Tom Borrup has made a career out of seeing potential. As current principal and consultant with Creative Community Builders, he specializes in cultural district and cultural planning. He helps communities across the country make the most of their cultural assets, working with cities, foundations, and nonprofits to initiate community revitalization and change. 

Tom Borrup

As Faculty Director for the Arts and Cultural Leadership program, he uses that same vision and insight to ensure that the ACL curriculum addresses industry needs. He helps students connect to professionals and organizations and to make the most of their own gifts and passions. 

Active in the local arts and culture scene for decades, Borrup believes that “the ACL program builds on strengths that make the Twin Cities' cultural, nonprofit, and philanthropic communities the envy of the nation."

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The degree, he adds, is a perfect fit for someone "who sees potential and wants to make a difference in the world through their leadership in arts and culture.” 

He holds a PhD in Leadership and Change from Antioch University. His doctoral research and dissertation addressed the role of organizational and social networks in the planning and ongoing management of cultural districts.