Kimberly Haugstad, MBA serves as a CEO of Upequity. In this role, Kimberly is responsible for leading the development and execution of Upequity’s national strategy across all functions of the organization.
Prior to Upequity, Kimberly served as CEO of Global Genes, a worldwide rare disease organization; President and CEO of Hemophilia Federation of America, a national patient advocacy non-profit; as well as President and Managing Partner of ACTion Partners, a boutique consultancy.
As a natural leader and highly successful non-profit executive with over a decade growing organizations with impact, Kimberly is well versed in the unique challenges and patient-centered needs of rare disease. Kimberly is often called upon and regularly serves as an advisor, speaker, panelist, or facilitator with rare and genetic disease patient organizations, government agencies, and industry. Her expertise in rare disease advocacy encompasses diagnosis, care, treatment, and clinical trials for vulnerable patients and families. As a parent of a child with a serious rare disease, Kimberly also brings her own personal insights, knowledge and lived experiences to her work. Kimberly earned her Bachelor of Science and Master of Business Administration via the University of Wisconsin System with additional studies at the University of West London, and Marquette University.
Her professional interests center around advancing equitable healthcare and furthering the patient-centered movement where patients are an equal and respected expert voice in advancing research and healthcare policy. These passions drove her to build advocacy, patient research functions and ultimately co-founded a non-profit focused on driving research and data that impacts systems, policies and ultimately improves access.