Josephine Kalipeni is the Director of Policy and Partnerships at Caring Across Generations. Ms. Kalipeni’s expertise includes asset-based grassroots and faith organizing, public speaking, and policy development for issues-based campaigns in health, education, and international affairs, with a focus on racial and economic equity. She initially worked in family case management and social work, assisting families navigating various public systems. Seeing firsthand the limitations and opportunities of social programs, Ms. Kalipeni has worked to increase health access through public social policy for children and families. She has provided technical and policy assistance to state organizations working on progressive policy and researched and developed state and national policy. She has also worked to increase health access through public social policy, with a focus on expanding and altering Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act. Josephine focuses on public policy benefit design and issues campaigns development through community-based organizations.
Ms. Kalipeni values developing policy through a collective impact and asset-based model that centers on the experiences of those most impacted by the issue as the experts in formulating a solution. She has worked with organizations like the NAACP, Illinois Black Chamber of Commerce, Progressive Action for the Common Good, and Families USA. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in sociology with a concentration in political science and religious studies from the University of Illinois, a Mental Health Professional (MHP) certificate, and a Masters in Social Justice and Community Development with an expertise in global and health policy from Loyola University in Chicago.