Kwelin Pipkin

Senior Program Manager, AIR Opportunity Fund

Kwelin Pipkin is senior program manager with the AIR Opportunity Fund. Pipkin works to combine research and technical assistance with real-world applications, leading the Opportunity Fund's work in the interconnected areas of workforce development, community health and well-being. Additionally, she leads the AIR Scholars and Leaders Award grant competition, an initiative that expands the diversity of staff who lead research, technical assistance and systems change at AIR.

Prior to joining AIR, Pipkin served as the interim client liaison and project director I for Advocates for Human Potential, a consulting and research firm specializing in Health and Behavioral Health, where she managed workforce development projects, offering expert consultation, training, and coaching to organizations throughout the United States to enhance the behavioral health workforce. 

With over 18 years in local government, Pipkin’s expertise spans federal grant implementation, grants compliance, neighborhood economic development programs, and design thinking principals. In her previous role at the City of Phoenix, Human Services Department, within the Business and Workforce Development Division, she managed Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act programs through ARIZONA@WORK City of Phoenix, focusing on federal workforce programs for individuals facing barriers to work and education. 

Currently, Pipkin also freelances as a coach, providing individual coaching for those who are neurodivergent, including individuals with conditions such as Autism Spectrum Disorder, ADHD, Dyslexia, and Dyspraxia.