Trickle Up has named Nathalie Laidler-Kylander as its new President, effective October 19. She will succeed Bill Abrams, who is retiring after 16 years.
“Nathalie is the right leader for these times of profound global change,” said Penny Foley, chair of Trickle Up’s Board of Directors. “Her extensive experience in international development will help us meet the challenges of the future, both for our program participants and our organization.”
Laidler-Kylander brings to Trickle Up 18 years’ experience in the international development sector. Since 2015, she has been a Managing Director at Draper Richards Kaplan Foundation, where she advised and served on the boards of 18 emerging, innovative nonprofits in countries including India, Zimbabwe, Tanzania, Peru, and the U.S.
From 2007-2016, Laidler-Kylander was a lecturer at the Fletcher School at Tufts University and the Kennedy School at Harvard University on nonprofit management and leadership. Through her research, teaching, and consulting, she is recognized as a leading expert in nonprofit brand management. She is also the co-author of “The Brand IDEA: Managing Nonprofit Brands with Integrity, Democracy, and Affinity.”
“No work could be more meaningful to me than supporting women in forging pathways out of extreme poverty — the heart of Trickle Up’s mission,” said Laidler-Kylander. “Together, we can build upon the legacy of Trickle Up’s 42 years of experience and success in serving the underserved and continue to bring breakthrough opportunities to the world’s poorest and most vulnerable people.”
Laidler-Kylander steps into the role as Abrams retires from his 16-year tenure leading Trickle Up. Under his leadership, the organization grew in size and reach, becoming a truly global organization with teams in Central America, South Asia, Africa, and the U.S. Trickle up has also successfully scaled its impact through partnerships with governments and international agencies.
“Bill has been a transformative leader, guiding Trickle Up to levels of unprecedented scale and impact,” said Foley. “Thanks to his tireless leadership and the commitment of our global team, the Trickle Up that Nathalie will join is well-positioned to face the challenges of rising numbers of people in extreme poverty, climate change’s impacts on the poorest families and places, the disruptions of the COVID-19 pandemic, and new approaches for effective international development.”
