Earl Kessler has been engaged in the design and development of shelter and urban programs since 1965 when he began his career in international development as a Peace Corps volunteer in Colombia.

He earned a master of architecture degree in the Planning for Developing Countries Program at Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

He has worked on urban strategies for the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and USAID; and with the USAIDShelter Team in Haiti, as well as inclusive urban development work in India with the ADB.