Community Development. Collective Impact.
About Me
I am an expert in community revitalization and ecosystem building. Over the past 12 years, I have facilitated over 100 million dollars in public-private partnerships and have led the expansion of a high-tech incubator that has resulted in over 120 million dollars in venture capital investment and the creation of hundreds of high-paying jobs.
I specialize in development strategies, organizing and operating through a collective impact model, and bringing together government organizations, citizen stakeholders, private equity groups, and developers to facilitate meaningful and systemic change.
Some Pretty Cool Projects
Ecosystem Building
Revitalization Strategies
Storytelling
Hotel Melbourne Wins Unanimous Melbourne City Council Votes for Site Plan, 123-Foot
During my time as Executive Director of Melbourne Main Street, I led efforts to bring our first boutique hotel to Downtown Melbourne. I worked with developers to educate investors, built a grass-roots coalition of support, and facilitated conversations with property owners, city staff, and ownership to build consensus.
This New Exec Will Lead Tech Incubator Expansion
Over the past 4 years I have dedicated myself to building one of the most robust, respected, and diverse high-tech incubators in the Southeast. My leadership at Groundswell Startups has resulted in a 44% growth in membership, over 120 million in outside capital raised by Groundswell companies, and the securing of a $500k grant to build an additive manufacturing lab.
City of Melbourne Awards $50,000 for 'Street to Home Movement' To Add Outreach Worker
I led a grassroots efforts to address the impact of chronic homelessness on Downtown Melbourne, and the individuals who needed services. I brought together city management, the policy department, county officials, nonprofits, and business owners to bring strategic practices to addressing a complex social problem. This included taking trips to other cities to learn best practices, to hiring a consultant to bring in an outsider's perspective, to hosting a special council meeting. As a result of these efforts we were granted funds to hire case management services, and this effort has lead to systemic changes in how the city, and its partners, address homelessness through a housing-first model.
Melbourne Boards Support Highline Apartment Complex
The Highline is Downtown Melbourne's first mixed-use development. This was a complex project that involved multiple government entities and hurdles to come to fruition - it was five years in the making for all approvals to be completed to start the build. I worked hand-in-hand with Zimmerman Development to build consensus, work with City Council, and to build efforts around this project that would make Downtown Melbourne a destination people wanted to live.
Approaches I am a Big Fan Of
Let's All Be Weavers
Weave, the Social Fabric Project, is out of the Aspen Institute and challenges us to think critically about the way we treat each other, that a better of way being is through meaningful connections that allows people to become exposed to, acquire, and put into action meaningful social and cultural capital. It challenges us to become active members of our community and to use narrative identity in a way that enables equity, trust, and forward progression.
Better Together
Collective Impact Model was first published in the Standford Social Innovation Review in 2011. It says, the most complex of social problems cannot be solved in silos. To create meaningful change, you have to bring together a diverse group of stakeholders, at times with competing interests, to work together in a intentional way. It pushes you use to best practices, measure your work, and truly focus on the problem and the interests of those you intend to serve.
Some Pretty Big Events
Throughout my career I've had the opportunity to create and enhance large-scale events that have served as catalysts for fundraising and brand recognition for the organizations I am part of. These included establishing the Downtown Melbourne Food & Wine Festival, with over 300 vendors and over a thousand guests, to making sure Wylcef Jon closed his set on time in front of 5,000 plus. I love to curate a experience that fosters a sense of attachment and understanding between the guest and organization.
Press
Follow the arrows to read more. Go to the press page to find more articles on my leadership.