Francisco, her self-proclaimed “mountain playground” and “soul city” respectively. When not helping her clients realize their impact visions, you can usually find her enjoying some outdoor adventure, working on her home in Truckee, or showing off her (also self-proclaimed) mixology skills for friends.