Dr. Kirsten Andersen

Kirsten’s past research in impact investing spans investor perception and judgement, blended finance, catalytic capital, and the role evidence plays in building local impact investing markets. Her current research projects include an examination of various multicapital interventions, impact advisor search, and investment policy statement development.

As an economic sociologist specializing in qualitative research methods, she brings academic rigor to impact in practice. Kirsten’s research on American foundation impact investors is published in the Journal of Business Ethics. She collaborated with University of Zurich’s Initiative for Blended Finance and Roots of Impact on studies addressing investor perception of impact-linked finance and the effect of catalytic capital on social enterprises. She has also applied her research expertise to learning roles such as that with the Global Steering Group for Impact Investment. Across engagements, Kirsten’s work leverages research to advance organizational strategy. At CSP North America, Kirsten develops relevant research to inform program offerings and advance the field. She has a BA from University of Pennsylvania and an MA and PhD in Sociology from the University of Illinois at Chicago.