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Garry Gilliam
Founder of The BridgeAfter playing in the NFL for five seasons, Garry has embarked on his next chapter with the launch of The Bridge Eco-Village, a breakthrough mixed-use development in his hometown of Harrisburg that will provide people of color and other marginalized folks a place to work, eat, live, learn and play.
The Bridge offers people who are facing the adversity caused by systemic oppression and racism marginalized an opportunity to persevere.
Adriana Abizadeh
Executive Director of Kensington Corridor TrustThe Kensington Corridor Trust (KCT) fosters the equitable economic revitalization of a commercial corridor and its surrounding neighborhood through local partnerships, strategic programming, and an innovative approach to moving real estate assets out of the speculative private market. Leveraging patient, flexible capital and a long-term trust vehicle, the KCT de-commodifies real estate assets and transition them to neighborhood control. This pioneering model of neighborhood ownership, governance and local economic development has the potential to keep control within the neighborhood and ensure long-term affordability. The KCT introduces neighborhood-based property control for long-term, equitable revitalization of a key commercial corridor.
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Ameen Akbar
Philadelphia Youth BasketballPYB leverages the game of basketball to enable young people—especially those from under-resourced communities—to develop their potential as students, athletes, and positive leaders.
Schnearia Ashley
Senior Vice President & CRA Community Development Manager at TruistSchnearia Ashley is the Senior Vice President & CRA Community Development Manager for Truist Financial Corporation. She oversees community development in the states of Pennsylvania and New Jersey. She is responsible for developing strategies and designing programs in support of Truist's Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) goals. Ms. Ashley started her career as a bank teller in 2006 and was promoted eight times to various positions within the bank - Credit, Business Development and Retail Leadership. Her past success and experience have assisted her in her current role. Ms. Ashley is passionate about coordinating qualified community development services for local organizations.
She serves on the Truist Foundation Local Advisory Committee for PA and NJ. She also serves as Vice President of the Housing Alliance of Pennsylvania Board of Directors, a member of the African American Chamber of Commerce New Jersey Foundation Board of Directors and a Chosen 300 Board Member.
Alicia Atkinson
Federal Reserve Bank of PhiladelphiaAlicia Atkinson is passionate systems-thinker, life-long learner, researcher, and advocate for racial and economic justice. Her experience in policy, research, and design thinking, has propelled her to seek collaboration across disciplines with a goal of building more inclusive and equitable systems. She is currently supporting multiple projects as an independent consultant. In the past she has held roles at the United Way of Greater Philadelphia as the Managing Director of Financial Empowerment, Innovation Lab Director at The Prosperity Agenda, and Policy Analyst at Prosperity Now. Alicia is a graduate of the Heller School, where she contributed to research focused on the racial wealth gap. She has recently become a 200-hour certified yoga instructor and lives in West Philly with her dog, Brown Bear.
Caroline Aung
Neighborhood Planning and Development Associate at Philadelphia Chinatown Development CorporationCaroline Aung is a Neighborhood Planning and Development Associate at the Philadelphia Chinatown Development Corporation (PCDC), where she manages the organization’s planning and community development projects. Before joining PCDC, she worked primarily in public health settings focused on addressing racial health inequities. She has a BA in Anthropology from Stanford University and an MS in City Design and Social Science from the London School of Economics and Political Science.
Verónica Ayala Flores
Program Manager at Citizens Planning Institute, Philadelphia City Planning CommissionVerónica firmly believes in everyone's ability to participate in a greater conversation; one that affects the way we live, and the pursuit to improve it. For years, in both volunteer and professional capacities, she has been facilitating collaborations, organizing, and developing strategies, leading creative initiatives, and building the skills of leaders to advance social transformation. She currently serves as Program Manager for the Citizens Planning Institute.
Previously to the CPI, Verónica worked at Philadelphia LISC, where she facilitated the Community Connectors program and the co-facilitated the Experience Eastern North tour program.
Alexander Balloon
Executive Director of Passyunk Avenue Revitalization Corporation
Sari Bernstein
Staff Attorney at The Public Interest Law CenterSari Bernstein joined the Law Center in 2021 as a staff attorney and focuses her practice on housing and environmental justice.
