Kari KurjiakaNovember 12, 2025
Whenever a candidate for mayor, governor or president is elected for the first time, the conversation quickly turns to who will make up their inner circle – and how qualified and capable their top appointees will be. While voters cast their ballots for their favored candidates, the winner’s ability to carry out an agenda largely depends on the abilities of trusted aides and advisers.
It’s a similar dynamic all across the public, private and nonprofit spheres. While CEOs, presidents and executive directors are the public faces of their organizations, agencies, industries or advocacy efforts, there are usually key deputies – vice presidents, program directors, division heads, chiefs of staff – who prove to be just as indispensable in achieving success.
City & State’s inaugural Unsung Heroes list, researched and written in partnership with journalist Lon Cohen, recognizes New Yorkers who are highly effective but operate largely under the radar. The list does include a few presidents, CEOs and executive directors of smaller or less prominent organizations. What unifies everyone on the Unsung Heroes list is that they are movers and shakers who get things done – behind the scenes and out of the spotlight.
Kari Kurjiaka
Director of Literacy and Public Policy, Reach Out and Read of Greater New York
At the nonprofit Reach Out and Read of Greater New York, Kari Kurjiaka oversees initiatives that have delivered over 400,000 books to 230 clinics and partners this year, supporting over 250,000 children while also positioning early literacy as a public health priority through legislative engagement. She built the Book Buying Buddies coalition, expanding collective purchasing power for nonprofits nationwide. A former educator, Kurjiaka’s work at the Clinton Foundation and First Book, where she co-led the national Diverse Books for All Coalition, helped advance equity in childhood education and storytelling.
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