For advancing equity and accessibility among restaurateurs from underserved communities

Project Manager at Exterro | Austin, Texas, United States of America

Right out of college, Kristen Moreno began working in insurance, an industry she describes as male-dominated and “bro-y.” One day, her mentor dropped a truth bomb on her that’s resonated to this day. “He always told me, ‘I feel like women are brought up to be quiet or meek, and that doesn’t serve you. Advocate for yourself because no one else will do that for you,’” she recalls. “That really hit home with me. This advice was coming from a stranger, a white man who was investing in me, not my family who had said that to me a million times. When he said it, I listened. I’ve taken that to heart, and maybe I’ve become that person,” she adds.

Becoming that person has taken Kristen on a fascinating career path that the self-proclaimed “Queen of Pivoting” has carved for herself. Working in insurance as an underwriter didn’t light her up, but she loved the company’s vision and the fact that they’d funded a hospital in Uganda. She decided her next move would be to work for a company with similar values, where she could have a hands-on role in driving change.

She found her next opportunity at Whole Foods during the Amazon acquisition where she worked on floor and space planning. “Prior to the acquisition, Whole Foods was run like mom-and-pop shops without a layout theme to them. It was an opportunity to start learning something different, and the company was willing to let me take the reins on a project, and make autonomous decisions with regards to scope definition,” she explains. She began facilitating creative visions with suppliers and learned that to move projects forward, she had to be the person who could “connect the dots” and become that diplomatic voice of reason.

This experience revealed Kristen’s knack for project management, setting her on a new career trajectory. "I realized that project managers are inherently good communicators. That resonated deeply with me. I felt like I can add value to any organization if I pursue this,” she recalls. Her commitment to the field deepened, and after inKind, a restaurant funding venture, she completed her Project Management Professional (PMP)^® certification right after her maternity leave.

At inKind, Kristen worked to support small businesses and restaurants often excluded from traditional lending. Many of these businesses lacked the resources or expertise to leverage technology or develop marketing plans, but inKind was there to fill in the gaps.