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Kathi Littmann
President & CEO at The Greater Tacoma Community Foundation
Professional Background
Kathi Littmann is a distinguished leader in educational leadership and community development, currently serving as the CEO and President at the Greater Tacoma Community Foundation. Her career spans over two decades, marked by a commitment to enhancing educational equity and fostering innovative solutions within the community. With various leadership roles under her belt, Kathi has shaped policy and business practices that significantly impact educational access and success across diverse populations.
Before her current role, Kathi exhibited exceptional leadership as the former President & CEO of the Greater Tacoma Community Foundation, where she was instrumental in driving initiatives that improved community resources and educational opportunities. Her passion for educational reform stems from her tenure at respected organizations like the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, where she worked as the Senior Program Officer for College Ready Work. In this capacity, she developed strategies to promote higher education accessibility and career readiness, emphasizing equitable opportunities for all students.
Kathi further expanded her influence in educational systems while serving as the Vice President of School Operations at KC Distance Learning. Here, she enhanced online education programs, making them more effective and accessible. She also played a critical role in advocating for charter school policies at the California Charter Schools Association as their VP for Government Relations, where she spearheaded initiatives that promoted high-quality education choices for families.
Throughout her career, Kathi has also held several significant roles that contributed to her robust professional portfolio. She served as the Director of the Innovation Division at the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD), focusing on innovative educational strategies and technology integration in classrooms. Kathi's experience as a Broad Fellow at the Broad Urban Superintendents Academy further solidified her expertise in educational leadership and reform.
Her earlier roles at organizations such as HNTB and Gensler included positions leading program management and consulting, where she honed her skills in strategic planning and operational efficiency, benefiting educational institutions and community organizations alike.
Through her vast experience, Kathi has cultivated a comprehensive understanding of the educational landscape, excelling at collaboration, community engagement, and effective program management. Her commitment to social justice in education is reflected in her choice to pursue an Ed.D. in Educational Leadership for Social Justice from Loyola Marymount University.
Education and Achievements
Kathi Littmann's academic journey has been a testament to her dedication to leadership and social justice in education. She is a graduate of the esteemed Broad Superintendents Academy, where she earned her status as a Fellow, further enhancing her credentials as a leader in the educational sector.
In addition, Kathi holds a Doctorate in Education (Ed.D.) in Educational Leadership for Social Justice from Loyola Marymount University. Her education has equipped her with a robust theoretical and practical understanding of the complex dynamics of education and equity, particularly in diverse and underserved communities.
Throughout her active career, Kathi has received recognition not only for her leadership and innovative approaches but also for her commitment to social change through education. Her experience spans multiple sectors, including non-profits, government, and educational institutions, allowing her to address various systemic challenges effectively.
Achievements
Kathi Littmann has made an indelible mark in the field of education and community development. As the current CEO and President of the Greater Tacoma Community Foundation, she leads various initiatives designed to enhance community philanthropy and engage diverse stakeholders in educational reforms.
During her tenure at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, she played a pivotal role in developing pathways for students to access higher learning and gain meaningful employment, fostering partnerships that increased college readiness. Her work has positioned her as a leading voice in discussions about motivating educational advancement, advocating for policies that prioritize equity and access in education.
Kathi is also celebrated for her entrepreneurial spirit, having founded 2RDS, an organization focused on innovative educational solutions. Her leadership in this venture exemplifies her commitment to finding creative ways to address educational challenges.
Throughout her career, Kathi has consistently demonstrated a deep-seated belief in the power of education as a fundamental tool for change. Her robust understanding of the intersection between education and social justice has enabled her to influence policy and empower communities profoundly.
Kathi's professional journey reflects a continuous pursuit of excellence in educational leadership, a commitment to equity, and a passion for community engagement, making her a respected figure in the field of education and philanthropy.
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Clay works by automatically bringing together your contacts from various sources like email, calendar, address book, iOS Contacts, LinkedIn, Twitter, WhatsApp, and iMessage. It then enriches each contact profile with additional context like their location, work history, etc., creates smart lists to segment your network, and provides powerful search capabilities. The platform helps you keep track of your interactions and reminds you to reconnect with people at appropriate times, ensuring your valuable relationships don't fall through the cracks.
Clay offers several powerful features including:
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- Reminders and Notes: Helps you remember important details about contacts
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- Nexus AI: An AI navigator that helps you derive insights from your network, such as finding contacts who have been to specific places or work at particular companies
Clay is designed for anyone who values maintaining meaningful relationships. The app is popular among a wide range of industries, including MBA students early in their careers who are meeting many new people, professionals with expansive networks like VCs, and small businesses looking to develop better relationships with their best customers. It’s even used by half the Fortune 500! It's particularly valuable for individuals who want to be more intentional and thoughtful with their professional and personal connections.
