Luther Snow

Luther K. Snow has over 35 years of experience enabling groups of people to get things done together, for the common good.

Luther is known nationally as the creator of Asset Mapping, the in-person method for positive group collaboration that has gone “viral” and spread to over 2.5 million users across the US, Canada, and places overseas.

Snow has published three best-selling books, including

• The Power of Asset Mapping: How Your Congregation Can Act on Its Gifts;
• The Organization of Hope:  A Workbook for Rural Asset-Based Community Development, and
• Community Transformation: Turning Threats into Opportunities.

Luther’s success is based on an ability to draw out the “genius of community” from grassroots involvement in any context.  He’s

• managed innovative community and economic development efforts in the inner city;
• worked in small towns and rural communities to help lead a positive shift in rural development practice nationally;
• developed collaborative strategies for grantmakers, universities, governments, corporations, youth agencies, and social enterprises;
• trained the national staff of six major religious denominations and sparked new and successful ministry in a wide range of congregations and faith-based organizations.

In all, Luther has discerned and developed over 50 innovative tools for positive action.

Because of his fun, engaging, and interactive approach, Snow is in demand as a presenter, trainer, and facilitator.  Using a mix of relevant examples, big ideas, and facilitated experience, he helps participants gain practical leadership skills as they take immediate action. In just the past few years, Luther has been engaged to train and facilitate over 25,000 people.

Luther’s life story is itself an example of open-sum dynamics.  He grew up in Chicago and got started in grassroots organizing at the age of 18.  After earning a BA from Harvard and an MBA from the University of Chicago, Luther turned down lucrative public and private-sector opportunities and instead went to work for an inner-city, faith-based community development corporation.  He went on to be elected Executive Director of one of the nation’s largest community economic development coalitions by the grassroots membership of people of color.  Moving to rural Iowa in the early 90’s, Luther created a Positive Rural Development approach that has been widely applied and emulated.  He started his own successful independent consulting practice with projects all over the United States and Canada.  He currently lives in Decorah, Iowa with his wife and two sons.

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