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Kristin Rowe-Finkbeiner
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Kristin Rowe-Finkbeiner is an award-winning author, frequent public speaker, the co-founder and the Executive Director/CEO of MomsRising.org, and board President of the MomsRising Education Fund. Started in May 2006, MomsRising has more than 1 million members (and growing), more than 550 contributing bloggers, and more than one hundred aligned national organizations, working together to increase family economic security; to help ensure families, children, and businesses can thrive; and to end discrimination against women and mothers.

MomsRising is bringing millions of people, who all share a common concern about the need to build a more family-friendly America, together as a deeply engaged and educated multicultural, non-partisan force. This grassroots online and on-the-ground effort is mobilizing mothers, and all who have mothers, across America. MomsRising and its members are educating the public, organizing, and speaking out to improve public policy and to change the national dialogue on issues that are critically important to family economic security in our nation.

MomsRising has an estimated combined social media and blogging reach of more than 3 million readers. Forbes.com has named MomsRising's web site one of the “Top 100 Websites For Women” for many years in a row.

With MomsRising co-founder and board President, Joan Blades, Rowe-Finkbeiner co-authored The Motherhood Manifesto. Released on Mother’s Day 2006, The Motherhood Manifesto makes the case that it’s time for a broad change in America’s policies for mothers and families. In both public and private sectors, radical shifts are needed to make parenting and the workplace compatible. The Motherhood Manifesto identifies and challenges the obstacles facing working mothers today, and proposes concrete solutions. In 2007, The Motherhood Manifesto won the Ernesta Drinker Ballard Book Prize. The book is also the basis for a documentary film of the same name, which aired on PBS stations across the country.

Rowe-Finkbeiner is also the author of The F-Word: Feminism in Jeopardy - Women, Politics, and the Future, which was awarded first place by the Independent Book Publishers Association in the category of Women’s Issues in 2005. This book is a part of the syllabus for college courses across the nation.

Rowe-Finkbeiner's writing also appears in several other books, including the anthologies: The Essential Hip Mama: Writing from the Cutting Edge of Motherhood; The Maternal Is Political: Women Writers at the Intersection of Motherhood and Social Change; Courageous Parents, Confident Kids; and Current Controversies: The Wage Gap, as well as other academic anthologies. Rowe-Finkbeiner also writes frequently about public policy, motherhood, health, and new feminism for blogs and magazines, and many of her magazine articles are currently being used in women's studies classes across the nation. She is the recipient of the Society of Professional Journalists Excellence in Journalism award for magazine writing.

Rowe-Finkbeiner has been interviewed by major national as well as local media, including the Today Show, Good Morning America, Dennis Miller Show, CNN, NOW With David Brancaccio, To the Contrary, the Laura Flanders Show, New York Times, Washington Post, Associated Press, USA Today, Los Angeles Times, Seattle Times, San Francisco Chronicle, KPFA Radio and KUOW Radio. She is also a regular contributor to the Huffington Post.

Rowe-Finkbeiner is a regular public speaker and has spoken on family economic security, women's issues, online grassroots organizing, and other issues in numerous forums, including the Campaign for America’s Future Take Back the American Dream Conference, the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum, NetRoots Nation, Democracy Fest, the League of Women Voters National Conference, the International Leadership Association Conference, Town Hall, numerous universities, union events, rallies, and more. She has also testified before Congress, state legislatures and city councils about legislation affecting family economic security.

Rowe-Finkbeiner has been deeply involved in cutting edge politics and policy analysis for more than two decades. She’s worked as a consultant in the field of political strategy and policy analysis for clients such as the League of Conservation Voters EF, Audubon Society, NW Ecosystem Alliance, McDanel Land Foundation, Washington Conservation Voters, Washington Environmental Alliance for Voter Education, Atmosphere Alliance, and more. Previous to working as a consultant, during her tenure as Political and Field Director of the Washington Conservation Voters, she created a highly successful model statewide grassroots program to elect, endorse, and support environmentally responsible candidates.