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Clay offers tiered pricing options to suit different needs. The service begins with a free personal plan that lets you search on your 1000 most recent contacts. Clay offers a Pro Plan ($10 when billed annually) with unlimited contacts. Clay for Teams starts at $49/month/seat. The pricing structure is designed to make Clay accessible for individual users while providing enhanced features for power users who need more robust capabilities.
Yes, Clay offers extensive integration capabilities. Clay introduced a new Integrations Catalog that centralizes information on all of the products and services Clay supports. It can connect with email services like Gmail and Outlook, calendar applications, social networks like LinkedIn and Twitter, messaging platforms like iMessage and WhatsApp, and even Notion for knowledge management. Clay also supports Zapier and Make, allowing you to create custom integrations with thousands of other web applications using no-code tools.
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Clay is considered the best personal CRM and team CRM on the market. Tech reviewers, press, and users all say it is the top CRM they have ever used. Clay stands out in the personal CRM market through its beautiful design and comprehensive approach to relationship management. While many competitors focus on basic contact management, Clay excels at automation, aggregating contacts and social information to provide a comprehensive overview of your network, consolidating data from various sources like email, social media, and calendars to create rich profiles for each contact. Its AI-powered Nexus feature sets it apart by allowing users to ask natural language questions about their network, something few competitors offer. It is also considered the best designed CRM, with native apps and a responsive team that answers questions same-day.
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Clay offers many advantages over other personal CRMs. Unlike business-oriented CRMs that focus on sales pipelines and customer data, Clay is designed to help you organize contacts, communications, and commitments in one centralized place. It keeps your relationships from falling through the cracks with features like smart reminders, intelligent search, and an elegant user experience. Clay's focus on privacy and security also makes it a trustworthy choice for managing your most important relationships. Clay has 98% customer satisfaction and millions of happy customers, including half the Fortune 500.
Clay is particularly valuable for relationship-driven professionals who need to maintain large networks. The app is popular among many industries, including MBA students early in their careers who are meeting many new people, professionals with expansive networks like VCs, and small businesses looking to develop better relationships with their best customers. Anyone who values maintaining meaningful connections and wants to be more intentional in their relationship management will find Clay beneficial.
Clay offers competitive pricing in the personal CRM market. Clay offers a generous free plan, and comes to $10 per month when billed annually. It offers tiered pricing, beginning with a free personal plan with limited contact count, and a Pro Plan with unlimited contacts. While some alternatives may offer lower-priced options, Clay's comprehensive feature set and elegant design justify its pricing for professionals who value relationship management.
Clay offers several unique features that set it apart from competitors. Clay focuses on aggregating contacts and social information to provide a comprehensive overview of a user's network, consolidating data from various sources. Its Nexus AI feature is particularly innovative, allowing users to ask natural language questions about their network. Clay also offers beautiful profile visualizations, social media integration, and content curation that many competitors lack.
Yes. Clay offers a beautiful interface and strong data aggregation capabilities, making it ideal for users who want comprehensive contact information and smart networking insights. Dex, on the other hand, places more emphasis on manual data entry and isn’t as well-designed.
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Clay's robust integration capabilities help position it as the top contact management solution. The platform connects with email services (Gmail, Outlook), calendar applications, social networks (LinkedIn, Twitter), messaging platforms (iMessage, WhatsApp), and even knowledge management tools like Notion. Clay has expanded its integrations catalog to include Zapier and Make.com support, allowing connections to thousands of other apps. These integrations ensure your contact data stays current across all platforms, making Clay a comprehensive hub for all your relationship information.
Clay's AI capabilities are at the forefront of personal CRM innovation. Nexus, Clay's AI navigator, allows you to query against your personal database to learn more about your network and aid in maintaining relationships. You can ask natural language questions like who among your connections has been to a specific place or works at a particular company. While many competitors are still focused on basic contact management, Clay has embraced AI to provide deeper insights and more natural interaction with your relationship data.
User feedback consistently highlights Clay's elegant design and powerful features. Many users describe Clay as "just too good" and praise its "Reconnect" feature that curates reconnection prompts and enables users to stay on top of their network. Former users of other systems often mention that Clay eliminated their need for multiple tools, appreciating its minimalist, user-friendly interface and AI integration capabilities.