Kristin Thomson

Project Director

Kristin Thomson

Project Director

Kristin is a nonprofit project director, social policy researcher, and musician.

After graduating with a BA in Sociology from Colorado College in 1989, Kristin moved to Washington, DC where she worked for two years as a national action organizer for the National Organization for Women. She left NOW in 1992 to make a full-time commitment to Simple Machines, an independent record label she co-ran with Jenny Toomey. Over the label’s 8-year history, Simple Machines released over 70 records, published the Mechanic’s Guide to Putting Out Records, Cassettes, and CDs, and organized three high-profile music festivals in Washington, DC. While running the label, Kristin and Jenny also wrote, recorded and released four highly-acclaimed Tsunami records on Simple Machines, and toured the US, Canada and Europe extensively.

After Simple Machines stopped putting out new records in 1998, Kristin moved to Philadelphia where her husband, Bryan Dilworth, was a concert promoter, label owner, musician and tour manager. In 2001, she graduated with a Masters in Urban Affairs and Public Policy from the University of Delaware where she was a recipient of a School of Urban Affairs and Public Policy Fellowship, and the Urban Affairs Association Award.

Kristin joined Jenny Toomey at Future of Music Coalition in 2000 to oversee project management, research and event programming, including Future of Music Policy Summits from 2002–2007. In 2010, Kristin became a consultant for FMC, and served as Co-Director of the multi-method Artist Revenue Streams research project. She was the main author of Arts Organizations and Digital Technologies, released by Pew Research Center's Internet & American Life Project in January 2013, and worked with consumer privacy expert Ashkan Soltani from 2012–2014. In 2015, she helped the Ford Foundation with logistics on two events.

In 2016, she joined the staff of Media Democracy Fund, a catalyst for an open, secure and equitable internet. She currently manages grants and contracts, organizes events and coordinates MDF's fellowship programs. She lives near Philadelphia, where she also plays guitar in the lady-powered band, Ken.

bryandilworth.com
mediademocracyfund.org
money.futureofmusic.org
arsdata.futureofmusic.org
futureofmusic.org
simplemachines.net

  • Work
    • Media Democracy Fund
  • Education
    • Colorado College
    • University of Delaware