Karissa Propson

A white woman with brown hair wearing a white shirt and a red blazer smiles at the camera.

Managing Consultant

+1 651-424-0703

Karissa enjoys understanding how programs and policies work at the micro-level while also thinking about the big picture; to do this, she applies her skills in synthesizing complex information into coherent answers to important questions. Outside of work, Karissa enjoys patios in the summer, good books in the winter, and quality time with her dog year-round.

Expertise

Evaluation

Karissa applies skills in quantitative analysis and research to evaluation, while also leveraging her educational background in social work. Her ability to focus on details while also thinking about the big picture is especially useful in evaluations of complex initiatives with multiple stakeholders. She focuses on ensuring evaluation is useful and used through close engagement with stakeholders; strong, clear writing; and effective data visualization.

Consulting

By working with clients to consider evaluation from the viewpoints of different stakeholders, Karissa ensures evaluation is meaningful and useful. She encourages identifying and addressing the root needs and concerns driving an evaluation, as well as positioning a client’s work within the larger systems at play.

Quantitative evaluation

Karissa brings experience in quantitative methods to her project teams, and sees it as a powerful component to an evaluation. Quantitative data collection and analysis support our evaluations, serving as a complement to qualitative data we may gather. Karissa uses her quantitative evaluation experience to unlock more insights during a project, including through her consideration when designing quantitative surveys and implementing validated assessment tools. Karissa also appreciates the value of secondary data analysis when working with existing datasets, as they can provide necessary context and answer evaluation questions. Karissa effectively analyzes quantitative data with her statistical experience in SPSS and R quantitative analysis software. Across quantitative data collection and analysis, Karissa seeks thought partnership and technical support from subcontractor statisticians to further deepen her teams’ quantitative capabilities.

Professional Experience

The Improve Group | St. Paul, MN | Managing Consultant | 2025-present | Lead projects and phases to make the most of information, navigate complexity, and ensure clients’ investments of time and money lead to meaningful, sustained impact.

The Improve Group | St. Paul, MN | Senior Consultant | 2020-2025| Plan, lead, and execute project activities to complete activities to make the most of information, navigate complexity, and ensure clients’ investments of time and money lead to meaningful, sustained impact.

The Improve Group | St. Paul, MN | Associate Consultant | 2018-2020 | Worked collaboratively with project team to execute activities.

Public Policy Associates, Inc. | Lansing, MI | Research Associate | 2016-18 | Conducted quantitative and qualitative research to help clients make better decisions and create better public policy.

Kids Forward (formerly Wisconsin Council on Children and Families) | Madison, WI | Policy Analysis Intern | 2015-16 | Analyzed data and made recommendations for policies that support children and families.

Early Head Start at Dane County Parent Council | Madison, WI | Home Visiting Program Intern | 2014-15 | Planned and carried out curriculum-based activities to enhance parent-child relationships and encourage healthy child development.

Social Kids Lab at the University of Wisconsin-Madison | Madison, WI | Associate Research Specialist | 2013-14 | Supported graduate students and staff in a research laboratory focused on infant and child development, specifically involving social categories, prejudice, and stereotyping.

Education

University of Wisconsin-Madison | Master of Social Work with a focus in Child, Youth, and Family Welfare, Policy and Administration

University of Wisconsin-Madison | Bachelor of Science in Human Development and Family Studies, Psychology

Want to learn more about Karissa? Check out their full resume here!