KPS Strategies | KPS Strategies

Building Bridges For Communities. Driving Change. Co-Creating an Equitable Future.

Who We Are

KPS Strategies is a public interest consulting practice that builds bridges between communities, government, philanthropy and the private sector to co-create a more equitable future for all of us. Founded in 2018 by veterans of many worlds – nonprofit, government, philanthropy and legal – Kavita Pawria-Sanchez and Siddhartha Sanchez bring nearly 50 years of community-centered experience, wisdom and relationships across every sector in New York City. A NYC-Certified MWBE firm with a bespoke approach to every project, we leverage legal and policy depth, political savvy, business acumen, cultural fluency, data analytics, strategic communication, and a nuanced understanding of city dynamics to consistently achieve meaningful results. We work at the intersection of issues ranging from immigration, environmental, health, housing, economic development and civic engagement to corporate social responsibility. A team of dreamers and changemakers, our portfolio includes community engagement, public education campaign development, program design, grantmaking, communications, research, evaluation, organizational development, coaching, all with a focus on lifting up the needs of marginalized communities.

What We Do

Our work is grounded in our team’s collective resume which features roles such as Executive Director, Assistant Commissioner, Lawyer, Urban Planner, Community Organizer, Congressional Staffer, Business Developer, Campaign Developer, Researcher, Writer, Strategic Planner, and more. As such, we offer a range of tailored services, including:

PROGRAM DESIGN, LAUNCH &
EVALUATION

Community-Centered Program Design and Management: Design, Implementation and Evaluation for New and Current Programs.

Comprehensive Grant Making Services: Strategic Design, Implementation, and Oversight.

Research, Evaluation & Data Analytics: Generating Actionable Insights Through Data & Research.

Strategic Communications &
Engagement

Community Engagement & Outreach: Designing And Implementing Culturally Competent Outreach Strategies To Engage Diverse Communities.

Facilitation Of Community Dialogues, Trainings And Focus Groups: Creating Safe And Inclusive Spaces For Community Members To Inform Decision-Making.

Campaign Strategy: Developing & Implementing Effective Public Education Campaigns.

ORGANIZATIONAL DEVELOPMENT & LEADERSHIP

Strategic Change And Crisis Management: Guiding Organizations Through Change And Crisis To Build Resilience.

Leadership And Organizational Coaching: Enhancing Organizational Culture And Leadership Effectiveness Through Tailored Coaching And Development Programs.

Financial And Strategic Planning: Financial Planning And Strategic Visioning To Drive Purposeful And Sustainable Growth.

Our Impact

2M New Yorkers Reached Through Public Education Campaigns

$60M in Grants Programs Designed & Funded for Communities

$750M+ in Negotiated Public and Private Contracts

850+ Ecosystem of NYC Non-Profits & Institutional Stakeholders

Advised on 160+ NYC Policies & Legislative Bills

Launched 100+ New Community Programs

Conducted 40+ Public Education Campaigns

Engaged 120+ City, State & Federal Agencies

Written 120+ Policy Research Briefs

Conducted 100+ Strategic Planning Sessions

Organized 375+ Coalitions, Convenings & Focus Groups

Our Clients

We work at the intersection of nearly every sector: nonprofit, city and state government, philanthropic, ethical economic developers, and civic and academic institutions.

Our current and past partners include:

Our Team

Kavita Pawria-Sanchez

is a seasoned change-maker and civil rights lawyer with over 25 years of experience across government, non-profit, philanthropic and private spheres. Passionate about creating socially conscious, practical results, Kavita’s track record includes: designing $100M in innovative social programs, pioneering immigrant services as Assistant Commissioner at the NYC Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs, conceptualizing the nation’s largest Census awareness campaign and grantmaking program, founding a community-based organization, conducting citywide and organizational crisis management, building coalitions across diverse stakeholders, organizing policy campaigns, and coaching individuals and organizations. She holds a B.S. in Public Policy from Cornell University and a J.D. from the City University of New York School of Law.

