Director of Research and Policy

Kennan Cepa

Kennan is the Director of Research and Policy where she leads SaverLife’s work to lift up themes and insights from consumer voices. Kennan collaborates with colleagues across the organization to ensure that SaverLife’s consumer insights drive systemic change and meaningful benefits for SaverLife members and others like them living on low-to-moderate incomes.

Kennan’s career is driven by the conviction that research can foster a more just and equitable world. Before joining SaverLife, Kennan conducted research at the Financial Health Network, the University of Michigan, the American Institutes for Research, and Northwestern University, following a year of direct service work in Chicago Public Schools. Her work explores a wide range of financial health issues, including the impact of educational debt, pathways from community college to stable, living-wage jobs, the financial toll of extreme weather events, and how banking deserts disrupt household financial stability.

Kennan holds a PhD in Sociology and an MA in Statistics from the University of Pennsylvania as well as a BA in History from the University of Chicago. A transplant to Philly, Kennan deeply loves her adopted city and serves on her neighborhood community association’s executive board. She is always happy to share her favorite local restaurants, the Phillies’ World Series prospects, or the critical elements for a perfect day on the Jersey Shore.