Kathleen (Kate) Fischer licensed as a Clinical Social Worker in the State of Minnesota and Illinois. Kate partners with individuals from a systems perspective, such as families and organizations.

Kate has spent over 10 years building on the strengths of community-based organizations, and positioning people and programs for growth. Most recently, Kate served as the Vice President of Programs, Strategy, and Impact at RS EDEN, partnering across stakeholder groups to integrate and shape the potential of the organization’s mission and vision, which was focused around issues of intergenerational substance use, housing instability, and incarceration.  

As a witness to the power and influence that systems have in our communities, and specifically the disjointed and often detrimental nature of these systems, Kate has a lived understanding of how mental illness and substance use can impact a family and got her professional start in a range of advocacy, community organizing, and strategic advisory roles. She managed a portfolio of issues, including healthcare policy, for a Member of the U.S. House of Representatives during the national legislative reform process in 2009-2010 and supported specialized outreach for President Obama’s election campaign in PA.

Kate received a master's in social work from Loyola University Chicago, with specialization in Leadership and Development in Social Services and a post-graduate certificate in Philanthropy and Nonprofit Management. She has a B.A. in Sociology and Faith-Justice Studies from St. Joseph’s University in Philadelphia, PA.