In July, Michelle Kreger took the helm as CEO of IDEO.org, turning a new chapter for the organization. For 8.5 years, Michelle lead IDEO.org on the partnerships team, guiding the expansion of our global sexual and reproductive health portfolio and overseeing U.S. initiatives on economic mobility, health equity, and early learning and childcare. In this Q&A, Michelle sits down with Mike Peng, Chief Creative Officer at Moon Creative Lab and Governance Chair of IDEO.org’s Board, to talk about how she’s designing her approach to leadership, what’s grounding and guiding her in this new chapter, and IDEO.org’s place in an evolving social impact landscape.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Leading With Heart & Conviction

Michelle Kreger (CEO of IDEO.org): Mike, I love talking with you. Our conversations are always illuminating—let’s do this.

Mike Peng (Board Member of IDEO.org): Agreed! This conversation is particularly interesting because so many folks in the IDEO.org community already know you, having worked with you. Still, you’re stepping into a new role and turning a new page for the organization. I’m curious if you could give us a tour of your mind when you were first approached about this role. What were your first thoughts? What was your decision-making process?

Michelle Kreger: Honestly, it was a really challenging decision. I love this organization so much —the people, the work we’ve done, the depth of our impact, so saying yes wasn’t something I took lightly. As a mom with a toddler, life is already busy and chaotic, and I wanted to make sure that whatever decision I took, I could continue to spend time with my family.

At the same time, I was also thinking about the professional landscape. We’re in an era where consultancies and nonprofits are navigating a difficult moment. Many organizations are contracting, and everyone is trying to figure out how to evolve alongside a shifting market and world—it’s a challenge and also very much an opportunity.

So, I consulted a ton of people, including a dear friend and mentor who co-founded a leading global non-profit. He’s a father of two young children, so I really value his perspective on the family front. The afternoon we hopped on a zoom call, he came on video with his hair wet and a wetsuit on—he had literally just come out of the ocean! It was such a perfect way to start this call. He shared that he dedicated time to surf throughout the week because it was so important to him, even with all of his professional and personal duties. I was so inspired, and of course, he went on to give me one of the most energizing pep talks I’ve ever had.

Mike Peng: Wow, what a fun story; it’s such an aspirational vision of what being a leader can look like.

Michelle Kreger: Definitely. That conversation was a turning point for me. I knew this role would be demanding, but I also believe that I can find—and model—what balance looks like for myself and the team. This goes without saying, but I am incredibly lucky to have such a supportive partner and community to hold me up, and if I could design the perfect team to lead, this one would be it. So, here we are!

Another huge part of why I said yes is because I know IDEO.org has a unique role to play in this market—especially in this moment of uncertainty and scarcity. We have a responsibility to bring magic, joy, and optimism to solving society’s most intractable problems, and it is deeply humbling to be able to lead our team in delivering that to our community.

Mike Peng: Now that you’ve stepped into this role, I’m curious—what has it been like so far? What are you prioritizing in these early months?

Michelle Kreger: I’ve been doing a lot of listening—listening to our team, our board, and also, our partners. Being a great listener is foundational to great design work and the craft of partnershipping. On that team, the work is all about deeply understanding the challenges our partners bring to us, and from there, showing how our expertise and approach can uniquely support their big leaps forward. So, listening is something I’ve really had to get good at over the past 8 years.

And the process of listening to our community has genuinely been so joyful. IDEO.org has always been a community of incredibly sharp, creative, and empathetic thinkers. Everyone has been so energized to co-create this next chapter, and I truly could not ask for a better bunch to lead alongside with.

Lessons from Kiva: Innovation, Growth, and Core Values

Mike Peng: Speaking of strong teams, I know your time at Kiva played a huge role in shaping your approach to leadership and social impact. Can you share a bit about your experience at Kiva and how it influenced your work here at IDEO.org?

Michelle Kreger: My time at Kiva was incredibly formative. I joined in my early 20’s when it was still a scrappy startup. After we were featured on Oprah in 2010, we suddenly had way more money flowing into the platform than we had people to fund. It was a wild problem to have, and it pushed us to think creatively about scale.

I was involved in everything - from building a portfolio of microfinance institution partnerships to setting up offices in Latin America, Africa, and the Middle East. During this period of rapid expansion, we were moving millions of dollars every day, which meant we needed to establish a solid infrastructure, along with processes and policies, to manage everything responsibly. Pretty quickly though, we realized that formalizing structures was somewhat at odds with innovation. The more we formalized, the harder it became to be bold and experimental—qualities that had really defined Kiva in the early days. It’s a tension that many startups face when they reach this stage.

So, I helped start Kiva Labs which was essentially our internal innovational department. We set it up with fewer constraints so we could experiment with new ideas that didn’t always fit into our traditional processes. It really drove home the importance of making space for innovation, especially as an organization grows.

Mike Peng: It’s interesting to see the overlap between Kiva at that stage and IDEO.org. They’re both organizations that place a strong emphasis on creativity and design to drive meaningful impact. Beyond innovation, what other core values have you found to be essential for creating lasting, scalable social change?

Michelle Kreger: What kept us moving forward during challenging moments at Kiva was a culture rooted in optimism, joy, and transparency—values that are also deeply ingrained at IDEO.org. Introducing new ways and methods to tackle really tough challenges will always come with a unique set of obstacles. The work wasn’t easy and it was so important that our team believed that a way forward was possible—that we had what it took to create something impactful.

Working in the social sector, I’ve found it so important to keep that sense of possibility alive. It’s one of the many things we do really well at IDEO.org and one of the values our partners appreciate the most.

Design in Times of Uncertainty and Scarcity

Mike Peng: Let’s talk about design’s role in keeping that sense of possibility alive. You mentioned earlier that we’re at a challenging intersection. There is scarcity in the social sector at a moment where systems all around us feel like they’re crumbling. As funding grows more competitive, hiring consultants can feel like an unessential expense. Why do you believe IDEO.org’s expertise is indispensable, not just a ‘nice to have.’

Michelle Kreger: At IDEO.org, we believe in the power of design to change lives, and we know that great design is essential to deep impact. Our job is to work alongside our partners to think differently about how they approach challenges, to help design new products, services, and strategies that uplift, empower, and enable communities to lead better lives.

Our partners come to us with a range of asks: Some have a working solution, but need to reach a new audience. Others are starting a new chapter, and want to do so with imagination, and some deeply understand their problem, but are stuck on how to solve it. We’re great at listening to these needs and providing a path forward through the creative process to develop solutions that people truly need, and that actually work.

Design is essential because figuring out how to meet human needs is essential. And never has that been more true than in this moment where we’re facing challenges to the social safety net and to our human connection. If we don’t design for what people need, then we’ll spend tons of money without the impact that we desire. In that vein, I think of IDEO.org as a de-risking engine for trying new things, or serving new people.

Mike Peng: I love that—at its core, design is all about creativity, optimism and hope. It's about bringing those values to the forefront, especially now. I’m struck by how you see IDEO.org as a de-risking engine for trying new things and serving more people. It perfectly aligns with what the organization aims to do— take thoughtful risks, experiment, and always keep human needs at the center of the work. It really does feel relevant now more than ever.