Andrew Kalish - Director of Cultural Development, Downtown Brooklyn Partnership & Co-Author, Culture Forward (USA)

Andrew joined the Downtown Brooklyn Partnership in 2014 as its first Director of Cultural Development.  

Tasked with realizing the long planned Brooklyn Cultural District and thinking more broadly about developing a cultural identity for the area, Andrew’s role is to position Downtown Brooklyn as a world class cultural destination while utilizing the area’s deeply rooted cultural groups as a lever for economic development.  He is a co-author of Culture Forward a groundbreaking plan to leverage market forces and build multi-faceted coalitions to secure and enhance the area’s cultural future. 

Prior to the Downtown Brooklyn Partnership, Andrew served as the Director of Strategy and Business Development at Lincoln Center where he focused on evolving Lincoln Center’s economic model.  Much of his time was devoted to forming strategic partnerships with corporations and non-profits alike and optimizing the 50 year-old centers various business units.  Through this role, Andrew was responsible for several innovative partnerships including developing omni-channel retail partnerships, attracting , and positioning Lincoln Center as a luxury good to secure both media and product partnerships.  Andrew also oversaw the operations of Lincoln Center’s parking garage, the build out and subsequent operation of its destination restaurant, Lincoln and worked closely with Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week to insure its residency at Lincoln Center was a success. 

Before Lincoln Center, Andrew worked at Edelman, the world’s largest Public Relations and Communications firm, and Rubenstein, one of New York City’s most prolific communications shops.  He has worked with a range of clients in a variety of industries including The McGraw-Hill Companies, ITT Tishman Speyer, the Tribeca Film Festival and Paramount Films.  

In his spare time Andrew enjoys hiking, yoga, the beach and soccer (he is a recovering baseball player). Andrew received his BA in Political Science from Muhlenberg College and will receive his MBA from NYU Stern in the fall.