Innovators
Wanted

Darnell Adams serves as Vice President of Detroit Community Initiatives, where he guides the investment strategy focused on expanding economic opportunity for Detroit residents. In this role, he oversees the teams responsible for advancing work across housing stability, economic mobility, public spaces, and arts and culture.

Darnell’s work centers on advancing coordinated, cross-sector solutions that strengthen neighborhood stability while increasing access to opportunity. Under his leadership, the Foundation supports efforts that range from preventing tax foreclosure and improving housing stability, to connecting residents to workforce and entrepreneurship pathways, activating public spaces, and investing in Detroit’s creative economy. His approach emphasizes building systems that are more accessible, aligned, and responsive so residents can more easily connect to the resources they need to thrive.

Prior to joining the Gilbert Family Foundation, Darnell served as Vice President of Neighborhoods at Invest Detroit, where he led equitable investment strategies across the city’s Strategic Neighborhood Fund districts with a focus on supporting BIPOC developers and inclusive growth. Previously, he served as Director of Inventory at the Detroit Land Bank Authority, where he developed and managed the strategic plan for the disposition of more than 90,000 publicly owned parcels.

Darnell holds a degree in Urban and Regional Planning from Michigan State University. He is a former Human Rights Commissioner for the City of Detroit and remains actively engaged in shaping the city’s future through board service and civic leadership. He regularly contributes to local and national conversations on equitable development, housing systems, and community investment.

Andrea Benson serves as the Director of Housing Stability for the Gilbert Family Foundation. In this role, she leads the team’s housing stability strategy and portfolio of investments to ensure every Detroit resident has access to safe, stable and affordable housing.

A native Detroiter, Andrea has deep experience in the nonprofit sector, where she previously worked to create products and services that support housing stabilization and affordability, economic mobility, small business development, and environmentally sustainable practices in Detroit. Prior to joining the Gilbert Family Foundation, she worked at the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) where she managed business retention and expansion projects throughout Wayne County.

Andrea is a graduate of the University of Michigan and New York University’s Wagner School of Public Service where she received a degree in urban planning.

Brandi Brown is a Program Manager on the Economic Mobility Team with the Gilbert Family Foundation. Through the lens of community and family development, she focuses on building strategies that remove economic hardships and lack of financial opportunities across generations.

Brandi’s work with the Gilbert Family Foundation’s Economic Mobility Team fosters co-designed initiatives that helps Detroit households reimagine their ability to grow and maintain their income through increased wages, skills attainment, and pathways to entrepreneurship. Prior to joining Gilbert Family Foundation, Brandi programmed the over-arching Rocket Family of Companies’ team member-facing initiatives at Rock Connections.

Brandi began her service career as a AmeriCorps member with City Year Detroit, where she launched learning partnerships with the Detroit Public School Community District. Brandi’s equitable collaborations with Youth on the Edge of Greatness, Matrix Human Services and College for Creative Studies helped to launch Detroit Neighborhoods Arts Workshops, the first Detroit joint initiative aimed at creating entrepreneurship pathways for young artists. Complimented by her background in holistic health, Brandi’s professional principles are grounded in supporting Detroiters through trauma-informed practices and partnerships.

Brandi attends Wayne State University, where she is earning a degree in Psychology and Urban Education & Equality Studies.

Jessica Brown serves as Grants Manager for Gilbert Family Foundation’s Detroit Community Initiatives. In this role, she oversees grantmaking process and compliance for the Housing Stability, Arts & Culture, Public Spaces, and Economic Mobility teams. Jessica works closely with the Program teams to execute effective and efficient grantmaking.

Originally from Cincinnati, Ohio, Jessica began her career in higher education in Boston, Massachusetts. She taught writing and literature while pursuing a doctorate in English with a focus on memory and history in multi-ethnic American fiction. Since transitioning to the philanthropic sector, Jessica aims to contribute to broader positive impact in her adopted hometown of Detroit. Most recently, Jessica served as Grants Manager for The Skillman Foundation, where she managed the Foundation’s annual grants budget.

Jessica holds a bachelor’s degree in English from Olivet Nazarene University, a master’s degree in English Language and Literature from University of Cincinnati, and a Ph.D. from Tufts University in English Language and Literature.

Cayla Chamberlin is a Senior Program Manager with the Gilbert Family Foundation. A passionate public space professional, she works to create safe, inclusive, and active parks and public spaces in Detroit. In her role on the Public Spaces team, Cayla works with neighborhood organizations, nonprofits, and government entities to invest in public spaces throughout the city.

