Amy Kisch, Founder + CEO

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Amy Kisch is a curator, strategist, and cultural producer whose work spans the arts, philanthropy, and social impact. With over three decades of experience advising institutions, foundations, companies, and civic organizations, she specializes in leveraging creative and human-centered systems to drive cultural relevance, deepen public engagement, and advance social impact. Trained as a social worker and grounded in systems thinking, she brings an interdisciplinary approach that combines strategic visioning, program development, organizational design, and cross-sector partnership building.

 

Through AKArt Advisory, she advises museums, cultural organizations, philanthropic initiatives, startups, and global brands to design innovative programs, develop long-term strategy, and activate high-impact initiatives. Her clients rely on her for expertise in narrative strategy, community engagement, stakeholder alignment, and translating complex ideas into accessible, actionable frameworks. She has advised cultural, philanthropic, and government entities including the Waverley Street Foundation, San Francisco's Office of Civic Engagement and Immigrant Affairs, and the Consulate General of Switzerland, with collaborations extending to organizations including For Freedoms, Artadia, UC Berkeley, CCA, Headlands Center for the Arts, and Black (Space) Residency, among others.

 

Earlier in her career, Kisch ran Sotheby's Preferred global VIP program for the auction house's top clients — including the Museum Programme, Art Fair Programme, and The Economist series — in cities such as New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, London, Paris, and Hong Kong. Within the company, she worked to win business from major private, institutional, corporate, and museum clients. During that time she developed a deep understanding of the global art market, luxury ecosystems, and collector engagement — contributing to strategies bridging cultural content, market intelligence, and client development — that continues to inform her work at the intersection of culture, capital, and global networks.

 

Kisch is the founder of Collect For Change™ — a platform connecting artists and collectors with philanthropic causes — and Founder + Artistic Director of Art+Action, the nationwide coalition that launched Come to Your Census, a national arts-driven civic campaign that mobilized communities around the 2020 U.S. Census to counter census suppression. The initiative won support from the Ford Foundation to activate extensive networks — including government agencies, private sector groups, institutions, and grassroots partners — and drive participation and equity on a national scale.

 

Previously, as Head of Art + Public Programs at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts (YBCA), Kisch oversaw the institution's most ambitious multidisciplinary triennial, revitalized its film and public art programs, and led exhibitions, performances, commissions, and civic initiatives engaging communities across the Bay Area. At the Institute of Contemporary Art San Francisco (ICA SF), she designed and launched their first teen program centered on equity, youth leadership, and creative practice — reflecting her lasting commitment to nurturing future cultural ecosystems.

 

Across her career, Kisch has been committed to democratizing public access to the arts, expanding visibility and opportunity for artists as trusted messengers and cultural anchors, and building inclusive creative ecosystems that sustain lasting cultural change. At the core of her work is a belief in creativity as a vital tool for building more equitable, imaginative, and interconnected futures.