Executive Vice President, Crescendo Interactive, Inc.

Kristen Jaarda is a nationally recognized leader in the nonprofit and philanthropic sectors with two decades of experience as a philanthropy executive, advisor, nonprofit and charitable tax attorney. She has advised hundreds of nonprofits, foundations, families and philanthropists and developed gift planning cloud applications with thousands of users, raising millions of dollars for charitable causes.

Kristen has served on numerous boards and committees including Forbes Nonprofit Council, Leadership Institute of the National Association of Charitable Gift Planners, American Bar Association Charitable Planning and Organizations Group, American Council on Gift Annuities, Association of Fundraising Professionals Business Council, National Capital Gift Planning Council, Los Angeles Council of Charitable Gift Planners, Planned Giving Today and UCLA Law.

She is a sought after speaker and nonprofit trainer. Kristen is the author of over 50 publications, including six philanthropy studies, and her expertise has been featured before the U.S. Congress in national media outlets and trade publications including Forbes, The Chronicle of Philanthropy, Trust & Estates, Wealth Management, ThinkAdvisor, NonProfit PRO, The Nonprofit Times and many others.

Kristen holds a J.D. from UCLA School of Law and a Masters in Tax Law (LL.M.). She completed her Chartered Advisor in Philanthropy (CAP®) with the American College of Financial Services and Nonprofit Executive Education with Harvard Kennedy School. She is a recipient of the American Council on Gift Annuities Distinguished Service Award.