Kate Gallagher is a senior manager for place-based investing and policy initiatives at the Healthcare Anchor Network – a national network of nonprofit health systems leveraging their hiring, purchasing, investing practices to build more inclusive local economies. Kate provides targeted support, coaching, and resources to elevate and accelerate place-based impact investments by HAN member health systems. Such investments are helping to finance affordable housing, small businesses and entrepreneurship, real estate projects, homeownership, and otherwise strengthen conditions in historically disinvested communities across the country.

Prior to joining HAN, Kate worked as an economic development practitioner in San Diego. Much of her work has centered on the role of large employers in equitable economic development, for example through their hiring and purchasing practices, and in collaboration with other anchor institutions. She led a county-wide workforce development initiative which convened a coalition of employers, training providers, and nonprofits to strengthen career pathways, connecting diverse, local job seekers to quality jobs. Kate received a master’s degree in public health policy from Tulane University, and a bachelor’s degree in economics from UC Santa Cruz. She lives in Brooklyn.