Greater Philadelphia Leadership Exchange - Detroit 2022: Recent Episodes
Radiokismet
Sulaiman Rahman is the CEO at DiverseForce. DiverseForce™ provides high tech and high touch human capital solutions in response to an increasingly digital, diverse, and transient talent culture. In today's competitive environment, talent management needs have dramatically changed from employer-focused to employee-centered and has completely outgrown the traditional HR department's scope and capacity.
Orlando Bailey is the Director of Engagement at BridgeDetroit. He is on a mission to lend whatever privilege and power he has to provide agency and platform to under-represented voices in Detroit to express their power and expertise.
Dr. Caldwell is an executive level solution focused strategist for social innovation. He is an accomplished leader in philanthropy, education and public health. As an award wining scholar-activist he has demonstrated a unique ability to move from vision through policy to sustainable implementation across multiple sectors. Leon's intellectual and leadership agility is a catalyst for highly effective teams. His entrepreneurial mindset and human centered management style are foundations for inclusive collaboration for innovation in organizations.
Kyla Carlsen is a self-motivated, analytical professional with a passion for the city of Detroit and a desire to contribute to its economic development by supporting neighborhood residents, promoting longtime businesses and connecting companies with their communities to optimize sustainable growth. Ten years of finance and operations experience combined with marketing, leadership development and community engagement has provided Kyla a comprehensive foundation for career growth in a challenging, fast-paced, dynamic environment.
Laura Grannemann is the Vice President of Rocket Community Fund and Executive Director of the Gilbert Family Foundation. Laura joined the Rock Family of Companies in May of 2014 after graduating from Georgetown University with a degree in International Development.
In her dual roles, Laura focuses on breaking down complex systems related to economic development and neighborhood stabilization, including Detroit’s tax foreclosure crisis, the mortgage market in the city, and creating education programs that prepare students for 21st century jobs in Detroit. She also oversees all volunteer engagement and giving initiatives for the Rock Family of Companies via the Rocket Community Fund.
Throughout her time with the Rock Family of Companies, Laura has led projects that bring together community, public and private partners such as Rehabbed & Ready, Motor City Mapping, Neighbor to Neighbor, the Make It Home program, and the Detroit Tax Relief Fund. This work has affected tens of thousands of Detroit residents, allowing families to stay in their homes, become homeowners, and build equity and opportunity.
Maleda Berhane is the Principal & CEO at AR Spruce LLC. AR Spruce provides expertise in feasibility studies, real estate portfolio planning, development, project management, owner’s representation, property management, REO, distressed asset management and re-positioning. They are a mission-driven real estate firm committed to changing the status quo in the industry through diversity and dedication to building sustainable communities.
Kiersten joined the Economy League as its new GPLEX Director for the program's 16th year. Her prior experience is in fields of architecture, sustainability, landscape design, real estate and human-scale planning. Kiersten's specialties include project management, community engagement and outreach, research and writing, inter-sectional planning, negotiation, human-centered design, and placemaking
As Executive Director of the Economy League of Greater Philadelphia, Jeff is responsible for running a 112 year-old regional think-and-do tank that believes that cultivating informed and collaborative leadership across sectors, using data and research to inform decision-making, fostering a culture of civic experimentation and innovation, and opening doors to civic participation are key to achieving inclusive growth and prosperity in Greater Philadelphia. They serve as a civic incubator to devise shared solutions to our region's challenges and are tackling issues of inclusive growth and racial equity head on. Learn more at www.economyleague.org. In his non-work hours, Jeff is chair emeritus and treasurer of the Philadelphia Crosstown Coalition, a citywide "chamber of civic associations." For ten years he served on the Board of Queen Village Neighbors Association, a civic association in Philadelphia. Under Jeff's leadership, QVNA developed a $250,000 a year dedicated revenue stream that has allowed it to become a pioneer in supporting neighborhood public schools and bridging racial and class divides in the neighborhood. Jeff's current civic focus is helping communities build support ecosystems ("Friends of" groups) around neighborhood public schools. This work led to the formation of a citywide network called the Friends Of Neighborhood Education. Jeff currently serves as the chair of the Northern Liberties Neighbors Association's Education Committee. Jeff ran for City Council in 2011 on a platform of comprehensive tax reform and job creation. After leaving academia in 2001 with a PhD in business history and publication of a well-regarded book on the real estate industry "A Nation of Realtors" (Duke UP 2005), Jeff joined the labor movement. For a decade, he helped low-wage workers in the service and education sectors build workplace and political power.
As Executive Director of the Economy League of Greater Philadelphia, Jeff is responsible for running a 112 year-old regional think-and-do tank that believes that cultivating informed and collaborative leadership across sectors, using data and research to inform decision-making, fostering a culture of civic experimentation and innovation, and opening doors to civic participation are key to achieving inclusive growth and prosperity in Greater Philadelphia. They serve as a civic incubator to devise shared solutions to our region's challenges and are tackling issues of inclusive growth and racial equity head on.
Kiersten joined the Economy League as its new GPLEX Director for the program's 16th year. Her prior experience is in fields of architecture, sustainability, landscape design, real estate and human-scale planning. Kiersten's specialties include project management, community engagement and outreach, research and writing, inter-sectional planning, negotiation, human-centered design, and placemaking.
Direct experience and talent in fundrasing, business strategy and development, management, program development, government relations, corporate and foundation relations, relationship cultivation and management, public relations, strategic implementation, grassroots campaigns, and communications. Content matter expertise in political strategy, community technology efforts, cultural, and social justice issues. Arun's Specialties: Government Liasion, Political Analysis, Corporate and Foundation Relations, Business Development and Procurement, Technology, Strategic Planning and Implementation, and Grassroots Organizing
A highly skilled and accomplished urban planner, designer and community developer, Antoine Bryant has directed the physical and social development of communities across the country. His academic training both here and abroad, has afforded him the opportunity to cover a wide scope of the built environment, allowing him to focus his expertise on underserved communities. A product of the NYC Housing Authority, Antoine is sensitive to populations that historically have been unheard, and not a part of the planning and design of their own communities. As a result, he managed the construction and rehabilitation of projects, affordable housing and multi-family properties across the country. As a natural extension of his work in the built environment, Antoine has nurtured an inherent ability to engage neglected communities in their comprehensive development. Community and public engagement is an integral aspect of his professional toolkit, and has led to his participation in community design charettes and engagement efforts in Houston, Dallas, Austin, and Galveston, TX; Central Falls, RI; and Oakland, CA, domestically. Antoine also was a part of the 1st international CPAT study sponsored by APA in Belize City, Belize.