Kelly Kost

Biography: Kelly Kost Retail Strategist Kelly Kost teamed up with one of the U.S.’s foremost retail experts—Midge McCauley, founder of Downtown Works—in 2008; they work hand in hand on retail projects, from conducting studies to strategy development, implementation, and retail advocate training. Kost also works with operators, both individually and via workshops, on store branding, presentation and display. Downtown Works conducts studies and creates retail strategies for downtowns districts and for mixed-use developments. The team follows its work through to implementation, often by identifying and training retail advocates to steward the strategies it develops. Recognized as a national leader in transforming urban retail, Downtown Works has carried out projects in downtowns as diverse as Seattle WA, Oklahoma City OK, Coral Gables FL, Columbia SC, and Detroit MI. The firm has developed tailored plans for enhancing the mix of shops, restaurants, and personal services for a given district, and implemented these plans by launching sustainable recruitment programs that get results. Downtown Works has also worked with numerous developers, helping ensure the retail aspect of a given project realizes its highest potential. Current and recent clients include the City of Bellingham, the University of Washington, developers Urban Villages and Wright Runstad, George Washington University, and the Nashville Downtown Partnership. Prior to joining Downtown Works, Kost spent a dozen years as an entrepreneur in retail and restaurant environments, learning how to launch and run stores, and earning regional and national acclaim for creating distinctive, enjoyable experiences for customers. Kost also spent seven years supporting the growth of a $400 million philanthropic organization that promoted invention-led economic and social advancement in the U.S. and developing countries. Kost helped The Lemelson Foundation develop as it grew from two to 12 employees, conducting re