M. von Nkosi

President & CEO, Institute for Local Innovations (ILI) and Liquid Studios (LS)

M. von Nkosi has been a community development and redevelopment practitioner since the early 1990s. He is president of the Institute for Local Innovations (ILI) and Liquid Studios (LS), fostering community and collaboration by supporting local-based efforts that help communities optimize their potential.

Nkosi’s experience in and knowledge of community development, urban design, Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED), architecture, mobileOS and WebOS platform design, artificial intelligence, philanthropy, and academic research has not only advanced innovative growth strategies but also significantly impacted the metro Atlanta region and New Orleans. His implementation planning for the MLK Historic District in Atlanta, used by the local CDC in collaboration with NationsBank (Bank of America), transformed it into a sustainable community, inspiring hope and optimism.

In post-Katrina New Orleans, von directed $30MM of Disaster CDBG funds into a soft second housing program, funds to boost housing production. In 2008, he organized a 35-person exchange between Japanese Representatives and New Orleans Leaders. In April 2009, he was a New Orleans delegate visiting Tokyo to share experiences on disaster recovery. In 2017, von began working with NASA GSFC to help move their patented technology into the marketplace. In 2024, ILI was a NASA Catalyst Prize winner. He is a Duke University/University of Cape Town ELP Fellow and a dedicated, accomplished leader and entrepreneur.

His career helped optimize Smart Growth Strategies through his expertise in housing, land use policy, public/private development, public health, strategic planning, safety, mobileOS and webOS design, equity issues, and civil society.