Kristin Kagetsu

Kristin K is a passionate individual known for co-founding Saathi, a social enterprise focusing on sustainable solutions for feminine hygiene in India. With a profound interest in sustainable manufacturing and women's issues, Kristin has been involved in various impactful projects. Kristin has collaborated with the MIT Design Lab (D-Lab) on initiatives spanning across Brazil, Nicaragua, and India. The journey started with the creation of the first sustainable product in Uttarakhand.

Kristin K has dedicated time to volunteer work, notably with the Society of Asian Scientists and Engineers (SASE), where she played a pivotal role in enhancing the national collegiate team's structure to support over 60 collegiate chapters effectively. Moreover, her efforts have led to the development of SASE leadership in the Northeast. The co-founding of Saathi has garnered global attention, with recognitions from prestigious entities like Time Magazine, Fast Company, UN Environment Program, UNIDO, Allure, and Vogue, highlighting Saathi's social impact, innovation, and sustainability.

Kristin K's accolades include being a MIT DLab ScaleUps Fellow, Asia Society Young Leader, TEDx speaker, Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia Fellow, Cartier Women's Initiative Finalist, and acknowledgment by the Department of MSME. With a focus on sustainability and circular design, Kristin actively engages in discussions and activities surrounding these topics. Kristin's educational background comprises studies in Social Entrepreneurship at INSEAD, a Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, participation in the CET Chinese Language Immersion Program at Beijing Jiaoyu Xueyuan, and education at Brearley School.

Throughout her career, Kristin has held various roles with esteemed organizations such as Saathi (Co-Founder), Society of Asian Scientists and Engineers (SASE) as the Collegiate Program Manager and Northeast Regional Manager (Volunteer), Oracle as a Hardware Engineer, Avani as an International Development Initiative Technology Dissemination Fellow, Jet Propulsion Laboratory as a Systems Engineering Intern, MIT D-Lab & Community Innovators-Lab as a Student Researcher, MIT as a Service Leadership Program Mentor, and Goldman Sachs as a Summer Technology Analyst.