Kierra Sims brings over a decade of experience as an organizer in the U.S. South and central Appalachia, focusing on the school to prison pipeline, introducing restorative practices to young people, and creating a just transition away from a coal dependent economy. She is a facilitator, movement builder, and educator that is dedicated to moving resources to radical, imaginative ideas. She thrives off of creating space for people to share, connect, and build together.

In 2017, Kierra travelled to Nepal, Jordan, and Chile, as Trustees Fellow with IHP Human Rights, where she learned from folks building and embodying solidarity economy principles as a form of resistance and an offering of love to the land and their ancestors. From 2014-2017, she served on the Education Team at Highlander Research and Education Center where she played an anchoring role in both the Appalachian Transition Fellowship and the Seeds of Fire program. She is a member of Alternate ROOTS and serves on the advisory board of Power U Center for Social Change. Kierra earned a Bachelor’s degree in Religion from Wofford College while studying the role of the church in social movements.