Kriste Dragon is the chief executive officer of Pahara Institute. Previously, she was the chief executive officer and co-founder of Citizens of the World Charter Schools, a national network of public charter schools that challenge students to realize their full potential and thrive in a diverse society. Citizens of the World is committed to serving diverse communities throughout the U.S. with schools currently in Los Angeles, New York and Kansas City.

Kriste is a member of the Advisory Board for the National Association of Charter School Authorizers and the Board of Directors for EdNavigator, an organization dedicated to building support for student-focused improvements in public education. She serves on the CCSA Advocates Political Council and is a founding co-chair of the National Advisory Board of The Collective, Teach For America's national alumni of color association.

Kriste began her work in education as a middle school teacher in South Los Angeles. She later served as executive director for TFA Los Angeles and vice president of TFA Regional Operations (West). She led professional development at UCLA’s Center X and chaired several charter school boards in Los Angeles.

Kriste has a Juris Doctorate from the University of Georgia and a bachelor’s degree from the University of Alabama. She is a Broad fellow.