The New York Times has called her a “leading voice for building a more inclusive local food economy to address persistent racial inequities.” Oprah said she “deserves a standing ovation.” Her TED talk has been viewed over a million times.

Meet Devita Davison, who combines her passion for culinary arts with activism and entrepreneurship.

As Executive Director of FoodLab Detroit, a non-profit organization that represents a diverse community of food businesses and allies working to make good food a sustainable reality for all Detroiters, Davison works to provide support to over 200+ good businesses through resource connection, mentoring, high-quality workshops, field trips and networking opportunities — all with the goal of cultivating good food businesses.

A native of one of the Blackest cities in America, with deep roots in activism and food sovereignty, Davison has the benefit of a long perspective on food movements and economies, and is a leading voice in the city’s food scene.

She has spoken, facilitated workshops and published writing on food justice, entrepreneurship and the localist movement, and has been featured in The New York Times, Eater, Civil Eats, Food & Wine, and more.

About This Session

In this Urban Consulate masterclass, Davison shares her received and earned wisdom on building more just and equitable communities through advocacy, community organizing and movement-building, including lessons on:

Listening to Community
Finding Your Why
Knowing Your Values
Building a Body of Knowledge
Honoring Your Work

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 lessons most enlightened, challenged and inspired you.

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