MEET THE COMMUNITY INNOVATORS

Each Innovator featured below is pursuing an innovation with the potential to address the devaluation of homes in Black-majority neighborhoods as part of the earlier Collaborative Challenge.

featured innovators

Amanda Alexander

Detroit Justice Center
Detroit, Michigan

Ashley Allen

Houston Community Land Trust
Houston, Texas

Roshun Austin

The Works, Inc.
Memphis, Tennessee

Gianna Baker

Chicago Area Fair Housing Alliance
Chicago, Illinois

John Bartlett

Metropolitan Tenants Organization
Chicago, Illinois

Jonathan Brown

Palm Beach County Board of County Commissioners
Palm Beach County, Florida

Kwasi Frye

SayLambda
Washington, D.C.

Lance George

Housing Assistance Council
Washington, D.C.

Marisela Gomez

Village of Love and Resistance, VOLAR
Baltimore, Maryland

John Green

Blackstar Stability Investment Management LLC
Washington, D.C

Bree Jones

Parity Homes
Baltimore, Maryland

Ericka Kelly

Greater Milwaukee Committee
Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Tamara Knox

Frolic Community LLC
Seattle, Washington

John Liss

True Footage Inc.
Seattle, Washington

Adrian Madriz

Struggle for Miami’s Affordable and Sustainable Housing, Inc.
Miami, Florida

William Martinez

Martinez & Associates
Vacaville, California

Andreanecia Morris

HousingNOLA
New Orleans, Louisiana

Zach Murray

The Guild
Atlanta, Georgia

Maya Porter

Growth Spots International, Inc.
Louisville, Kentucky

Santhosh Ramdoss

Gary Community Ventures
Denver, Colorado

Veronica Reed

Jane Place Neighborhood Sustainability Initiative
New Orleans, Louisiana

Carlos Robles-Shanahan

Duo Development
Chicago, Illinois

Scot Rose

Class Valuation
Troy, Michigan

Ellen Sahli

Family Housing Fund
Minneapolis, Minnesota

Charu Singh

Humane Works LLC
New York, New York

Anna Thompson

City of Detroit
Detroit, Michigan

Rosalind Williams

WITH ACTION
St. Louis, Missouri

Evelyn Zwiebach

Enterprise Community Partners
Detroit, Michigan

Articles

How can we insure our communities from extreme weather? [Episode 12]

In this week’s episode, we dive into the potential for innovating the insurance market with Charlie Sidoti, Executive Director of InnSure. Charlie talks through some of the basic factors that the insurance industry needs to contend with today, from how risks should be financed, to why insurance is top of mind for more people than ever before.  In conversation… Read More
Oct 27, 2025

Emerging Models for Fair Chance Hiring

Building an architecture of opportunity Every person deserves the opportunity to contribute to society through meaningful work, to support their families and loved ones, and to build a stable, fulfilling life. However, the criminal legal system creates records of prior interaction that impact the lives of more than 70… Read More
Oct 22, 2025

How do we protect our homes from hurricanes? [Episode 11]

In this week’s conversation on home fortification, host Stuart Yasgur talks to Commissioner Mark Fowler and Dr. Lars Powell to explore an inspiring case study from Alabama. The FORTIFIED Homes program is improving the resilience of communities across the state in the face of hurricanes.   After the impacts of Hurricane… Read More
Oct 20, 2025
More articles