Welcome Cindy Mathew: Our New Senior Director
We are pleased to welcome Cindy Mathew to Ktisis starting this November as a part-time Senior Director facilitating day-to-day team coordination, strategic planning, internal policy and system development, and select client engagements. The rest of her time will be spent as Chief of Staff of the Lares Group, a newly formed venture incubator and family office supporting the rest of Ktisis Founder & Principal Jason Franklin's philanthropic, real estate, political advocacy, and media efforts.
Cindy Mathew is a philanthropy leader with two decades of experience working at the intersection of grassroots movements, donor organizing, and global justice. A second-generation daughter of Indian immigrants, Cindy brings a deep commitment to equity and solidarity, shaped by her early work in Mumbai’s informal settlements and by roles at Amnesty International and the International Accountability Project.
Most recently, Cindy served as Chief of Staff at Movement Voter Project (MVP), where she led cross-team strategy, operations, and organizational alignment. In 2024, she also served as Interim Director of Development, helping guide MVP through its strongest fundraising year to date. Prior to MVP, Cindy was the founding staff member and Director of Program and Partnerships at One for Democracy, where she oversaw all grantmaking and helped build a network of over 100 philanthropists who committed $70 million to frontline democracy work during the 2020 election cycle.
Throughout her career, Cindy has worked to bridge the gap between philanthropy and grassroots power—ensuring that resources flow to the organizations best positioned to create transformative change. Her work spans major NGOs, grassroots organizations, and philanthropic intermediaries, always with a focus on shifting power to communities most impacted by injustice.
Cindy lives in Illinois with her husband and young son. Outside of work, she enjoys dancing, playing pickleball, and puzzling.
We are grateful Cindy has chosen to join us and look forward to a brighter future thanks to her collaboration. Please join us in welcoming her!