Siddhartha Sanchez

has dedicated over two decades to serving the South Bronx and other historically disinvested communities. Siddhartha moves seamlessly among diverse stakeholders to create lasting change for communities he is deeply committed to. Having seeded his career at Congressmember Jose Serrano’s office, Siddhartha has served as advisor to an international philanthropic foundation, Interim Executive Director of the Bronx Cooperative Development Institute, advisor on community economic development strategies for infrastructure projects from NYC to Puerto Rico, and organized community development activations of public spaces in the South Bronx. Currently, Siddhartha also serves as Executive Director of the Bronx River Alliance. He holds a B.A. in International Development from Brown University and was born and raised in Washington Heights.

Ben Parisi

A versatile strategist, researcher and data expert, Ben Parisi started his career as a community organizer in DC and has since helped to launch and lead major successful initiatives, including the NYC Census 2020 Complete Count Fund and the United Way of NYC's Health Equity programs. Ben is a generalist, facilitator, and connector who is equally at home developing the evaluation framework for a $100M+ USAID Syria response program, running focus groups to develop curricula for NYC Public Schools, and programming a grantee reporting system that provides policymakers with actionable insights into large-scale service provision. Ben is drawn to both innovating and making real impact for the social good, and colleagues turn to him for a rare ability to deploy technical problem-solving alongside a high level vision of new approaches. Ben studied philosophy at Columbia University.

Rose DeStefano

works with leaders and organizations to build sustainable futures for structurally impacted communities. With 20+ years of experience in strategic facilitation, community organizing, social entrepreneurship and somatic coaching, Rose has worked across sectors to build communities, strengthen teams, and bring big visions to life. She is Green MBA-certified from Dominican University of California, and holds certifications in Systemic Leadership and DEI from the Center for Systemic Leadership and eCornell, respectively.

Amit Bagga

is a Strategic Partner of KPS Strategies and Principal of Public Progress (PPS), a NYC-based campaign strategy, fundraising, and public affairs firm. Amit is a 20-year veteran of federal, city, and state government, as well as dozens of campaigns. In 2024, PPS worked with the Democracy Alliance to raise $11.2 million for Battleground NY, which flipped 4 seats back to the Democrats after 2022 losses. PPS was the primary South Asian cultural consultant to the Great Elephant Migration, NYC's largest public art exhibit in 20 years, and worked on several healthcare and education legislative efforts. In addition to serving as a congressional aide and Deputy Secretary for Intergovernmental Affairs for Governor Kathy Hochul, Amit ran NYC's 2020 Census campaign, an unprecedented $40 million effort that resulted in the safeguarding of a congressional seat, the addition of 3 new state legislative seats to NYC, and the city's best census in decades - all in the middle of the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. Amit wrote and implemented first-of-their kind labor laws in NYC, including Paid Sick Leave and the nation's first law to protect freelancers from non-payment. A New York City native, Amit has worked closely with labor and advocacy groups from across the spectrum, from the Working Families Party to 1199SEIU, 32BJ, and NYSNA, as well as groups such as the New York Immigration Coalition, Make the Road-NY, and many others. Amit holds a B.A. from McGill University, where he studied International Development and South Asian Studies.

Paul Lipson

is a Strategic Partner of KPS Strategies and the Founder and Principal of Barretto Bay Strategies - an urban solutions consulting firm that provides strategic advising to community development organizations, anchor institutions, and public agencies in the areas of economic development, clean energy, transportation, food manufacturing and community planning. The firm specializes in projects positioned at the interface of public policy and market development in these spaces. Prior to founding Barretto Bay, Paul founded The POINT CDC in the Bronx and served for seven years as Chief of Staff to Congressman Jose E. Serrano (NY-16), an 11-term Democrat and senior appropriator from The Bronx, NY.