Adriana Abizadeh is currently the executive director of the Kensington Corridor Trust (KCT) in Philadelphia. The mission, duty and purpose of the KCT is to utilize collective ownership to direct investments on the corridor that preserve culture and affordability while building neighborhood power and wealth in Kensington. The KCT supports sustainable corridor development through thoughtful real estate acquisition, community engagement, broad local ownership, small business lending and technical assistance, and safety and health programming. KCT’s vision is that Kensington Avenue is a safe, healthy, and socioeconomically diverse commercial corridor with accessible opportunities for the existing and future residents of Kensington.

Adriana is also the President of Catalyst Consulting Group (CCG), a boutique consulting firm that is moving projects forward for nonprofits and other stakeholders. The firm specializes in strategic planning, leadership development, and board governance. Adriana’s expertise is in supporting grassroots organizations with growth strategies and the development of welcoming and inclusive work cultures.

Prior to serving as KCT’s executive director and begin her consulting firm, Adriana was the executive director of the Latin American Legal Defense and Education Fund (LALDEF) in Trenton, NJ. While there she expanded LALDEF’s direct services by increasing staff fourfold, raised the organization’s visibility, tripled the operating budget, and boosted overall capacity.

All of Adriana’s professional working experience has been in the nonprofit sector and she is passionate about serving others. Adriana has a BA from Rutgers University in Political Science with a minor in Security Intelligence and Counter Terrorism. She also has an MS in Public Policy from Drexel University.

Research Interests

• Collective Land Ownership
• Community Organizing
• Decommodification
• Democratic Participation
• Governance