Cayla has experience working on a variety of projects in Detroit including the building of the Esplanade in downtown Detroit and the redevelopment of McDuffy Park in the Piety Hill neighborhood. She has been leading the Downtown Detroit Winter Markets in Cadillac Square since the initiative was created in 2017.

Cayla is a graduate of Michigan State University with a bachelor’s degree in English and an additional degree in Communications.

Laura Grannemann is the Executive Director of Rocket Community Fund and Executive Director of 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.

Bryana Hall Sloan serves as the Operations Manager for the Gilbert Family Foundation. She supports the Foundation’s dual mission of accelerating a cure for neurofibromatosis and building opportunity in Detroit by creating seamless user experiences and technical solutions to solve the team’s most complex problems. Bryana is a technical generalist with experience in data analytics and building data capture tools and strategy. She has built, designed, and maintained technologies ranging from cybersecurity mobile apps to automobile infotainment units. Prior to working at Gilbert Family Foundation, Bryanna was a Data & Reporting Specialist at Detroit Symphony Orchestra.

A Michigan native and proud Detroiter, Bryana holds a B.A. in Informatics and Social Computing from the University of Michigan.

Akua Hill serves as the Gilbert Family Foundation’s Director of Arts and Culture, where she drives forward key initiatives to strengthen Detroit’s creative cultural landscape. In her current role, Hill harnesses her deep experience in community development, social justice, and shaping strong cultural ecosystems to actively support the creation of equitable and inclusive arts and culture programming in Detroit neighborhoods.

Previously, Hill served as the Capacity Building Director for Community Development Advocates of Detroit (CDAD), where her work focused on building neighborhood power through transformative community-centered processes. In collaboration with key community partners, Akua was responsible for developing a comprehensive technical assistance system to support the capacity building needs of community development organizations across the city of Detroit. She also co-authored the Rest and Liberation Initiative report and aided the Kresge Foundation and Co.Act Detroit in building more accessible, equitable and trust-based philanthropic practices for their grants programs.

A native of Harlem, New York, Hill has worked on various educational advocacy initiatives in New York City and Newark, NJ. She worked closely with students, families, community partners and elected officials for the attainment of strategic advocacy goals focused on the equitable distribution of educational resources. Akua has facilitated a wide range of community informed planning projects – from working on Mayor Karl Dean’s Child and Youth Master Plan for the city of Nashville, Tennessee, to guiding local community organizations in Bahia, Brazil through a process of evaluating and improving their engagement strategies.

Hill holds a bachelor’s degree in Human & Organizational Development and a master’s degree in Community Development & Action from Vanderbilt University. She is an alum of the Economic Justice Alliance of Michigan Fellowship and was selected as one of the emerging leaders for Bank of America’s 2018 Neighborhood Builders Award. Additionally, Hill was part of Everyday Democracy’s Institute for Community Change Leaders cohort and completed the Advancing Racial Justice in Organizations training at the Interaction Institute for Social Change.

Taylor Jackson serves as the Grants Administrator at the Gilbert Family Foundation. Taylor works closely with the Grants & Operations Team to oversee the day-to-day operations of grantmaking, manage payment processes, maintain compliance, and track grant performance and reporting requirements. Her expertise lies in driving collaboration, enhancing operations, coordinating partnerships, and delivering impactful results for mission-driven organizations. In her most recent role, Taylor successfully supported youth and community programs, donor relations, and strategic initiatives at SOAR Detroit.

Taylor holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Marketing from Oakland University and an M.B.A in Project Management from Central Michigan University.

Efrén Muñoz is a Technical Data Steward for the Gilbert Family Foundation’s Curing NF team, where he advances open science and FAIR data practices to accelerate neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) research. In this role, he supports the design and implementation of data infrastructure, ontologies, and stewardship workflows that enable researchers across the global NF community to discover, access, and responsibly reuse critical research datasets and tools.

With a background in physics and molecular engineering, Efrén has spent the past several years developing technologies and frameworks that better analyze, characterize, and share biological systems. His work bridges the gap between complex data ecosystems and the researchers who depend on them, translating technical challenges into practical solutions that maximize research impact and reproducibility.

