Kate Ruffing

Kate’s support for PeaceTrees grew out of a Citizen Diplomacy Trip to Vietnam with founder Jerilyn Brusseau. Watching her first controlled detonation of over 700 pieces of unexploded ordnance (UXO) that had been collected in Quang Tri Province in only one week’s time really highlighted the importance and urgency of PeaceTrees’ work. “As the sound of the detonation faded,” Kate recalls. “Jerilyn shared that every piece of UXO detonated this way means that many lives won’t be impacted by the wounds of war.” She also visited PeaceTrees-sponsored schools, and when she sang with the children, she knew their lives were better because of the work PeaceTrees does.

Kate is Chief Innovation Officer at Flashpoint Strategy. For over 25 years, she has grown businesses and brands across the food, beverage, agricultural, and health industries. A graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, she also holds an MBA from the University of Chicago.