Rowe-Finkbeiner has received numerous awards and accolades for her work. Among them are: fellowships in the Rockwood Institute Leadership program and the Hunt Alternatives Fund's national program, Prime Movers: Cultivating Social Capital; the Washington State League of Women Voters Good in Government Award; ParentMap Magazine’s “Super Hero” for families award. She was also one of the Women’s Media Centers’ Progressive Women’s Voices.

She currently serves on the board of the Economic Opportunity Institute, and as a Parenting Magazine Mom Congress Advisory Board Member. She served as board President for the Washington Environmental Alliance for Voter Education (WEAVE) and on the Executive Committee of the Washington Conservation Voters board for many years. She lives in Washington State with her husband and two children.

Entries by Kristin Rowe-Finkbeiner

No More Domino Effect: Congress Must Renew the Tax Credits That Keep Families From Falling Down

(7) Comments | Posted December 1, 2015 | 8:45 PM

I won't lie. Families are working hard, too often in an uphill battle, to make ends meet.

The numbers are bleak. Having a baby in our nation right now triggers a domino effect for many working families that leads to poverty. The added cost of a new child, along...

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When Was The Last Time A Male CEO Was Asked How He Would Handle A New Baby?

(16) Comments | Posted September 4, 2015 | 5:01 PM

Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer ignited a social media and traditional media firestorm when she announced that she's having twins and will be taking limited time off after the birth of her babies. (After the birth of her son in 2012, Mayer took two weeks of paid...

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#EqualPayDay: Women Are Worth More Than Spare Change

(64) Comments | Posted April 14, 2015 | 3:48 PM

It's a head/desk day. A day when heads are banging on desks across our nation in frustration.

Why?

Because today is #EqualPayDay -- the day that symbolizes how far into 2015 that all women on average have to work to earn what men earned in 2014....

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Supreme Court Must Make Clear That Pregnancy Discrimination Is Unjust

(9) Comments | Posted December 3, 2014 | 5:05 PM

All eyes are on the U.S. Supreme Court today as they hear the case of Peggy Young vs. UPS. Peggy asked for reasonable accommodations in her scope of work when she became pregnant and her doctor noted that she could no longer lift more than 20 lbs. Instead of accommodations,...

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How Core Economic Security Policies Won While Candidates Lost

(0) Comments | Posted November 5, 2014 | 5:59 PM

Despite what's making the headlines, the outcome of Congressional races are not the whole story coming out of election night. There was more to this election than meets the eye, or than is being covered in traditional media.

Core economic security policies won in cities and states across the...

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Thank You, Mr. Satya Nadella, For Telling Us What You Really Think

(0) Comments | Posted October 13, 2014 | 5:49 PM

This week Satya Nadella, Microsoft's chief executive, shared what he really thought about gender equality, saying that women shouldn't ask for raises.

Instead, Nadella suggested, women should have "faith in the system" and rely on "karma" to get equal pay for equal work. The not-so-subtle message was...

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Don't Take Birth Control Options Away From Moms -- The U.S. Supreme Court Is Wrong on Hobby Lobby

(52) Comments | Posted July 1, 2014 | 2:35 PM

It's not a bad dream, an Onion article, or some kind of lame joke: The U.S. Supreme Court just ruled this week that some bosses can make your birth control decisions for you.

Outrageous.

In fact, the Hobby Lobby ruling was a huge slap in the face to...

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Don't Pay Me Less Just Because I'm a Mom

(3) Comments | Posted June 12, 2014 | 9:17 PM

#MomsEqualPay Day is this week: The day that marks how far into 2014 moms have to work to earn what dads earned in 2013. And, in a twisted coincidence, #MomsEqualPay Day falls just a few days before Father's Day.

Here's a showstopper: Working mothers typically are paid just...

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A Celebration of Mothers - Actors, Authors, Artists, Journalists and Politicos Share "Lessons from Mom"

(0) Comments | Posted May 11, 2014 | 12:25 PM

This Mother's Day, celebrities, politicians, and others including First Lady Michelle Obama, Arianna Huffington, Christy Turlington Burns, Mayim Bialik, Representative Cathy McMorris-Rodgers, Leader Nancy Pelosi, Emily Saliers (of the Indigo Girls), CraigsList founder Craig Newmark and others are sharing the important lessons they learned from their mothers in the first-ever...

