Kelsey Derby

Communications Content Officer Kelsey Derby creates, develops and implements content strategies that enhance ECMC Foundation’s mission.

Prior to joining the Foundation, Kelsey worked as a content strategist for ECMC Group, where she contributed to media relations and content creation for its nonprofit initiatives. Kelsey began her career in fundraising at an elite all-girls independent school in Boston, The Winsor School. Her passion for education and philanthropy led her to Weill Cornell Medicine in New York City, where she continued her work in advancement, joining the principal gifts team working on high-level philanthropic contributions. Upon returning to her hometown of Minneapolis, she took a role at TPT–Twin Cities Public Television as a partnership development manager, curating relationships with local nonprofits through a shared funding model to create high-impact documentary content for the channel. She then transitioned to a role in content marketing, where she managed the organization’s blog, curated multiple email newsletters and contributed to the monthly member magazine as well as winning the Unsung Hero Award in 2021.

Kelsey holds a Bachelor of Science in communication from Boston University and a Certificate of Strategic Marketing from the Carlson School of Management at the University of Minnesota.

Why are you working at ECMC Foundation and committed to working toward improving higher education for underserved learners?

I grew up in a household that valued education, with a dad who was a tenured professor at a public university and a mom who studied elementary education in college. As an adult, I have come to understand how truly fortunate I am to have had access to a college education. I believe education unlocks the door to so many opportunities and is inherently a human right. I am deeply motivated by this work because of these beliefs, and I am proud of the impact ECMC Foundation has on the lives of young people across the country, regardless of their background.