Michelle Kennedy is a Vice President with U.S. Bank’s Impact Finance group, working as the Access to Capital Director for Affordable Housing. Prior to joining US Bank in April 2022, Michelle worked for more than 20 years in Commercial Real Estate Finance, with an emphasis on construction lending. Her experience includes providing construction and permanent debt for affordable housing as well as market-rate multifamily housing, shopping centers, office buildings, parking garages, and student housing.

In addition to her career in Real Estate Finance, Ms. Kennedy is actively involved in Chicago’s Arts & Culture scene. In 2017 she founded the Chicago South Side Film Festival and served as its Executive Director and Producer until 2022. Michelle is also an Executive Producer of the “Shame of Chicago” documentary film series which explores the role of contract lending, redlining, and exclusionary covenants on Chicago’s ongoing racial wealth gap.

Michelle graduated from the University of Wisconsin at Madison with a BS in International Agriculture and Natural Resources in 1995 and studied abroad at the University of the West Indies during her senior year. In 1997, Ms. Kennedy completed a Master’s Degree in City and Regional Planning degree at Rutgers University. During her time at Rutgers, she was an intern with Prudential Real Estate Investors.