Karishma Merchant is associate vice president of Policy & Advocacy at JFF. She leads nonpartisan engagement with federal and state policymakers to craft education and workforce policies that drive equitable economic advancement for all.

Before joining JFF, Merchant spent nearly a decade on Capitol Hill as a legislative fellow for U.S. Senator Michael F. Bennet and senior education and workforce policy advisor for U.S. Senator Tim Kaine.

Merchant has worked on the reauthorizations of the Every Student Succeeds Act, the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act, the Workforce Opportunity and Innovation Act, and the Higher Education Act, as well as federal appropriations.

Educational background:

• Bachelor’s degree, Duke University
• Master’s degree in teaching, American University
• Master’s degree in public policy, focus on education policy, Vanderbilt University
• University of Virginia Sorensen Institute’s Political Leaders Program