Prior to joining the Law Center, Ms. Bernstein was a housing staff attorney in the civil division of The Legal Aid Society in New York City. There, she defended tenants facing eviction in Housing Court, pursuing counterclaims when landlords failed to provide habitable housing and for overcharges. She also filed a case against one of New York City’s largest landlord-representing law firms for federal consumer protection violations under the Federal Debt Collections Practices Act. In addition, Ms. Bernstein litigated a successful contempt trial against the New York City Housing Authority after the agency repeatedly failed to address outbreaks of mold in public housing, even after being ordered to do so as part of a federal consent decree. Previously, she taught adult literacy classes to individuals re-entering their communities after incarceration at the Fortune Society and worked as an associate at Jacobs & Hazan, LLP, where she represented plaintiffs in police misconduct civil rights cases.
Ms. Bernstein earned a J.D. in 2013 from Brooklyn Law School, where she received the Brooklyn Law School Public Service Award. While in law school, she served as a legal intern for the Hon. Judge Ramon E. Reyes of the Eastern District of New York and for the Brennan Center for Justice. She graduated magna cum laude from the Gallatin School of Individualized Study at NYU.
Cassandra Bolding
Founder of Black Lotus Holistic Health CollectiveCassandra Bolding is a Psychotherapist Program Director, trauma specialist, addiction specialist, and founder of Diaspora Educational Services LLC, Diaspora Within Inc. and Black Lotus Holistic Health Collective. Cassandra brings over 15 years’ stellar experience in supporting the growth and development of refined approaches to treatment of mental health, chemically dependent, and HIV positive populations. Cassandra’s career encompasses the areas of training, leading, and collaborating. Furthermore, she brings an extensive career highlighted in the healthcare industry and has made significant impacts in every aspect of her work
Alexa Bosse
Hinge Collective
Kendra Brooks
Council Member at Large at City of PhiladelphiaKendra Brooks is a Councilmember At-Large from North Philadelphia and the first Working Families Party member ever elected to City Council. She has a background in organizing for social movements, public school advocacy, gun violence prevention, and restorative justice, all of which inform her priorities as an elected official. Some of her recent accomplishments include championing eviction prevention and reforming the rental application and screening process; guaranteeing emergency paid sick time to frontline workers; expanding protections for patients and providers of reproductive care; and protecting neighborhood-led community gardens.
Nicole Bundy
Tenant Services Coordinator at Women's Community Revitalization Project
Donna Carney
Director of Citizens Planning Institute, Philadelphia City Planning CommissionDonna J. Carney is the founding Director of the Philadelphia Citizens Planning Institute, the education and outreach arm of the Philadelphia City Planning Commission. She brings to this role years of project management and design experience as an architect specializing in historic preservation and sustainable design. Her goal is to guide the development of educational tools to empower communities of people within Philadelphia to learn, grow, and improve the quality of their neighborhoods.
Donna is a graduate of Fielding University’s Organization Management & Development program (MA), Columbia University’s Graduate School of Architecture, Planning & Preservation (MS Historic Preservation), New Jersey Institute of Technology College of Architecture & Design (MArch) and Iowa State University's College of Design (BA). She is a Certified Charrette Planner (National Charrette Institute, 2006) and a registered architect in the state of Pennsylvania. She was recognized by the Pennsylvania Chapter of the American Planning Association (APA) with its 2014 “Planning Leadership Award for Professional Planner”. Her position as Director became institutionalized within the City Planning Commission in 2015.
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Tempest Carter
City of Philadelphia Department of Commerce
Elijah Davis
Research Fellow at Nowak Metro Finance Lab Drexel UniversityA native of Mobile, AL, Elijah is a community economic development practitioner. He joins the Lab after five years at Urban Impact, the community development agency for the Birmingham Civil Rights National Monument District and Historic Fourth Avenue Business District. He is also a cofounder of HAANDS, a network focused on the preservation of Historic Black Main Streets. Elijah holds a Bachelor of Science in Economics from UAB's Collat School of Business and is a member of the Small Business Anti-displacement Network (SBAN).
