Joel Krogstad joined McKnight in July 2021 serving the International program as a program and grants associate with the Grants & Program Operations department. In this role, Joel supports all facets of the grantmaking process for the 10 countries in McKnight’s Collaborative Crop Research Program. Joel enjoys providing the human connection with McKnight’s more than 80 active grantees, supporting agroecological innovation and training around the world, as well as working to make our grantmaking process easier and more effective for our partners.
Joel has dedicated his career to working for social transformation across cultures. Prior to McKnight, he was a director of the Community Technology Empowerment Project at Saint Paul Neighborhood Network for 15 years, hiring and managing more than 500 AmeriCorps members in teaching basic and creative technology skills for refugee, immigrant, and youth communities in the Twin Cities. Previously, Joel also led research and education projects in both Ecuador and Thailand.
Joel has a master’s degree in work, community, and family education from the University of Minnesota, and degrees in political science and Spanish from Macalester College. He lives with his wife and two kids in Saint Paul and has recently been working on the careful art of turning while skate skiing cross-country.
Motto for today: “Success requires the emotional balance of a committed heart. When confronted with a challenge, the committed heart will search for a solution. The undecided heart will search for an escape. A committed heart does not wait for conditions to be exactly right. Why? Because conditions are NEVER exactly right." - Andy Andrews, The Traveler’s Gift