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So Done With Unequal Pay! #NoMoreMadMenPay

(1) Comments | Posted April 8, 2014 | 3:20 PM

Confession: I grew up believing that women had mostly achieved equality in the workplace and the world.

But when my first child was born, I quickly learned that I was mistaken. My son was absolutely amazing, and he was also born with an immune system deficiency. I had to leave...

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Game Changer: SOTU, Women, Fair Pay, Mad Men and Our National Economy

(1) Comments | Posted January 29, 2014 | 5:07 PM

Last night was a game changer. Economic policies that advance women and families broke out of their traditional silo in a big way in President Obama's State of the Union speech.

"Today, women make up about half our workforce. But they still make 77 cents for every dollar...
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The Real Feminist Nightmare -- #FeminismIsForMothersToo

(34) Comments | Posted November 26, 2013 | 12:45 PM

When the first lady is attacked for embracing her role as "mom-in-chief" -- despite her leadership in key policy areas like stemming the childhood obesity epidemic, increasing access to healthy food and aiding military families and veterans -- it's time to call foul.

The headline for Michelle Cottle's recent article...

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Playing Games With Our Kids: Moms vs. Congress

(3) Comments | Posted September 18, 2013 | 9:01 AM

Games are a time-honored way of expanding people's knowledge.

My mom, who was a single mother throughout my elementary school years, played games with my brother and I in the grocery store when we were young to help make the price right for purchasing our family food on a very...

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The Time Is Now for Smart Snacks in Schools

(0) Comments | Posted June 26, 2013 | 12:24 PM

Moms and dads are the first line of defense when it comes to making sure our children live healthy lives. At home, we do all we can to make sure that the meals and snacks they eat are nutritious, but our children aren't always at home or in our care....

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Working Moms Just Blamed (Again)!?

(39) Comments | Posted June 5, 2013 | 12:05 PM

Deep breath. Count to 10. Can't. Believe. He. Really. Said. That.

Yesterday at a Washington Post event, Mississippi Governor Phil Bryant (R) said that America is so "mediocre" in educational outcomes because "mom is in the workplace."

... oh REALLY?!

There is steam coming out of...

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Immigration Policy Reform Can't Ignore Women

(14) Comments | Posted April 10, 2013 | 2:47 PM

Women comprise only 18 percent of Congress. Women comprise 0 percent of the "Gang of Eight" Senators who are drafting immigration reform policy right now. Yet, over 50 percent of all immigrants are women; and if you add children, then that group accounts for two-thirds of all immigrants...

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Lean In - Think this doesn't matter to you? Think again.

(7) Comments | Posted March 13, 2013 | 11:49 AM

Childcare costs more than college. Mothers with equal resumes are hired 80 percent less of the time than non-mothers and are offered lower starting salaries. It costs over $200,000 to raise one child from birth to age 18 (not including college).

All of...

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Standing Up to the Gun Lobby

(42) Comments | Posted February 15, 2013 | 2:37 PM

As we celebrated our loved ones with chocolates, flowers and sometimes even pink cards with massive glitter this week, I can't help but also think of the families who are missing people due to gun violence -- and about the importance of making our communities safer for everyone.

To...

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Moms to Military: Thanks for Fighting for Children's Health

(12) Comments | Posted November 12, 2012 | 2:41 PM

Today, we remember the many veterans who have sacrificed for our country and those who are currently serving far away from family, friends and the comforts of home. Such service can never be repaid. We also extend our thanks to the senior retired military leaders who have joined moms in...

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The Elephant in the Living Room

(27) Comments | Posted October 29, 2012 | 6:15 PM

There's an elephant in the living room, and she's getting impatient. While many politicians stand ready to support the stabilizing impact and economic importance of gender equality overseas; too often those same politicians turn their backs on gender equality policies here at home. In the last debate, for example, which...

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