Kirstin L. Jones

"Go within every day and find the inner strength so that the world will not blow your candle out."


- Katherine Dunham

Kirstin L. Jones is a mission-driven professional from Washington, D.C., with several experiences in the government and nonprofit sectors. She relocated to Chicago to work for the Obama Foundation as a Finance Analyst. At the Foundation, she works closely with the CFO and utilizes her strong operations, project management and analytic skills. She previously served as an Obama Administration political appointee at the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA). At SBA she was the special assistant to SBA Administrator Maria Contreras-Sweet and traveled with her across the country advocating for America’s small business owners and entrepreneurs.

Before moving to Chicago, she was the Scheduler to Congressman Donald S. Beyer (VA-08) at the U.S. House of Representatives. Prior to that, Kirstin supported the COO/CFO & EVP at RLJ Lodging Trust, a leading hotel real estate investment trust founded by Bob Johnson.

Her passion for dance started at young age with her training at premier Black dance schools such as Dance Theater of Harlem’s Residency program at the Kennedy Center, Debbie Allen Dance Academy and Jones Haywood School of Dance. In addition, Kirstin hopes to make dance accessible for all.

Kirstin holds a B.A. in Economics from Barnard College, Columbia University.