Research by Kelly Mitchell, Bell Policy Center Fellow 2023-24

Kelly Mitchell grew up a short distance from Denver’s Five Points neighborhood, and as a Black female felt a connection to its rich history and called to teach and lift up the young people who grew up in and around Five Points. She has been a classroom teacher, high school administrator, and state-level employee. The higher she ascended in the system, the more apparent it was to her that it was broken in ways that were a disservice to people that look like her. The systems were failing marginalized people in foundational ways. For this reason, and to make the world a better place for her daughter, Hazel, she is working to tell the story of communities and their beauty. Kelly has a bachelor’s degree in statistics from Colorado State University, a master’s degree in curriculum and instruction from the University of Denver. She is pursuing her doctorate at University of Colorado at Boulder, and is Founder and Principal Consultant of Inclusive Design Group.