Lynn Ross

Lynn M. Ross is a globally recognized urbanist and the founder of Spirit for Change Consulting, LLC. Her practice is rooted in the deep belief that everyone deserves a place to thrive and that the most effective practices for creating and sustaining just places are those that are co-created, centered in lived expertise, and equitable by design.

Through Spirit for Change, Lynn works nationally and across sectors to lead transformative engagements that ensure a future where we can all thrive together. Recent engagements include designing and facilitating a multi-cohort community of practice for arts, culture, and preservation leaders; leading an initiative to reimagine the federal role in housing policy; supporting a well-being focused foundation in reimagining their grantmaking approach in healthy housing; and partnering with a mid-sized, legacy city to set a new course for equitable community development.

Prior to founding Spirit for Change in 2017, Lynn held senior leadership roles at Knight Foundation, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, the ULI Terwilliger Center for Housing, National Housing Conference and Center for Housing Policy, and the American Planning Association. She currently serves as the board chair of KABOOM!, a national nonprofit working to end playspace inequity for good.

Lynn previously served as a member of the Next City Board of Directors, the National Academy of Medicine’s Culture of Health Program Advisory Board, and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences Civic Infrastructure Working Group. She holds degrees in city planning from Iowa State University and Cornell University, where she has also served as a visiting lecturer.