To everything he does, he brings his lived experience as a child growing up on the Eastside of Detroit, noticing and questioning disinvestment around him. Today, he works to build and adjust resources that directly affect the people of his city.

Meet Darnell Adams, Director of Detroit Community Initiatives for the Gilbert Family Foundation, where he helps steward the foundation’s $500 million, 10-year commitment to building equity and opportunity in the city. The foundation pursues this through philanthropic investments that create wealth-building opportunities and break down systemic barriers, such as inequitable property tax debt among low-income homeowners.

As Vice President of Neighborhoods at Invest Detroit, Adams led equitable investments in the city’s Strategic Neighborhood Fund Districts with a special focus on supporting developers of color. As the Director of Inventory for the Detroit Land Bank Authority, he oversaw the strategic disposition of 94,000 publicly owned parcels.

As a board member for neighborhood groups like East English Village Association, Eastside Community Network, and East Warren Development Corporation, Adams has worked to advance economic empowerment, civil rights and social action. Adams received his B.S. in Urban & Regional Planning at Michigan State University.

About This Session

In this Urban Consulate masterclass, Adams shares his personal and professional journey in building more just and equitable communities, including lessons in:

Owning Our Communities
Working Closely with Community
Inclusive Planning
Preserving Neighborhoods
Participatory Budgeting

How To Watch

Watch on your own time, at your own pace — or invite friends or colleagues to watch together and discuss! Share your favorite wisdom by tagging @UrbanConsulate and hashtag #InSession. We’d love to hear what most inspires or challenges you.

This class is available for free to the public thanks to generous support from the Ford Foundation. With deep gratitude to Darnell for sharing his knowledge and expertise.