Kirby Smith

Kirby joined Civic Consuling Alliance as a Civic Fellow in the summer of 2011 while completing a dual MBA/MPP at the Stephen M. Ross School of Business and the Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy at the University of Michigan.  At Michigan, she focuses on the intersections of the private and public sectors in economic development and social investing.  At Civic Consulting, Kirby worked on a number of projects, including an evaluation of performance metrics for community development grants through the Office of Budget and Management.

Prior to her graduate studies, Kirby helped academic and cultural heritage institutions develop financially sustainable business models in her role as a Senior Analyst and Assistant Manager for Consulting at ITHAKA, a nonprofit that advances the use of digital technology in higher education and scholarly communication. She also worked on a campaign to use social media to organize advocates for public education from across the country, and taught middle school English at the American School of Sao Paulo, Brazil. Kirby holds a B.A. in English from Yale University.