Arianna Muirow is a senior researcher and strategy lead with Criterion Institute, a nonprofit think tank that leverages finance for social change.
Arianna believes in the power of applied research for systems change and is drawn to finance as an underutilized tool for social justice activists. A mission-driven professional with two decades of career experience, Arianna’s passion areas are equitable economies, food systems, and climate justice. Arianna recently led research on increasing the role of community participation and governance in blended finance, and has published work on integrating a place-based and intersectional lens to the gender lens investing field. Arianna holds a Masters in Regional Planning from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, where she focused on creating healthy and resilient regional food systems that bridge rural-urban divides; and a PhD in Geography from the University of Washington where her research examined intersections of social movements, sustainable and equitable food systems, and VC investment structures.
Arianna is experienced in research, communications, and program development across sectors of public health, food retail, and climate advocacy. A recognized leader in her community, Arianna was a 2018 Henry M. Jackson Leadership Fellow and a 2016 Leadership Fellow with the Washington Center for Women and Democracy. When she’s not working Arianna is usually out exploring the Washington wilderness with her partner and their two young children, dining with friends, or savoring coffee and solitude with a good book.
