I have served the last 20 years of my career as a scholar-activist engaging in social innovation, public health interventions, evaluation, youth development interventions, system reform and addressing equity issues. Over this time, I have amassed incredible national and international experiences that have shaped my understanding and approach to community transformation.Experiences as a community based behavioral health scientist-practitioner, social entrepreneur and constructive disruptor are integrated into a passion for promoting the optimal outcomes as a community centered social impact real estate developer. I see real estate development as another tool for improving the lives of historically disadvantaged people. As a native of West Philadelphia, I am focused on creating solutions that integrate social science data and the lived experiences of our team to create interdependent living experiences where people are connected, have access to healthy lifestyles and opportunities to grow financially with skills and home ownership in historically underdeveloped communities.I am building a portfolio of commercial and residential real estate projects that yield returns for investors and communities. In addition, translating social science research into the re-design of urban neighborhoods that have been systemically disadvantaged for decades. By promoting equitable revitalization plans that include opportunities for current residents to invest; mixed income residential properties; mixed use commercial spaces, and investments in health and well-being infrastructure - Ujima Developers believes that investing in People then Place will make Progress toward sustainable healthy communities. If neighborhoods are to be redesigned for residents’ optimal health, intentional investments in health/wellbeing and economic mobility are required. This work is an extension of my career as community based public health and education scholar-activist. www.ujimadevelopers.com

Hired as the organization’s health equity subject matter expert. Lead the strategic direction of the Institute for Diversity and Health Equity in both the Washington, DC and Chicago Offices. The work includes a portfolio of thought leadership, products and services that advance health equity in the AHA’s national membership. Design and implement external and internal strategic initiatives to advance equity in partnership with hospitals and health systems. This body of work seeks to eliminate the structural barriers to advancing health equity in America's health care system.

Strategic Learning Partners for Innovation (SLP4i) is an MBE/WBE company that focuses on diversity, inclusion and equity in social innovation and evaluation design. We have a collaborative approach that partners with clients to discover, support, and inspire innovation. With experiences in research, evaluation and change management we support Foundations, Grassroot organizations, non-profits, and educational institutions with improving and expanding services and systems. Our goal is to co-design sustainable organizational and community change. We have expertise in applying an equity framework to data science, evaluation and organizational development.Our aim is to become learning partners and coaches with organizations rather than singularly serve as evaluation coaches and evaluators. As learning partners, we work and walk with clients side by side, as we develop strategies, initiatives, and programs in real-time.. Our goal is to help organizations continue to grow, expand, and transform while maintaining their core values.

Start Up social innovation and research collaborative seeking to develop interventions that catalyze upward mobility and economic security in communities. My role was thought leadership and implementation of strategic direction to connect people seeking 21st Century career preparedness with 21st Century career opportunities. This position utilized my experiences as a scholar-activist with vocational psychology, community organizing, and intervention evaluation.

Trained in Results Based Accountability and Leadership; Designed and managed the learning agenda and evaluations for the Juvenile Justice Strategy Group (JJSG) and the Evidence Based Practice Group (EBPG) both in the Center for System's Innovation. Accomplishments included launching developmental evaluations for JDAI and the Deep End work in JJSG; managing over $3 million in grants and contracts; leading an international learning agenda of Evidence2Success; catalyzing JJSG work in juvenile justice trauma and a FL HBCU criminal justice reform talent pipeline initiative. In addition, led RESPECT, an organizational affinity group for equity. Also published and presented papers on equitable evaluation, equity and evidence- based practices, and mental health service delivery in juvenile justice systems. Designed initiatives to increase the pipeline of evaluators of color and pioneered Equitable Evaluation in Philanthropy practices.

Co-author of the JustCare System of Care Grant for Shelby County, TN and served as the Lead Evaluator of a $9 million six -year project. Managed the data collection and evaluation activities as part of the Center for the Advancement of Youth Development (CAYD), located at Rhodes College. As an adjunct professor, created several community capacity building interventions in the areas of community mental health advocacy, empowerment evaluation, intervention design, and non-profit use of evidence informed interventions. Also created a strategic communication practice to effectively disseminate learnings to community stakeholders. In addition, created YGEEC (Youth Guided Empowerment Evaluation Camp) to teach youth in Memphis how to become producers and consumers of research in their communities. Worked with colleagues at the University of Memphis, the University of Tennessee Health Science Center, and Methodist Hospital on local and international public health projects.

CAYD was created to build the capacity of youth serving organizations to better serve youth and families. Community based organizations were engaged in four activities:1)program evaluation using an empowerment evaluation model 2) youth and family intervention design 3) training and professional development of youth service providers; and 4) dissemination of evaluation learnings for continuous quality improvement. CAYD electronically published the "Flowerpot" quarterly newsletters; conducted empowerment evaluation workshops and facilitated community discussions on youth development topics. Our primary goal was to be a community resource for youth serving organizations of all types. We facilitated a community advisory board which consisted of a youth group that is being taught community based participatory research and a group of youth service providers representing charter schools, faith-based organizations, juvenile justice, and city and county government.

The National Think Tank for African American Progress, a community mobilization strategy to build local solutions to challenges confronting Black communities was formed to drive collaboration with community organizers and researchers and activists across the country. Communities were provided with the technical assistance and tools to build self-sustaining infrastructure to measure and revise the progress towards solutions.

Held Associate Professor of Research positions in the School of Social Work, the Psychology Department and the African and African American Studies Programs (College of Arts and Science), and the Counseling Psychology Program (College or Education). Conducted research, taught undergraduate and graduate classes and managed externally funded projects in the areas of youth development, fatherhood interventions, parent engagement and Black masculinity. Consulted with numerous non-profits, school systems, and government.

As a tenured award-winning Scholar-Activist, I taught a range of courses in the departments of educational psychology and African and the African American Studies. I served as the training director for the American Psychological Association Accredited counseling psychology graduate program. Received awards for teaching excellence, mentoring and community-based interventions. Launched the following initiatives: first UNL study abroad program in sub-Saharan Africa, Ghana; the Family Potential Center (a community based multicultural training center); and the Black Male and Family Empowerment Summits. Awarded over 10 external and internal grants. Worked across departments of athletics, psychology, and sociology. Directed dissertations and master’s theses. Published over 20 book chapters and referred journal articles.

Staff Psychologist providing individual and group therapy to student and staff population. Co-taught African American Psychology course. Facilitated psycho-educational groups to campus community.