Kassira Absar

Kassira is a learning and evaluation manager for the Bush Foundation. She provides leadership that builds and reinforces a deep organizational commitment to learning and evaluation so that Bush can have the greatest impact of the investments it makes.

Kassira works across all Bush program areas to provide strategic reviews, measure program impact and provide expertise for staff on data sources and evaluation practices. She also provides project management, helps Community Innovation grantees with technical assistance and support, and leads the cross-foundation evaluation team.

Kassira joined Bush in 2022. She has extensive experience that includes serving as a senior consultant with The Improve Group, a research and evaluation firm in St. Paul, and she has worked on projects at the local, state, national and international levels. She has a background in human rights, survey research, community engagement and qualitative and quantitative research methods.

In her work, Kassira focuses on community-centered and equitable evaluation and research practices, with an interest in community engagement in data collection and outreach. She believes the term “with an equity lens” should sunset as our lens should always incorporate equity, access and be trauma-informed.

Kassira loves to read, fall asleep during movies, be outside, practice yogasana, watch reality TV, attempt watercolor painting and participate in most food-related activities.