David Persky

Senior Associate

David shares his time as a Senior Associate between Community Initiatives and the Institute of People, Place and Possibility (IP3). David's passion for building thriving communities has been shaped by his background in performing arts, politics, and organization development. His experience in the performing arts—working as an executive director, producer, and booking agent with local artists—built a deep practice of collaboration, the amplification of diverse voices, and the creation of spaces for meaningful connection. In addition, David’s combined experience in politics and organizational development brings together the tools to facilitate collaborative processes and grow sustainable change. Driven by his belief in the power of collective action, David is developing a framework centered on cultivating belonging and civic muscle that empowers communities to co-create multisolving solutions for thriving together. Prior to CI, he spent eight years at the Social Impact Exchange, designing and managing cross-sector affinity groups on health, education, finance, and field-building. He has led learning sessions for hundreds of philanthropic and nonprofit leaders on a range of topics including systems mapping, narrative change, and movement building. Originally from Chicago, David now calls Brooklyn home.