Bill Kimble is a community leader and visionary who knows how to walk the walk. He is one of the few people who do not take no for an answer. When told he couldn’t do what he wanted, he found a way. Without taking any shortcuts, he educated himself in the industry he loved and got a Master’s Degree in Real Estate. With time, he became a master crafter in his field—an expert in economic development, real estate, and development in general.
Known as the “Real Estate Developer,” he has a vision to help the people in his community thrive and wants to see black people succeed. To do this, he is always ready to take a step further. As the executive director of Neighborhood United, a non-profit specializing in revitalizing distressed census tracks and creating houses for homeless veterans and people with disabilities, he helps revitalize KCMO’s urban core. He has been acquiring vacant homes and rehabilitating them for over 20 years. Till now, he has rebuilt over 200 properties in his community. Bill is incredibly proud of his residential development projects and is eager to teach African Americans how to replicate his success and do it themselves.
When he pitched programs in hopes of getting funding, no one was interested. After being told no so many times, he now fully funds his projects, so he doesn’t need bank loans. His self-funded Workforce Development Program is an example. This clearly proves that black neighborhoods don’t always need outside dollars to improve them. After investing his own money, Bill Kimble launched the program. The state of Missouri liked the program so much that it offered to contribute $50,000 to help continue it. Bill’s accomplishments show he’s doing more than simply talking about the community’s problems.
As a leader, he teaches people about real estate and community development while working alongside them to acquire, rehabilitate, and sell duplexes. Revitalizing KCMO neighborhoods is important to Bill, but he doesn’t limit himself to residential development.
“We have to control our own economics. If I have to do it neighborhood by neighborhood or strip mall by strip mall, that’s what I plan to do.”
Bill is incredibly passionate about helping those who have been incarcerated. Bill wants Black ex-offenders to be able to reintegrate into society and find jobs that allow them to take care of themselves and their families.
His socially conscious mission is centered around improving KCMO’s urban core neighborhoods and helping its residents. Community development is essential, as is economic development in any city, especially the urban core. He wants black residents to understand that they would reap these profits if they pooled their resources and created neighborhood businesses.
“What if we [African-Americans] pooled our resources together?”
Bill is proud of his accomplishments but wants people to look beyond them and see opportunities.
“I want to give our people hope, but I also want to show them that if we work together, we can do the very things we’ve been asking other people to do for us.”
For more on Bill Kimble, go to www.neighborhoodsu.org
I’m so happy to see this article. Mr. Kimble is should be a symbol of a really hard working and determined to see his vision all the way through. I got to know this man when he was talking and asking a lot of questions on how to get started.. people it wasn’t easy for him, he did take short cuts. He grinded everyday. He’s the rose that spreading throughout out this concrete garden. I so proud of you bro.. Les Jr.