202.350.1838
Coach and Strategic Advisor
THE CONGRESS HEIGHTS PARTNERSHIP
Strategic Advisor
I co-lead a process to form the Congress Heights Partnership, a multi-stakeholder collaborative dedicated to building a more equitable and inclusive future for DC neighborhood undergoing massive transformation. For more information go here.
THE SOUL OF THE CITY
Toward a more inclusive future for Congress Heights.
In 2018, I co-led a team hired by the Congress Heights Community Training and Development Corporation (CHCTDC) to ensure that new redevelopment projects in the neighborhood led to tangible benefits for residents and small businesses.
We launched an extensive community engagement process to grapple with this imperative. It was designed to surface community priorities and aspirations in the face of new development and change.
Through this process, the Soul of the City community narrative was born. Built around elements of hometown pride, a desire for inclusive growth and an honoring of Black entrepreneurship and culture, Soul of the City became more than a community identity. It is an expression of joy and a “brand” that residents and workers proudly embrace. It’s also a rallying cry for an economically, socially and culturally inclusive future for Congress Heights, where both new and longtime residents, regardless of background, can attain quality housing, access jobs and opportunities, build wealth and enjoy a network of beautiful places and neighborhood amenities.
Though CHTCDC had initiated the community engagement process that led to a bold and inclusive vision for neighborhood transformation, its leaders quickly realized that the interventions needed to shape a more inclusive future for Congress Heights went beyond commercial corridor revitalization and small business assistance.
I worked with the team as a coach, strategist and researcher to develop a new organization explicitly focused on place-based economic inclusion and equitable development in Congress Heights, building an entity that:
Brings community stakeholders (residents, small business owners, and non profit leaders) together with holders of institutional power, including government decision-makers, property owners, and developers
Harnesses investment for community wealth building, workforce development, and fostering an ecosystem for Black entrepreneurship.
Continually honors and elevates local arts, culture, and knowledge
Works across multiple systems and sets the table for enhanced coordination and community participation around development and change.
Operates as a trusted source of research, data, and education around all things Congress Heights