Emaleigh Doley
Executive Director of Germantown United CDC
Nia Eubanks-Dixon
Creative PraxisNia Eubanks-Dixon (she/her/we) is the founder and creator of Creative Praxis. The art-infused, healing-informed, and anti-racist trainings of Creative Praxis emerged from over 20 years of research and experience working with diverse communities worldwide. Nia is dedicated to the craft of interactive, transformational facilitation by providing young people, educators, and community members with intentional time for healing, learning, growth, and action.
Nia is an international master trainer/facilitator, counselor, professional dancer/storyteller, teacher, and therapeutic restorative community artist. She is certified in life coaching, crisis intervention, the dialogic process, restorative practices, interactive mediation, restorative arts, trauma healing, trauma-informed spaces, and de-escalation techniques.
In 2002 Nia received her BFA in Dance Education from the University of the Arts in Philadelphia. In 2017 she received her Master’s Degree in Urban Studies with a concentration in Community Arts from Eastern University. She has worked as a director for a member of out-of school-time programs, a teaching artist, a middle school teacher, a General Education Development (GED) program director, a life coach, a youth community organizer, a care practitioner, an international youth program director, a touring artist for a number renowned dance companies and practicing community healer.
Each year Nia trains thousands of people globally. She has worked with national and international organizations, including but not limited to: American Friends Service Committee, Philadelphia Parks and Recreation, The Harmony Project, The Aspen Institute, Jobs for the Future, and Urban Bush Women. Her liberation-centered pedagogy has been incorporated into classrooms, community centers, and nonprofit organizations throughout the Philadelphia region and beyond with 99% of participants walking away with new knowledge. Nia’s learning and development approach is arts-based, innovative, energizing, and creative. Participants have noted positive experiences that include “rapid vulnerability,” and “vibrant perspectives and actions to heavy topics.”
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Dawn Frisby Byers
PA Humanities
Nailah Frye
Assistant Program Officer for Financial Opportunity at LISC Philadelphia
Sylvia García-García
Principal at Connect the DotsSylvia is a highly skilled Principal at Connect the Dots, with expertise in private, public, and nonprofit social impact management, holding a Master’s degree in Strategic Thinking from Tec de Monterrey and a Bachelor’s degree in Economics from Universidad de Monterrey. Since April 2022, Sylvia has played a pivotal role in operations and inclusive engagement at Connect the Dots, managing key projects, co-leading business development, and overseeing efficient service delivery. Passionate about inclusion, Sylvia holds a graduate certificate in Nonprofit Leadership and serves on the Advisory Council of The Welcoming Center, promoting inclusive economic growth for immigrants and refugees while prioritizing relationship-building and supporting others’ growth.
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Jimmy Gastner
Community Development Manager at TD Bank
Ryan Gittler-Muñiz
Environmental Justice Organizer at Public Interest Law CenterRyan Gittler-Muñiz joined the Law Center in 2023 as an environmental justice organizer. In this one-year full-time role, they will develop and implement organizing campaign strategies as part of our Garden Justice Legal Initiative, supporting Philadelphia community gardeners and others seeking to maintain productive green space in low-income, historically disinvested communities and communities of color.
Ryan has been a land security volunteer organizer with César Andreu Iglesias Community Garden in Kensington since August 2021, where they build grassroots power with North Philadelphia residents who maintain lots with U.S. Bank liens. Prior to joining the Law Center, they served as an organizer with PA Youth Vote, working with high school students, and a civic engagement field coordinator with Southeast Asian Mutual Assistance Associations Coalition (SEAMAAC), mobilizing South Philadelphia’s immigrant communities to vote. In 2019, Ryan worked at Centro de Atención al Migrante Exodus (CAME), a migrant shelter in Agua Prieta, Mexico.
Ryan graduated from Yale University cum laude with a B.A. in political science and a certificate in Spanish. They are certified as a Partially Accredited Representative, authorized by the Department of Justice to provide limited representation to immigrants, through Villanova University’s Interdisciplinary Immigration Studies Training for Advocates (VIISTA) program.
