A lifelong Chicagoan and daughter of immigrants, Jackie Kaplan-Perkins grew up on the city’s north side in the 1980s where she spent her time rooting for the Cubs, listening to Styx, reading her father’s Cuban newspapers, and pitching pennies in the basement of Temple Ezra Israel.
Over the past three decades, Jackie has been recognized as one of the city’s most dynamic leaders and advocates, whose work focuses on creating equity and transformative systems change. Jackie has served in leadership positions at the Chicago Foundation for Women, Shriver Center on Poverty Law, Human Rights Watch, and for Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky and has developed a deep network of leaders in the political, civic, and philanthropic communities.
Jackie’s superpower is as a storyteller and she uses her connections and unique voice as a Senior Advisor for MVP to raise awareness and resources and to build sustaining partnerships for and with MVP partner organizations.
Jackie still lives in her beloved Chicago with her wife, son, and a menagerie of pets.