To support brigades in Knight Foundation communities with training and technical assistance to develop sustainability models that can support local projects and drive impact across the entire Code for America network.
Program Area: Community Impact
To expand the capacity of the West Side Community Land Trust to develop affordable housing and engage residents in the West End by supporting the operations and programming of the organization.
To support the expansion of community high-speed point-to-point internet access to 25% of Detroit’s North End population (about 1,000 households).
MIAMI – Jan. 13, 2021 – Kelly Jin, chief analytics officer for the City of New York and head of the Mayor’s Office of Data Analytics, will join the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation as vice president for community and national initiatives in February.
Jin pairs broad analytics experience in both the public and private sectors with a deep understanding of policy and strategy for federal, state and local governments. Her New York City team focuses on delivering insights for a more equitable and efficient city. Her office recently launched the NYC Recovery Data Partnership, a first-of-its-kind effort for community, non-profit, and private organizations to share data with the City to aid in COVID-19 response and recovery efforts.
Previously, she was a director at the Laura and John Arnold Foundation and worked in the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, where she advised the chief technology officer of the United States. She built the City of Boston’s analytics team, working alongside front-line workers to gain a deeper understanding of how to collect data to make informed decisions and recommendations.
“We welcome Kelly and look forward to working with her to create more informed, engaged and equitable communities,” said AIberto Ibargüen, Knight’s president. “She brings a razor-sharp mind bent on using technology for positive impact in American communities.”
Community and National Initiatives is Knight’s largest program area — ahead of Journalism, Arts and Learning and Impact — and includes local offices in eight communities around the country where the Knight brothers once published newspapers. Knight works through community foundations in 18 other communities, and has national programs focusing on public spaces and smart cities.
“Now, more than ever, it is pivotal to support equitable recovery in communities. I am excited to join an organization with such deep local roots and a commitment to empowering communities with the information they need to shape their futures,” said Jin.
“Knight Foundation’s commitment to communities across the U.S is essential for connecting local teams to collaborate on and share innovations and working practices with neighbors. Kelly has experience with data and tech inclusive approaches, bringing operational skills to lifting this network talent,” said Megan Smith, the CEO of shift7, and former U.S. CTO. “Combining this with Knight’s broad city networks can help us all move faster locally and across communities.”
Jin speaks nationally on using data and technology to responsibly improve governments and organizations. Her teams and projects have been featured in Wall Street Journal, Forbes, The Economist, New York Times, PBS NewsHour, Wired, City & State, and Governing. Jin holds a degree in economics from the University of Pennsylvania.
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Contact: Andrew Sherry, Vice President/Communications, Knight Foundation, [email protected], (305) 908-2677
To support phase two of the Guadalupe River Park Initiative with the development of a program that brings older people and people with disabilities into the park informing the future design and planning.
To support the City of San Jose to recruit two fellows over two years to support existing work on the governance plan for the Guadalupe River Park and to fully-participate in the Reimagining the Civic Commons project.
To support the facilitation, engagement, and decision-making of a broad group of community, government, local residents’ associations, and adjacent businesses working to improve the safety and maintenance of the Guadalupe River Park.
Veggielution will plan, develop, program and operate a new public space for the SOFA neighborhood by transforming a derelict lot. From this work, Veggielution will create a template that can be used by other organizations to transform other blighted spaces.
To conduct secondary research on best practices of emergency management organizations with an eye to changes that would better accommodate the rise and speed of social media when residents must take life-saving action during disasters like fires, earthquakes and floods.
To conduct primary research of the community response to the CZU and CSU fires to develop individual archetypes for community members and public spokespeople to inform San Jose’s emergency response practices.
To partially endow three senior chairs in the fields of business, psychology and biomedical engineering at the University of Miami.