Kisha Payton

2005-2007 Fellow

Kisha received her B.A. in English from Spelman College and her J.D. from Duke University School of Law. At Spelman, she was founder and president of the Atlanta University Center Council of Students. At Duke Law, Kisha was a member of the President’s Council on Black Affairs and the Young Alumni Board, vice president of the Black Graduate and Professional Student Association, and a student attorney in the Children’s Education Law Clinic. As the Endowment’s inaugural fellow, Kisha helped develop the structure, policies and recruitment strategy for the program. In the Higher Education program area, she worked on special projects with the executive vice president of Johnson C. Smith University. In the Rural Church program area, she planned and led a two-day conference for Hispanic/Latino clergy and laity. Kisha also served as co-chair for the Emerging Leaders Working Group of the North Carolina Network of Grantmakers. After her Fellowship, Kisha became National Partnerships Manager at Citizen Schools in Boston, a national after-school program connecting adult volunteers with middle school students. She then transitioned into a role as National Social Media Manager at Citizen Schools, where she was responsible for creating the organization’s online brand by building and managing its social networking accounts, launching an online community for volunteers and implementing a student networking program. Kisha is currently Vice President, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at C Space, a consulting agency that helps companies better understand their customers.