Cecily King

Cecily King is an Associate Professor of Professional Practice at Columbia GSAPP where she teaches courses on real estate development, community and economic development, and urban revitalization strategy.

Cecily is the founder of Kipling Development, a real estate development and consulting firm committed to inclusive and transformative development projects that create housing equity and access in major US urban centers. Since 2015, the majority of her work has been centered in Detroit, MI.

Throughout her real estate career, Cecily has held roles in the public, private, and non-profit sectors that have given her a diverse perspective of the deal table. Leadership roles have included serving as a Development Director for the City of Detroit’s Housing & Revitalization Department and the executive director for a Detroit community development corporation. Her professional focus is leveraging real estate as a tool in the social and economic repair and growth of communities of color. She specializes in public private partnerships, real estate finance, community redevelopment strategies, and real estate entrepreneurship.

Cecily holds an MS in Real Estate Development from Columbia University, an MEng in Structural Engineering from Lehigh University, and a BSE in Civil & Environmental Engineering from Princeton University. She serves on several boards and advisory councils including the Association of Black Princeton Alumni, the GSAPP Alumni Board, and is a member of ULI.