Karen Davis Email & Phone Number

Atlanta, Ga, Us

Greater Atlanta Area

The Emerald Corridor Foundation’s mission is focused on improving the quality of life in distressed neighborhoods particularly through the Grove Park Initiative. The Grove Park Initiative goal is to break the cycle of poverty by delivering a cross-sectorial intensive set of school, housing, wellness, and other investments focused in one neighborhood. Curry Davis Consulting Group is responsible for: ensuring efficient and streamlined execution of the ECF Project plans, building and managing partner relationships, ensuring progress towards ECF Goals, coordinating meetings and the creation of external communications.

Greater Atlanta Area

The Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation, in partnership with The Equifax Charitable Foundation, formed the Westside Economic Inclusion Collaborative (WEIC) to ensure a strategic focus on Westside residents being connected to workforce and business development services and financial education. CDCG oversees all aspects of goals/strategies execution comprised in the three year WEIC Strategic plan. As the Project Manager for the WEIC, we are leading efforts to implement strategies in the areas of Financial Well-being, Small Business/Entrepreneurship, and Economic Development. CDCG is responsible for: establishing working groups to execute WEIC Year One Goals and Strategies; managing the implementation of the WEIC plan; and maintaining positive relationships across the complex ecosystem of the Westside.

Greater Atlanta Area

Curry Davis Consulting has been contracted to work on the United Way Paycheck Plus Project in partnership with the National Research Firm, MDRC. Paycheck Plus is a groundbreaking demonstration project being conducted in Atlanta and New York City. The goal of the research project is to test the impact of a new work-based earnings supplement, similar to the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) – but just for single adults without dependents. Evidence from the study will help to inform policy makers and affect change. Our role in this project includes: Project oversight; partnership development to create engagement sites around the metro Atlanta region; enrolling 4,000 individuals across the target groups; hiring and managing the engagement team; managing ongoing partnership; and developing marketing campaign to promote Paycheck Plus.

Expertise in project management beginning at concept phase to implementation.Providing guidance and strategic direction for all phases of organizational development including planning, program development, implementation, evaluation, and sustainability. Developing strategies to implement grant funded projects locally and statewide.Conducting program assessments and addressing deficiencies through technical assistance.Assisting with the development of action plans (staff, board, and organization).Researching market trends to identify best practice models.Facilitating community engagement workshops and community forums.

Curry Davis Consulting Group is an Atlanta-based consulting firm focused on providing strategic and high-quality services to the philanthropic, non-profit, and public sector service provider community. We are known for our drive and commitment to providing quality service in high impact areas. We know it takes sustained focus to keep pace with changing needs, which is why our services come with an individualized touch and a passion for sustainable change. Our service expertise includes but is not limited to: large scale project management; program development; training and technical assistance; coalition building; and creating awareness campaigns.

Greater Atlanta Area

Strategic Planning and Coordination Role - Seedco, a national organization, dedicated to helping low-income households and communities move toward economic prosperity since 1987, has been approved for a Navigator Program Cooperative Agreement in the amount of $2,159,360 to conduct health insurance-related outreach and enrollment assistance state-wide. As lead agency, Seedco oversees all aspects of the Georgia Navigation Program and its 12 Consortium members, providing technical assistance, financial oversight, compliance protocols, and partner facilitation. As a Program Associate, I am responsible for creating partnership in rural counties outside of Metro Atlanta particularly with local hospitals, community based organizations, and other ACA partners. I lead all of the marketing and rural outreach activities around the state to include event coordination to promote access and enrollment opportunities for consumers.

Access to Capital for Entrepreneurs (ACE) is a Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI), non-profit community lender with a focus on providing economic stability for low to​ moderate income small businesses through: a micro and commercial loan program, business advisory service​s, & various strategic initiatives. Curry Davis Consulting Group (CDCG) worked with ACE to promote their Healthy Food Finance Initiative (HFFI) and to launch their Women Investing in Successful Entrepreneurs (WISE) Initiative as part of ACE’s Clinton Global Initiative commitment. As the project team for HFFI and WISE, our responsibilities included creating a brand for WISE​, staffing​ an advisory council, and providing guidance and strategic direction for all phases of the ​WISE Initiative, including but not limited to: planning; program development; implementation; evaluation; and sustainability assessment. CDCG is also responsible for creating WISE’s signature annual Speed Coaching Event. Speed Dating with an entrepreneurial twist! Allowing women business owners to meet one-on-one with successful business leaders and expert coaches to discuss strategies and solutions that are right for their businesses.

Initiated partnerships among state agencies and non-profits to increase access to federal funds available to support summer and afterschool meals programs and food stamp outreach.Served as liaison to the Governor's Office to increase support for the statewide campaign.Co-managed mini grants process to include distribution of RFP, review and recommendations.Served as campaign spokesperson which included over 20 statewide presentations in various venues ranging from statewide association meetings, state trainings to town hall meetings.Managed statewide assessment to determine areas of deficiency. Tracked ongoing data.Created statewide marketing campaign to increase awareness and access to information that would increase the number of programs providing meal services to children and food stamp outreach to families.

The Fresh Start Program was a temporary project through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) which provided emergency assistance to families in crisis through one-time payment assistance of up to $3,000 total for utilities, rent, or mortgage.Over a six-month period, the Fresh Start program served nearly 17,000 families at a rate of $20.5 million​ dollars. As the Project Management team, ​ Curry Davis Consulting Group ​assisted with the development of the Fresh Start program service delivery model across the state of Georgia. We worked with the UWGA and Department of Human Services leadership team to​: develop strategies to improve access to Fresh Start services; develop​ ​agency partnerships; manage​ the hiring process for internal teams; coordinate access events across the state; develop ongoing reports for the funder​; and co-manage over one-hundred employees.

Forsyth Futures is a non-profit organization that launched an initiative in 2006, ​which focused on providing objective data to the​ surrounding​ community. It served as a catalyst for conversation and bringing stakeholders together to address key areas such as economic self-sufficiency, community engagement, education, etc. Our Principal Consultant, Karen Davis, served as the Project Director with a charge of working with key leaders and​ stakeholders to develop the strategic and operational plan for the Forsyth Futures Community Collaborative. Additionally, our team assisted with: the development and coordination of strategy teams for Forsyth Futures primary impact areas; the development of communication strategies for the release of a large-scale community data report for the primary impact areas; mapping community assets to identify duplication; organizing and convening regular stakeholder meetings; and staffing all strategic action teams to ensure progress towards the primary impact areas’ objectives.

Responsible for:Promoting the mission and strategic direction of the Center for Working Families' Moving to Work, Moving to Wealth, and Fatherhood program by providing leadership to develop and implement the Family Economic Success strategies and goals. Providing guidance and direction for activities related to all phases of the program's work including planning, development, implementation, evaluation, and sustainability. Managing program staff and assisting with the development and implementation of a results-based accountability process including use of data for decision making and continuous improvement.Ensuring good stewardship, management, and accountability of program funds.

Managed Request for Proposal process for more than $300,000 in capacity building grants.Worked closely with UW Area Directors, Volunteers, and program staff to manage the annual and quarterly United Way investment review process to evaluate grantee performance.Provided strategy leadership for United Way's Economic Self-Sufficiency Impact areas which included investments in Workforce Development programs ($1.2 million), Business Development training ($1million), Affordable Housing/IDA programs ($1.3 million).Managed donor relationships and provided volunteer opportunities to create additional connectivity between corporate partners and UW funded programs.

Masters, Public Administration

Bachelor Of Arts (Ba), Political Science And Government