Temple University

Melissa Kim (MS '10) is Senior Program Officer for Capacity Building on the Knowledge Management and Strategy team of Local Initiatives Support Corporation's (LISC)—a community development financial institution and community development intermediary. In this position, Melissa advances racial justice and encourages shared learning across LISC. She believes that solutions to complex urban challenges are most effective when they are anti-disciplinary, imaginative, pragmatic, reflective and co-created with communities. 

“For me, a community developer, I am particularly interested in socially-engaged art’s capacity to lift up voices and visions of individuals and communities, shift perceptions and perspectives, build social connections, provide skills and pathways to jobs, transform neglected spaces and generally bring creative approaches to addressing persistent social challenges.”
– Melissa Kim (for Mural Arts)

Previously, Kim led community-based programs at Asian Arts Initiative, The Village of Arts and Humanities and the North 5th Street Revitalization Project in Philadelphia. 

• Portrait courtesy of Melissa Kim. Above image: Melissa Kim of LISC and David Ferris (formerly of LISC) speak about their work in a video produced by NAS—an organization that builds and supports a diverse community of cultural leaders who drive inspiring change for the future.