Jim Kumon

Executive Director
Incremental Development Alliance
Minneapolis, MN

Jim Kumon is an urban designer and small developer based in Minneapolis with diverse background working in the design, transportation and real estate industries. He began his career in construction management and architecture, learning how to deliver multi-family, mixed use and institutional buildings in Michigan, California, and Colorado. Jim transitioned to the non-profit sector in 2013 to follow his long term professional and volunteer interests encouraging economically viable, human scaled communities. As a non profit executive, he has worked to bridge the knowledge gap on how the built environment and economic development interests work together neighborhood and city scales. The overwhelming need for information on how to formulate real estate projects under 10,000 sf to serve neighborhood scale demands led him to form Incremental Development Alliance.

As co-founder and Executive Director, Jim facilitates a national faculty presenting training classes how to develop 1-3 story buildings to individuals in the public, private and non profit sectors. He also leads in-depth project work providing coaching guidance to cities and community organizations across the country who are trying to reform their regulatory environment and improve access to financial resources. Jim speaks around the country to state and local government agencies, as well as business and advocacy groups on real estate, economic development and public infrastructure. Born and raised in southeastern Michigan, he is alumnus of the University of Michigan with a degree in Architecture.