Brandon Kielbasa

A job:

A position within an organization which focuses on the issues of tenants' rights and affordable housing. Ideally I would like stay in the New York City area, but I am also open to positions in other locations as well.

Last updated: November 26, 2012, 8:18 PM  

I come from a working-class family which has pulled itself up from numerous troubling circumstances. This has made us strong.

I grew up in the blue-collar suburbs of Detroit, Michigan. My neighborhood, like most in Detroit, was extremely homogenous. In Detroit folks tend to "keep to their own." Early in my adult life I bought a condo in Harper Woods, a "changing" first-ring suburb of Detroit. I became a board member for my condo association and was sometimes uncomfortable at the board meetings as board members alluded to this "changing" with derogatory undertones. I began to confront them on their views and I believe these dialogues proactively challenged views.

I later decided to change careers from the field of industrial design to something I felt more aligned with: housing and social justice. I am now ten years into my new career and proud to be making a difference everyday with the work I do.

To creating social change through community organizing. I believe it is essential for the people themselves to be engaged in solving their problems and for them to gain strength & knowledge by doing so. I believe in empowering individuals and communities.