Christian A. Friend, Ph.D. joined Ready Ready in January 2026 as the Chief Implementation Officer.  Prior to joining the team, Christian served as a Senior Director at Tides, a philanthropy focused on shifting resources to grassroots community organizations.  Before this role, Christian served as President of Thrive Chicago. Thrive Chicago worked to advance equity for youth in Chicago. Christian holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Pennsylvania and a master’s degree in social sciences from the University of Chicago. He has a Ph.D. in Human Development and Family Studies from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro and a Certificate in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion from Cornell University.

Christian has published multiple articles in peer-reviewed academic journals and has presented at academic and professional conferences. He has expertise and experience in organizational strategy, organizational development, research & evaluation, public education, leadership development, social justice, diversity, equity, & inclusion.