Maridarlyn Gonzalez
Senior Associate at The PEW Charitable TrustsMaridarlyn Gonzalez is a senior researcher with Pew’s Philadelphia research and policy initiative, focusing on immigration, equitable infrastructure, and the annual State of the City report. Gonzalez has prior experience in housing, transportation, public engagement, and community development. Before coming to Pew, she worked in shelters and managed a bi-state housing and energy conservation program. Gonzalez also worked at the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission, supporting transportation and English proficiency initiatives. She holds a bachelor’s degree in geoscience, energy, and policy from the Pennsylvania State University and a master’s in geospatial technology and geodesign from Thomas Jefferson University.
Jenny Greenberg
Executive Director of Neighborhood Gardens TrustJenny Greenberg serves as executive director of the Neighborhood Gardens Trust (NGT), a nonprofit land trust dedicated to securing and protecting community gardens and shared open spaces across Philadelphia. Jenny has overseen the protection of twenty-two gardens citywide since she joined NGT in 2014. Jenny serves on the Pennsylvania Climate Change Advisory Committee. Prior to NGT, she worked on the planning and development of public parks and trails along formerly industrial and abandoned waterfront land in Philadelphia and Camden, NJ. Jenny holds a BA from Vassar College and a Master of City Planning from the University of Pennsylvania.
Sally Guzik
Vice President at Fourth EconomyAs the Vice President of Fourth Economy, a Steer subsidiary, Sally J. Guzik, leads strategic initiatives aimed at strengthening practices in equity, inclusion, and sustainable development. With over 15 years of experience in community engagement and DEIB (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging), her work is uniquely informed by her own journey as a first-generation college graduate. Prior to her current role, Sally served as the Executive Director of the Cambridge Innovation Center in Philadelphia, overseeing a 140,000-square-foot facility and spearheading initiatives such as the launch of Backstage Capital's accelerator program and CIC's inaugural social impact cohort. Sally holds certifications as a Trauma-Informed Care Practitioner and Mental Health First Aid Responder, and has completed Phase 1 Groundwater Training with the Racial Equity Institute, enabling her to bring a trauma-informed and racial equity lens to all her professional endeavors.
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Kenny Holdsman
Philadelphia Youth Basketball, Inc.PYB leverages the game of basketball to enable young people—especially those from under-resourced communities—to develop their potential as students, athletes, and positive leaders.
Mia Kang
Mia Kang is a cultural worker based in Philadelphia, PA. Her experience with organizing and heritage preservation began as a teenager in her hometown of San Antonio, TX, and for the past three years, she has served as Interim Director for the Museo del Westside, a community participatory museum focused on the immigrant and working class histories of San Antonio’s Westside. Her expertise spans historic preservation, community cultural organizing, and public humanities. Currently a PhD candidate in the history of art at Yale University, her academic research focuses on the rise of U.S. multiculturalism and its legacies. She is an adjunct instructor at Hunter College, and the author of a poetry chapbook, City Poems (ignitionpress, 2020).
Avanti Krovi
Research Fellow at Nowak Metro Finance Lab Drexel UniversityAvanti Krovi is a Research Officer at Drexel University's Nowak Metro Finance Lab. Avanti’s work focuses on equitable economic development. She conducted research for the Boston Planning & Development Agency, where she analyzed the economic impact of developments in Boston and collaborated with urban planners on projects involving industrial and economic uses. She has also worked with the Bronx Cooperative Development Initiative, where she focused on how to connect businesses and communities of color with anchor institutions. Avanti holds a Master of Urban Planning degree from the Harvard Graduate School of Design, where she focused on real estate development and environmental planning. She additionally holds a BA in Economics and Sociology from The Ohio State University.
Nora Lichtash
Executive Director of Women's Community Revitalization ProjectNora Lichtash has worked with the Women’s Community Revitalization Project (WCRP), a multi-racial community development organization committed to social and economic equity for low income women and their families, since its founding in 1987. Working first as a volunteer, and then as its director.
She is one of the founders of the Philadelphia Coalition for Affordable Communities and serves on the boards of the Philadelphia Housing Development Corporation, Working Families Partnership, Philadelphia Association of Community Development Corporations, Philadelphia Housing Trust Fund and on the Affordable Housing Advisory Council for Federal Home Loan Bank of Pittsburgh.
