Elesha Kingshott, Founder and Principal Consultant
I am an advocate, strategist, and fundraiser. My work is rooted in the belief that strong partnerships and stable funding need to be at the forefront of any program looking to achieve meaningful and sustainable change.
Advocacy
I have worked on public health and development programs at the local, state, national, and international level for more than 15 years. My work has focused on reproductive, maternal, newborn and child health, early childhood development, gender, and health systems. My advocacy experience includes working with local governments to expand access to mental health services, successfully leading a statewide coalition that prevented $400 million from being cut from California’s early childhood development budget, drafting congressional legislation to improve maternal and newborn survival rates, and creating a toolkit for the United Nations to provide advocates in low and middle income countries the resources to support increasing domestic funding for medicines and health supplies.
Strategy
My work has shown me that strong partnerships can achieve large-scale change that is not often possible through an individual organization’s efforts alone. Through this work, I have created joint advocacy strategies, established multi-sectoral partnerships, and led the strategic planning for public private partnerships.
Fundraising
I have secured more than a half a billion dollars for health and development projects. I have overseen a grant portfolio of $200 million, created a new $50 million/year grant with a large government donor, and established a ten-year, multi-million-dollar, corporate partnership.
Background
Along with my professional experience, I have a Master of Public Health degree with a concentration on Health Policy and Financing from Johns Hopkins University and a Master of Social Work degree with a concentration on Nonprofit Management and Community Organization from the University of Maryland. I have also completed trainings in facilitation and project management.
I live in San Diego. In my free time, you can find me volunteering on political campaigns, hiking, practicing yoga, and playing board games. My lifetime ambitions are to be on the Great British Baking Show and to open a gelateria.