Kesi Milligan is a seasoned real estate professional and community developer with nearly two decades of experience spanning insurance, residential real estate, and civic engagement. Her career began in 2004 at Newsome Realty Co., one of Kansas City’s first Black-owned brokerages, and later evolved into founding K Realty, LLC. One of her proudest achievements was spearheading the development of Blue Hills-Kissick “Pocket” Park, a grassroots project that secured thousands in funding and transformed a vacant lot into a vibrant community space. This success, along with her leadership as Vice President of the Blue Hills Neighborhood Association and her work as a Small Business Lender, reflects her deep commitment to empowering underserved communities through tangible, place-based impact.

In 2022, a pivotal moment at a local bank symposium revealed the systemic barriers facing small, residential-focused developers—particularly the lack of commercial assets needed to secure funding. That realization, coupled with the absence of visible Black commercial brokers in her network, inspired Kesi to launch Community Neighbors Realty, Inc. in Spring 2023. Her firm is a minority-owned, commercial-focused brokerage designed to increase representation and ownership opportunities for people of color. Backed by a Bachelor of Arts in Urban Studies from UMKC and a certificate from the Urban Land Institute’s REDI program, Kesi brings both academic insight and lived experience to the commercial real estate space.

Through Community Neighbors Realty, Inc., Kesi plans to partner with neighborhood associations, residents, and mission-driven organizations to expand access to commercial real estate. Her approach is culturally sensitive, equity-driven, and rooted in the belief that “knowledge is key.” By educating and empowering communities to participate in commercial development, she aims to close the ownership gap, foster economic resilience, and create spaces that reflect the people who live, work, and thrive there.