The Women’s Community Revitalization Project is known for the quality, innovation and effectiveness of its affordable housing and community development strategies; and as an organization that involves low-income women in the process of community building, self-
empowerment and change. Most recently the women of WCRP have been speaking out and
organizing to make sure that long-term residents in communities in which we work have the ability to remain in the community and not be pushed out due to high property values and rents. As part of this work they have created the Community Justice Land Trust. Nora has helped to create a group that builds power and honors leadership, dignity and justice in the community.
Merissa MacDonald
Bartram's Garden
Telyse Masaoay
Director of Racial Equity Policy & practice at City of Philadelphia Mayor's OfficeTélyse Masaoay (she/her) is a social worker and policy professional with experience in community organizing, social policy research, and local government. She serves the Director of Racial Equity Policy & Practice within the Mayor’s Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. In her capacity, she spearheads Philadelphia's Racial Equity Strategy—overseeing the formulation and implementation of racial equity action plans across all municipal departments. Télyse has also established a Racial Equity Community of Practice for City employees, partners closely with the Budget Office to drive to the Budgeting for Racial Equity Initiative, and advises City departments on policy & program decisions. Télyse is deeply committed to advancing justice for BIPOC, low-income families, and other marginalized communities. Her dedication to fostering equity and inclusion is evident in all aspects of her work.
Télyse holds a B.A. in Public Health & Sociology from Vanderbilt University and her M.S.W from Washington University in St. Louis. Outside of work, Télyse enjoys making pottery on the wheel, boxing classes, and reading climate fiction novels.
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Stephanie Michel
Executive Director of North 5th Street Revitalization ProjectMM
Marlana Moore
Land Preservation Manager at Neighborhood Gardens Trust
Mike Moran
Board Member at Cesar Andreú Iglesias Community GardenMichael Gonzalo Moran is a board member and gardener at Cesar Andreú Iglesias Community Garden in Kensington. His experience of saving his mother’s vegetable garden from Sheriff Sale inspired him to advocate for community control of land. He is still working to secure Iglesias Garden from the threat of gentrification and development.
Nicole Ozdemir
Senior Planner at Philadelphia City Planning CommissionNicole Ozdemir is a senior planner with a profound commitment to public service and equitable development. Since joining the Philadelphia City Planning Commission (PCPC) in 2014, Nicole has been an advocate for public engagement, working to create a more vibrant and inclusive city. Nicole is currently part of the PCPC team working to update the city’s Comprehensive Plan with a greater focus on inclusivity, social justice, and racial equity. In addition to her work at PCPC, Nicole also is an adjunct professor at Temple University, co-teaching the course, City Planning Practice and Principles.
She holds a bachelor’s degree in urban planning and studies from SUNY University at Albany, as well as a master's degree in city and regional planning from the University of Pennsylvania. Beyond her professional pursuits, Nicole finds joy in exploring Philadelphia's charming streets on foot, often accompanied by her husband and son.
Jamar Pettis
Owner at Blessed AscensionsJamar Pettis is an initiated Angelic Shaman, Reiki Master, Sound Healer, Mentor, Navy Veteran and owner of Blessed Ascensions, LLC. His goal is to empower others to help restore balance to the physical, emotional and spiritual wellbeing by connecting them back to their Divine nature through energy work.
Meridith Polin
Senior Officer at Pew Charitable TrustsMeridith Polin is a senior officer with the Pew Fund for Health and Human Services. She oversees the evaluation capacity building initiative, which aims to accelerate the use of data for monitoring, learning, and evaluation purposes among Pew fund grantees. Polin has a background in evaluation, strategic planning, and program development. Previously, she worked at the nonprofit group Public/Private Ventures. She also was the director of research and evaluation at Citizen Schools. Polin holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Boston University and a master’s in community resources and development from Arizona State University.
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Benjamin Preis
Research Fellow at Nowak Metro Finance Lab Drexel UniversityBenjamin Preis is a Research Fellow at Drexel University's Nowak Metro Finance Lab. He recently completed a PhD in Urban Studies and Planning at MIT, where he received his Master in City Planning in 2019. Ben is interested in the use of novel computational tools to better understand regional wealth inequality, specifically in the areas of housing and economic development. He has previously worked with the Urban Redevelopment Authority of Pittsburgh, the Cambridge Housing Authority, and the Center for Public Studies in Santiago, Chile. Prior to his time at MIT, he worked on science and higher education policy at Lewis-Burke Associates in Washington, DC. At the Lindy Institute, Ben will be working on strategies for community wealth development in response to Covid-19.
