Kathryn Eden

Kathryn Eden joined Second Harvest of Silicon Valley in 2021 as the organization’s first Chief of Staff and a member of the Executive Team. In this role, she works to maximize the effectiveness of CEO Leslie Bacho and the leadership team through thought partnership, strategic planning and tracking, and helping the team operate more effectively in service of our mission and strategic goals. She also oversees executive content development and communications, manages key meetings, and drives cross-functional strategic initiatives. Additionally, Kathryn is accountable for board meeting design, fostering alignment between the food bank’s leadership and governance.

Before joining Second Harvest, Kathryn built a career in marketing and communications, primarily in the for-profit sector. Most recently, she worked at Stanford University, serving as Director of Change Management for External Relations and as a Process Excellence Coach for leaders in the School of Medicine.

During the pandemic, Kathryn began volunteering at a Second Harvest food distribution near her home and was disheartened by the level of need for food assistance in her own town. A commitment to do more to help end hunger in our community led her to her position at Second Harvest, and she feels grateful for the opportunity to work each day to ensure all of our neighbors have access to nutritious food.

Kathryn holds a bachelor’s degree in leadership studies and psychology from the University of Richmond and an MBA from Babson College’s F.W. Olin Graduate School of Business. She is an active member of The Chief of Staff Association and volunteers as a crisis counselor for The Trevor Project.

Based in San Mateo County, Kathryn enjoys spending time outdoors with her husband, two kids, and their two dogs.