Kristen Graf

Executive Director
WRISE

As WRISE’s Executive Director, Kristen is thrilled to be able to merge her passions for renewable energy and the advancement of women within such an incredible organization.

In 2013, Kristen was recognized for her work with WRISE (then WoWE) and given the Award for Mid-Career Achievement in Mentoring and Education by the US Department of Energy’s C3E Initiative.

Before making her way to WRISE, Kristen spent five years with the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) in Boston.  As the Clean Energy Program Coordinator and Research Associate at UCS she worked on renewable energy policy at the state and national level with particular focus on wind and biomass energy in New England as well as working to hone some of her nonprofit management skills.

In 2011, Kristen was named a Senior Fellow in the Environmental Leadership Program’s Eastern Region.  She received her Bachelors Degree in Agricultural and Biological Engineering from Cornell University. During her time there, Kristen worked for Cornell Cooperative Extension assisting in efforts to expand the role of renewable energy in agriculture around New York State.

In addition to her love of renewable energy, Kristen has spent many years working to develop women leaders.  She has served as the Co-Moderator of the National Network of Presbyterian College Women and on the National Coordinating Team of Presbyterian Women.  At Cornell, she was an active member of the Executive Team of the Cornell University Chapter of the Society of Women Engineers.

Originally from Pittsburgh, Kristen now lives in Brooklyn where she loves being able to ride her bike to work, spend time with her niece and nephew, and practice surfing in the cold waters of Long Island.