Brooke Queenan
Philadelphia Youth Basketball, Inc.PYB leverages the game of basketball to enable young people—especially those from under-resourced communities—to develop their potential as students, athletes, and positive leaders.
Corey Reidy
Co-op Developer at Philadelphia Area Cooperative AllianceCorey Reidy (she/her) began organizing within the cooperative movement at the very start of 2008. Since then she has been a worker-owner in two cooperatives: one longstanding and one start-up. She believes deeply in the potential of cooperatives to remake the economy away from one of exploitation and into one of solidarity and equity. She has also organized within numerous horizontal social justice collectives throughout the years -- from independent media-making -- to climate justice -- to reproductive justice -- to abolitionist projects, and more. These projects utilize the same principles of democratic decision-making and what can be found and built through collective ownership.
Corey currently works as a Co-op Developer at Philadelphia Area Cooperative Alliance (PACA); where she works to support co-ops at any stage of their life cycle and with a wide variety of needs. PACA also functions as a Staff Collective nonprofit (our workplace operates horizontally without staff hierarchy), which furthers the direct practice of cooperation. When not organizing, Corey spends her time doing and teaching yoga, reading, hanging with her cats, and spending time with loved ones.
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Abraham Reyes Pardo
Director of Housing at Urban League of PhiladelphiaRacial Disparities in Homeownership workshop: Join us for an in-depth conversation focused on two cross sector initiatives (Philly 5000 & CONVERGENCE Philadelphia) tackling racial disparities in Philadelphia homeownership.
Jill Roberts
Director of Advocacy at ClarifiAs Director of Advocacy for Clarifi, Jill is focused on Philadelphia’s neighborhoods, governing agencies, legislative representatives, and community leaders to ensure the unique needs of Philadelphia residents and neighborhoods are well served by financial empowerment and housing policies and programs. Jill’s experience collaborating with funders, government, quasi-governmental agencies, community, and peer group partners to create and direct programs to benefit Clarifi clients is anchored in over 20 years in the not-for-profit housing and community development field, the last 6 years at Clarifi.
As a champion for change Jill is passionate about Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and leads any such effort at Clarifi.
Jill received her Bachelor ‘s degree in Business and Economics from Wilson College in Chambersburg PA and holds a certificate in Non-Profit Leadership from The Nonprofit Center at La Salle University and is a National Diversity Council Certified Diversity Professional.
Christopher Rogers
Christopher R. Rogers, Ph.D started his consultancy We Win From Within in June 2023 as an educator and cultural worker from Chester, PA with more than a decade of experience in supporting arts, culture, and community. He currently co-coordinates the Friends of The Tanner House, incubating a revitalized Henry Ossawa Tanner House at the intersection of Black heritage preservation and community cultural organizing. He serves on the National Steering Committee for Black Lives Matter at School, uplifting significant racial justice curriculum and policymaking across K-16 education. He has previously served in key roles with the Paul Robeson House & Museum / West Philadelphia Cultural Alliance, Philadelphia Student Union, Teacher Action Group Philadelphia, and more.
Tim Roundtree
Vice President, TEC-CDC at The Enterprise CenterFor more than three decades, The Enterprise Center has promoted racial and economic equity by supporting the growth of diverse small businesses and partnering with West Philadelphia communities on revitalization strategies. As a trusted mediator, we bring together businesses, communities, partners, and resource providers with the shared goal of equal opportunity and prosperity for all.
Mr. Roundtree has spent more than 18+ years in the public sector advocating & leading efforts to ensure that minority and women-owned Philadelphia businesses have meaningful participation in contract opportunities with the City of Philadelphia. In his previous position as the Deputy Director of the Mayor’s Rebuild program and current role as Vice President of The Enterprise Center CDC, he continues to develop a comprehensive plan to address barriers with inclusion within the building trades, economic disparities in communities, workforce development, and business/community development issues in Philadelphia. In his current role as Vice President of the Enterprise Center, he continues to lead efforts that ensure growth, economic development, and inclusion to the neighborhood level in West Philadelphia. Additionally, Mr. Roundtree works with the community partner, residents, local businesses, and key stakeholders to lead community engagement and neighborhood revitalization projects.
