The Kiki and ballroom scene, built by Black and brown LGBTQ+ youth of color in New York City, has been creating art, designing fashion, performing, and building community for over 20 years.

Meet Colby King 👋 He’s the founder of Kiki Arts Collaborative, an economic development platform turning ballroom artistry into sustainable careers in arts, culture, and media through creative mentorship, job training, and internship placement. In 2025, that work earned Colby the David Prize, one of five awarded annually to the most luminary nonprofits in New York City.

In this episode, you'll hear:

Colby’s personal story and journey to the work he is doing today through KAC
Why celebration, not charity, is the storytelling strategy at the heart of KAC's work, and what nonprofit leaders can apply to their own work
What it looks like to build with a community instead of for it and why that distinction is at the root of everything Kiki Arts Collaborative does

You'll walk away questioning the scarcity mindset the sector trained into all of us. You'll also be empowered with a sharper sense of how to tell stories that restore dignity instead of trading on need. 🩵

Episode Highlights:

Meet Colby King and Kiki Arts Collaborative (00:44)
From Dallas pews to Columbia: the origin story (02:06)
The mission: lowering the barrier to creative careers (05:38)
"Seeing my art as art": the Inspiration Point exhibit (08:01)
Charity vs. celebration: reframing the impact story (09:59)
The mom who gave away her bed: generosity that stuck (11:48)
One Good Thing: "take care of your blessings" (14:04)
How to connect and what KAC needs now (15:43)

Episode Show Notes: www.weareforgood.com/episode/720

Series Hub: https://www.weareforgood.com/hopegap

//

Join the We Are For Good Community—completely free.
Join fellow changemakers, share takeaways from this working session, and keep collaborating in a space built for connection, inspiration, and real impact: www.weareforgoodcommunity.com

Say hi 👋
LinkedIn / Instagram / Facebook / YouTube / Twitter

720. Stories to Fill The Hope Gap: Why Celebration Is the Story That Changes Everything - Colby King, Kiki Arts Collaborative

We Are For Good Podcast - The Podcast for Nonprofits

720. Stories to Fill The Hope Gap: Why Celebration Is the Story That Changes Everything - Colby King, Kiki Arts Collaborative