Kelly brings to Equal Measure more than 16 years of experience as a researcher with expertise in race, ethnicity, class, place, and opportunity. She has a broad background in qualitative and mixed-methods research design for exploratory, implementation, and outcomes research and evaluation. Kelly holds a PhD in Geography and Urban Studies and an MA in American Studies, concentrating on race, ethnicity, and class.

At Equal Measure, Kelly currently leads an engagement with the Boston Foundation focused on measuring and communicating its goal of equity and closing racial wealth gaps. She also directs planning research for the United Way of Greater Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey’s new Center for Leadership Equity. Kelly leads postsecondary evaluations, including assessing equitable growth strategies for the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation’s National Scale Enterprise and Lumina Foundation’s Prioritizing Adult Community College Enrollment (PACCE). And she contributes to evaluating the City of Philadelphia’s Anti-Violence Community Partnership Grant Program.

Before Equal Measure, Kelly led or co-led research and evaluations of place-based interventions, including Say Yes to Education, Cleveland; the Philadelphia Community Schools initiative; and several pilots funded by the United Way of Greater Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey. She also conducted research that privileged the perspective of Black nonprofit leaders and offered recommendations for Philadelphia’s regional funders about how they can best support Black-led and Black-serving nonprofit organizations. These experiences have leveraged her expertise in trust-based philanthropy and her commitment to advancing racial equity.

ASK KELLY ABOUT…

Her love for YouTube music reaction videos.