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Leslie Russell Winder
Director, Community & Economic Development of Urban Affairs CoalitionWe are a Home for Nonprofits, both large and small, who work to improve the quality of life in the Greater Philadelphia region.
We strengthen nonprofits through fiscal sponsorship, shared services, program development, and capacity building.
The Power of Coalition means that, together, we can do what no one organization can do alone.
Maria Sourbeer
Senior VP of Development at Mosaic Development PartnersMaria Sourbeer has made a career out of bridging the gap between her capabilities as an architect/developer and her responsibilities as a community member. She believes that a beautiful and well-designed space has a positive influence on a basic human level. She's carried this idea through from her experience as a Peace Corps Volunteer, to her current position as Senior Vice President of Development for Mosaic Development Partners.
At Mosaic, Maria leads the development team, guiding development strategy and execution through construction completion and stabilization. She also serves as mentor and cross-collaborator for the team to ensure the highest standard of quality is continuously delivered on projects. Together with the Mosaic team, Maria finds creative ways to develop real estate and bring jobs, homes and commercial enterprise to challenged urban neighborhoods.
Maria has over 20 years of professional experience and continues to grow through her love of family, work and play. Outside of Mosaic, she dedicates volunteer efforts to the Community Design Collaborative, Norris Square Community Alliance, Impact Loan Fund and the South Philly Food Coop.
WORKSHOP: Navigating Mixed Use Development: Frankford CDC & Mosaic Development Partners are collaborating on a transit-oriented development (TOD) project which will consist of a mixed-use development, anchored by a supermarket, City of Philadelphia health center, retail, as well as affordable and market rate rental housing. Participants will explore the unique challenges and strategies for navigating complex mixed use development projects.
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Blane Stoddart
President & CEO of BFW Group, LLCThe BFW vision is to create long-term mutually beneficial relationships with our clients and construction management partners by building sustainable physical spaces that lower cost, increase productivity or create a sense of home.
Dan Swain
Assistant Program Officer for Housing and Community Development at LISC PhiladelphiaLISC invests in historically disinvested communities across the country in order to close gaps around health, wealth, and opportunity. Over our 40+ years, LISC Philadelphia has supported the creation of 9,302 affordable homes and 2.8 million square feet of commercial space representing $625 million in total investment.
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Craig Williams
Philadelphia Youth BasketballPYB leverages the game of basketball to enable young people—especially those from under-resourced communities—to develop their potential as students, athletes, and positive leaders.
Enith Williams
Reparations Finance LabEnith Williams founded and manages the Reparations Finance Lab after an international career in economic and social development and finance. She has held senior positions as an international banker with Merrill Lynch in New York City and with the Government of Jamaica, where she worked with the Planning Institute of Jamaica and the Jamaica Investment Promotions Agency, Jampro. Early in her career, she was a program associate, with the Edna McConnell Clark Foundation where she worked on a multi-stakeholder program to address homelessness in New York City. She then moved on to work with the New York City Housing Partnership in its ground breaking program to engage with local entrepreneurs to secure their participation in the economic revitalization that was underway in Central Harlem and the South Bronx in the early 1990s. As a native of Jamaica, and an immigrant to the United States, Enith has lived and worked in both countries throughout her professional career and has seen and experienced first-hand the impact of the capital markets and financial decision making on economically disadvantaged individuals, communities and countries.
She hopes to utilize this unique insight into crafting a new area of exploration at 17 Asset Management around closing the Black-White wealth gap by reconnecting the history and economics of the African Slave Trade, and the involvement of the global financial markets in that endeavor. She hopes to engage with thought leaders and market players to craft new solutions that can positively impact on the wealth disparity that continues to exist for the descendants of that horrific trade.
Enith is the Founder of the Downtown Kingston Music Theatre, a social intervention program that uses musical theatre to engage the youth of the inner-city communities of Downtown Kingston.