About Ken Kolb, PhD

Ever since returning from the Peace Corps to finish his PhD in Sociology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Dr. Ken Kolb, PhD has spent the past 20 years conducting community-based research.

He analyzes social problems with the goal of proposing practical solutions that harness readily available resources. Kolb seeks to empower the people he studies by providing them with the data they need to convince policymakers to take their complaints seriously, by conducting in-depth interviews and spending time with neighborhood groups.

Building on two decades of community-based research, Kolb provides tailored consulting services that help organizations, municipalities, and nonprofits turn data into action. From concise, accessible policy briefs to interactive maps, visualizations, and comprehensive reports with in-depth geographic analysis, his work provides communities with the tools they need to tell their story, advocate for change, and shape equitable, evidence-based solutions that inspire meaningful policy decisions..

Kolb is an expert on social inequality, community development, and pragmatic solutions to persistent social problems. He is currently a professor and chair of sociology at Furman University in Greenville, SC.

Ken is passionate about engaging in meaningful, fact-based research that informs smart and equitable policy decisions.