Ivory Innovations Welcomes Executive Director Kimberly Burnett

Kimberly Burnett, Ivory Innovations' Executive Director

We are thrilled to welcome Kimberly Burnett to the Ivory Innovations team. Kimberly brings a wealth of experience, a passion for innovation, and a deep commitment to addressing one of the most pressing challenges of our time: housing affordability. With a proven track record in leadership, strategic growth, and cross-sector collaboration, Kimberly is uniquely positioned to guide Ivory Innovations as we expand our impact and deepen our efforts to catalyze solutions in the housing sector.

She joins the Ivory Innovations leadership team as Executive Director, working closely with Abby Ivory, President, and Jenna Louie, Chief Innovation and Strategy Officer. In her role as Executive Director, Kimberly will be based at the University of Utah and oversee Ivory Innovations’ core programs – such as the Ivory Prize for Housing Affordability and Hack-A-House – as well as expand and strengthen Ivory’s support for housing innovators and policymakers across the country.

Kimberly comes to Ivory Innovations from Abt Global, where she led cross-disciplinary teams to develop evidence-based strategies to improve housing affordability. Her work has shaped public policy across the country, from state- and local-level strategic plans for housing to groundbreaking research on housing finance mechanisms. Most recently, Kimberly led the launch of Abt Global’s state and local strategic housing planning practice, leading or advising housing plans for places including Rhode Island, Wyoming, and Honolulu.

She has worked with leaders at organizations including the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, the National Association of Home Builders, AARP, the National Council of State Housing Agencies, the Bipartisan Policy Center, and many others to address housing affordability through innovative program design, strategic planning, public engagement, and research and evaluation.

Her expertise spans federal, state, and local housing policy, including the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC), FHA and HUD programs, homelessness, homeownership disparities, housing cost trends, affordable housing preservation, and barriers to housing production including land use policy, construction methods, and development approval processes. Kimberly’s experience also bridges adjacent areas such as workforce development, financial education, and fair lending, often integrating qualitative research with rigorous financial and regulatory analysis to inform public and philanthropic investments.

At Ivory Innovations, we believe that bold leadership is essential to driving real change. Kimberly shares our belief that innovation can – and must – play a central role in sourcing, supporting, and scaling more innovative solutions to address the housing crisis. Her vision, energy, and collaborative spirit will be instrumental as we continue to support entrepreneurs, students, researchers, and many others working at the forefront of this issue.

“I’m honored to join the incredible team at Ivory Innovations,” shared Burnett. “Housing affordability is a critical issue that impacts millions of people across the country. I’m excited to build on the organization’s strong foundation and work with partners nationwide to increase the reach and scale of innovative solutions for housing affordability.”

Abby Ivory said, “We are very excited for Kimberly to join the team and grow our impact at Ivory Innovations as we look to our next chapter. Kimberly is an accomplished leader and I know that she will be an enthusiastic champion for our students, our innovators, our team, and our partners as we enter Ivory Innovations’ eighth year. We are thrilled to have her join us.”

Please join us in welcoming Kimberly to the Ivory Innovations community! We look forward to what we will accomplish together in this new chapter. To get in touch, please email kimberly@ivoryinnovations.org.

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