As Director of Learning and Development for Columbia, Kristen designs and delivers training programs that bring out the best in the company’s team members. 

Kristen Bashaw is an adult learning expert with experience in workplace curriculum development and implementation. 

Prior to joining Columbia, Kristen held learning and development positions with Imperative, PitchBook, and Point B. She has extensive experience in performance management, training, mentoring and leadership advancement. She is focused on aligning training opportunities with Columbia’s strategic business needs, including investing in our team members’ growth and assisting clients with customized training programs. 

Kristen is a Seattle University graduate with a bachelor’s degree in Criminology and a master’s degree in Creative Writing from Otis College of Art & Design. 

In her free time, Kristen enjoys painting, hiking, reading, and listening to true crime podcasts. She is a certified yoga instructor as well as a youth mentor at Year Up. Interesting fact about Kristen is that after college she worked as a private investigator… and yes, she has many stories from that chapter of her life. Kristen also has an uncanny ability: within 24 hours, she can convince any child to eat their broccoli – with a 100% success rate. The best word to describe Kristen is: scrappy.