Giving Kitchen, the nonprofit that provides emergency assistance to food service workers through unanticipated crisis, has named Carmen Jackson as its Chief Operating Officer. Jackson begins in the role on September 14.
Jackson brings more than 18 years of operational and strategic leadership across Fortune 100 enterprises, mission-driven organizations, and independent consulting. She began her career in food service and retail — an experience that gave her an early and enduring appreciation for the people who show up every day to keep the industry running.
“Carmen understands both sides of this work — what it takes to run an organization well, and what it feels like to work a closing shift. That combination is rare, and it is exactly what this moment calls for. As our community grows, Carmen will make sure our ability to show up for it grows right alongside,” said Allison Padilla-Goodman Chief Executive Officer of Giving Kitchen.
In 2025, a food service worker in crisis reached out to Giving Kitchen every 36 minutes. Behind each of those moments is a case manager who picked up the phone, a system that routed the request, and a process that moved support out the door quickly. Jackson’s role is to strengthen and scale that operational backbone as demand for the organization’s services continues to grow.
“The mission here is personal, the team is exceptional, and the work ahead is exactly the kind I was built to do. The best outcomes happen when people are brought around a table and invited to build something side by side — that is how I intend to lead here.” said Jackson.
Jackson’s career spans enterprise consulting at IBM, KPMG, and McKinsey, where she led post-acquisition integrations, built global centers of excellence, and delivered double- to triple-digit performance outcomes across financial services, technology, travel and hospitality, and energy. She has also led from inside mission-driven organizations, serving as Fractional Innovation Director for a national financial education nonprofit and as Executive Director of a community development corporation, where she rebuilt operational and financial infrastructure from the ground up and forged partnerships that generated measurable community impact.
Through Metric Strategy Partners, her independent consulting practice, Jackson has spent recent years helping nonprofits build the governance frameworks, technology infrastructure, and operating models they need to sustain growth and serve their communities well.
Jackson succeeds Brooke Kamke, Giving Kitchen’s first-ever Chief Operating Officer, who established the systems, processes, and team structure the organization operates on today. Kamke departs for a new opportunity with the organization’s deep gratitude.
A graduate of the Georgia Institute of Technology with a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering, Jackson also completed engineering coursework at Georgia Tech Lorraine in France. She is an alumna of Leadership Long Beach and a member of the Junior League. She has run six marathons in support of cancer research with Team in Training for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and several half marathons benefiting St. Jude.
