Kyrsten Emanuel manages advocacy strategies related to the City of Chicago at Start Early. Prior to joining Start Early’s Illinois Policy Team, Kyrsten served as the Early Childhood Training and Technical Assistance liaison to state child care administrators for the National Center on Early Childhood Health and Wellness. She has also served as program manager for The Essential Fellowship, as well as the Early Childhood Connector at Start Early, and has conducted consultation and peer learning events for school district leaders across the country as a policy analyst with Start Early’s National Policy Team.

Kyrsten holds a bachelor’s degree in Education and Social Policy from Northwestern University and a master’s degree in Social Service Administration from the University of Chicago.