about us
our story
KINSHIFT was founded by Kelly Davis, MPA and Simran Chaudhri MD, MPH, who first collaborated at the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH), where they conceptualized and implemented a training and institutional transformation process for 14 maternity hospitals. Since, Kelly and Simran have used their innovative model to customize solutions for public health practitioners, healthcare systems, coalitions, and non- and for-profit organizations across the country. KINSHIFT models its vision -- trusting and authentic multicultural partnerships between the health and service workforce and communities. As women of color trained in medicine, public health, and nonprofit management, we understand what’s possible–and what’s at stake–when systems and communities unite to accomplish a common goal.
kelly davis, mpa
Where is your “happy place?”
My shoulders relax every time I visit my garden. It’s the place where I grow, reflect, and nourish myself. A cherry tomato, the smallest Thai chili, the freshest greens all hold wonder. Soon I will need to start pickling to preserve my harvests; in the meantime I share the abundance with anyone I know.
Why are you so passionate about organizational management?
No one works at a non-profit to get rich. We all devote our lives to service because we care about our community members and want to alleviate suffering in some small way. Sometimes our dogged determination, along with temperamental funding trends, can cultivate disaffection and burnout. The principles of nonprofit management, when applied appropriately, can help take care of the people who spend their lives taking care of their communities.
Who would you like to give a shout out to for helping you get where you are today?
To graduate from Princeton University, you have to write a thesis, similar to a mini dissertation. When you are 21 years old, writing an 80 page paper is daunting. I was only up for the task because my thesis advisor, a well-known historian, devoted herself to supporting me every step of the way. There was never a time she was unavailable, and her criticism made me a better writer and scholar. While I didn’t pursue the PhD programs that admitted me, she continues to have an indelible impact on my life and leadership today.
Kelly is KINSHIFT’s Co-founder and Chief Innovation Officer. She is a public health practitioner, writer, and organizational change expert with over 15 years of experience. She has led a series of innovative activities throughout her fifteen-year career in public health, including serving as one of the founding members of the NYC Health Department’s Center for Health Equity and catalyzing NYC's first HIV public awareness campaign entirely focused on women.
Currently, she is a Soros Justice Fellow, centering the needs of those who are pregnant and incarcerated. She received her BA from Princeton University and MPA in Health Policy from New York University.
simran chaudhri, md mph
What everyday thing is bringing you joy right now?
Watching my girls dig for bugs in our backyard and living the forest fairy life we dreamed of for them.
How does your life context affect your perspective as a public health physician?
Growing up as a child of hardworking immigrants, I have immense gratitude, empathy, and respect for all underdogs doing their best to give their kids more than they had. This perspective drives my work as a public health physician, continuously striving to make it a bit easier for those trying to build a better world.
What was your favorite childhood meal?
Dim sum! We ate a lot of Indian food at home so going out for dim sum was always a treat.
Simran is KINSHIFT’s Co-founder, Chief Medical Officer, and trauma-and-resilience-informed care expert. She received her MD from Imperial College London and her MPH in Population and Family Health from the Columbia Mailman School of Public Health. Simran practiced primary care in the UK National Health Service before transitioning to a career in public health to improve healthcare access and equity for marginalized populations.
Her varied global and local experience includes leading public health programming, research, policy, and strategy initiatives with the World Health Organization, UNICEF, and the NYC Health Department, among others. She has researched child health and health system strengthening globally, built community health worker programs for individuals returning from incarceration, and created data-driven, cross-sector population health initiatives for 8+ million New Yorkers, including HealthyNYC: New York City’s Campaign for Longer, Healthier Lives.
"Kelly and Simran fill a crucial gap in the field of systems transformation and organizational change--namely that most consultants lack proximate experience with the practices or systems who come to them seeking guidance. Leading system change at the nexus of racial justice and trauma-informed care, KINSHIFT gets it. They understand the complexities of transforming systems because they have led institutional change from within. They understand frontline provider experiences and barriers to change within complex institutions. For this reason, Trauma Transformed recently hired KINSHIFT to bring their expertise to complex healthcare and government organizations struggling to create just and healing organizational cultures. After bringing KINSHIFT on board, one large hospital immediately saw improvement in metrics of change and workforce confidence to enact institutional improvements. This is what happens when proximity and purpose collide for individual and organizational growth and healing. They just get it: the work, the struggle, and how to facilitate real change.”
— Jen Leland, MFT, Founder and Director of Partnerships, Trauma Transformed