Bridging Minority Businesses & Development Opportunities
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Reggie Harris, MSW, LISW-S, is a Cincinnati City Councilmember, chairing the Budget and Finance committee and vice-chairing the Equitable Growth & Housing Committee. A former professional ballet dancer with ten years of performing experience, he danced for the Joffrey Ballet of Chicago, Ballet Austin, River North Chicago Dance Company, and Dances Patrelle. Reggie spent four years working in Chicago's first public performing arts high school, developing and teaching aspiring young dancers. As a clinical social worker and nonprofit leader, Reggie has worked in affordable housing development, LGBTQ homelessness, housing case management, and behavioral health therapy. During his tenure on Council, Reggie has championed zoning legislation, reformed the budget process, and created a pipeline for housing development. Reggie received his undergraduate degree from Roosevelt University and his Master of Social Work from Boston University

Empowering Communities. Inspiring Change. Building a Sustainable Future.

Daniel Blackman

Former Biden-Harris Appointee

Founder, Renaissance94

Daniel Blackman is an American environmentalist, civil rights advocate, and public servant. He

has held various esteemed positions: He served as the former Director of Advocacy and Strategic

Partnerships for The Martin Luther King, Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change (“The King

Center”), he is the author of the book “Nationalism without Compassion,” the first black man to

assume the role of Regional Administrator for the United States Environmental Protection

Agency, the first ever Senior Advisor for STEM Recruitment and Diversity at the US

Environmental Protection Agency, and is the founder of the nonprofit Renaissance94, which

brings together people from around the world who care about promoting understanding between

different cultures and protecting the environment. 

With the mission of inspiring real and permanent change throughout society, Daniel’s

organization encourages thinking outside of the box while finding ways to leverage sports,

entertainment, and the creative economy, to solve big problems like the climate crisis. 

Learn more:

https://danielblackman.com/about/

https://r94.org/

Reggie Harris, MSW, LISW-S, is a Cincinnati City Councilmember, chairing the Budget and Finance committee and vice-chairing the Equitable Growth & Housing Committee. A former professional ballet dancer with ten years of performing experience, he danced for the Joffrey Ballet of Chicago, Ballet Austin, River North Chicago Dance Company, and Dances Patrelle. Reggie spent four years working in Chicago's first public performing arts high school, developing and teaching aspiring young dancers. As a clinical social worker and nonprofit leader, Reggie has worked in affordable housing development, LGBTQ homelessness, housing case management, and behavioral health therapy. During his tenure on Council, Reggie has championed zoning legislation, reformed the budget process, and created a pipeline for housing development. Reggie received his undergraduate degree from Roosevelt University and his Master of Social Work from Boston University

Majora Carter is a real estate developer, urban revitalization strategy consultant, MacArthur Fellow and Peabody Award winning broadcaster. She's responsible for the creation of numerous economic development, technology inclusion & green-infrastructure projects, policies and job training & placement systems.  She is also a lecturer at Princeton University's Keller Center.

Majora is quoted on the walls of the Smithsonian Museum of African-American History and Culture in DC: "Nobody should have to move out of their neighborhood to live in a better one” - which is also the subtitle of her 2022 book, Reclaiming Your Community.

Carter applies corporate talent-retention consulting practice to reduce Brain Drain in American low-status communities.  She has firsthand experience pioneering sustainable economic development in one of America's most storied low-status communities: the South Bronx, as well as cities across North America and abroad. 

She and her teams develop vision, strategies and the type of development that transforms low-status communities into thriving mixed-use local economies. Her approach harnesses capital flows resulting from American re-urbanization to help increase wealth building opportunities across demographics left out of all historic financial tide changes. Majora's work produces long term fiscal benefits for governments, residents, and private real estate developments throughout North America.

In 2017, she launched the Boogie Down Grind, a Hip Hop themed speciality coffee & craft beer spot, and the first commercial “3rd Space” in the Hunts Point section
of the South Bronx since the mid-1980s. This venture also provides a rare opportunity for local families to invest through SEC approved online investment platforms. 

Her ability to shepherd projects through  seemingly conflicted socio-economic currents has garnered her 8 honorary PhD's and awards such as: 100 Most Intriguing Entrepreneurs by Goldman Sachs, Silicon Alley 100 by Business Insider, Liberty Medal for Lifetime Achievement by News Corp, and other honors from the National Building Museum, International Interior Design Association, Center for American Progress, as well as her TEDtalk (one of six to launch that site in 2006).

She currently serves on the board of directors for STREB and Solar One, and has served on the boards of the US Green Building Council, Ceres, The Wilderness Society, and the Andrew Goodman Foundation.

Majora was born, raised and continues to live in the South Bronx. She is a graduate of the Bronx High School of Science (1984), Wesleyan University (1988 BA, Distinguished Alum) and New York University (MFA).  After establishing  Sustainable South Bronx (2001) and Green For All (2007), among other organizations, she opened this private consulting firm (2008) - which was named Best for the World by B-Corp in 2014.

While at Sustainable South Bronx, Carter deployed MIT’s first ever Mobile Fab-Lab (digital fabrication laboratory) to the South Bronx - where it served as an early iteration of the “Maker-Spaces” found elsewhere today.  The project drew residents and visitors together for guided and creative collaborations.  

In addition, Majora Carter launched StartUp Box, a ground-breaking tech social enterprise that provided entry-level tech jobs in the South Bronx, operating it from 2014-2018.  Majora Carter has helped connect tech industry pioneers such as Etsy, Gust, FreshDirect, Google, and Cisco to diverse communities at all levels.