Growing up in Detroit, Efrén developed a deep commitment to community-centered problem-solving. His experience living, working, and volunteering within Detroit’s communities—addressing both economic and medical barriers to health—has shaped his belief that equitable access to data and resources is fundamental to advancing rare disease research. This philosophy directly informs his approach to building inclusive, transparent data stewardship practices.

Efrén holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Biomedical Physics from Wayne State University and a Master of Science in Molecular Engineering from the University of Chicago.

Alysse Miller is a Senior Program Manager on the Gilbert Family Foundation’s Detroit Community Initiatives team. She brings a decade of experience in the housing sector, with a focus on expanding access and preserving safe and affordable housing. In her role at the foundation, Alysse works to help Detroit resident protect and preserve their assets through home repair programs and housing stability initiatives including foreclosure prevention and resource navigation.

Prior to joining the Gilbert Family Foundation, Alysse served as the Director of Program Operations in the Single Family Preservation Department at CHN Housing Partners. In this role, she led a range of home repair and acquisition rehab programs across Detroit and Ohio. She also worked at the Detroit Land Bank Authority where she supported efforts to return vacant and underutilized properties to productive use and helped hundreds of residents gain or regain ownership of the homes they were living in.

Alysse holds a Bachelor of Arts in Urban Studies from Wayne State University.

Kayleigh Morton is the Senior Director of Grants and Operations at the Gilbert Family Foundation. She oversees the day-to-day and long-term operational planning for both the Gilbert Family Foundation and NF Forward, a nonprofit founded by the Gilberts. In addition to leading the Grants and Operations team, Kayleigh works closely with team members, leaders, and grantees to cultivate and maintain strong partnerships across the Curing NF and Building Opportunity and Equity pillars of the foundation.

Previously, Kayleigh served in an operations and grants management role at the Quicken Loans Community Fund (now Rocket Community Fund). Prior to joining the Family of Companies, she supported urban development research at the Virginia Department of Transportation.

Kayleigh graduated from the University of Virginia’s School of Architecture with a degree in Urban and Environmental Planning.

Dr. Elwy Okaz serves as the Integration Lead on the Gilbert Family Foundation’s Curing NF team, where he leads the Gene Therapy Initiative. Before joining the foundation, he was a Research Scientist at the Max Planck Florida Institute for Neuroscience, focusing on the molecular mechanisms of synaptic plasticity and their impact on memory and learning.

Dr. Okaz holds a B.Sc. in Pharmacology and Pharmaceutical Sciences, providing him with a comprehensive understanding of disease conditions and therapeutic strategies. He also earned a Master of Science in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from the University of Bremen in Germany, where his research centered on the posttranslational modifications of Hepatoma-Derived Growth Factor.

Beyond his academic accomplishments, Dr. Okaz gained valuable experience as an Associate Scientist with the Project Search and Evaluation team at the Center for Drug Research and Development (now adMare BioInnovations, Canada). In this role, he conducted scientific due diligence and fostered strategic partnerships between academia and industry. His contributions supported preclinical translation efforts for innovative therapies, including first-in-class small molecules, biologics, and platform technologies targeting unmet medical needs.

Dr. Okaz earned his Ph.D. from the Max Planck Institute for Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics in Germany and completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Oxford’s Systems Biology Department. During this time, he made significant contributions to the understanding of molecular mechanisms governing chromosome segregation, cell fate determination, and cell cycle reprogramming. His work has been published in prestigious journals such as Cell, Developmental Cell, Current Biology, and The Journal of Neuroscience.

Kinnus Paul serves as the Senior Program Manager on the Economic Mobility team, supporting the Foundation’s skilled trades workforce development portfolio. As a lifelong Detroiter with nearly 20 years of experience in community and workforce development, he brings a strong understanding of the systems, barriers, and opportunities that shape outcomes for Detroit residents and small businesses. Kinnus blends lived experience with professional expertise to design and support programs that are practical, accessible, and rooted in the real needs of the community. His philosophy is, “lead from within.” This perspective guides how Kinnus shows up as both a practitioner and a funder, centered on listening, informed by experience, and shaped by data. He focuses on building solutions that expand access, create opportunity, and drive long-term sustainability for the communities he serves.

Through his leadership, Kinnus continues to advance efforts that align community voice, workforce systems, and economic opportunity to create lasting impact and to get Detroiters paid!

Caroline Poole oversees the logistics and behind-the-scenes work of the grantmaking process at the Gilbert Family Foundation. As the Grants & Operations Manager, she supports the Economic Mobility team in executing projects that create a vibrant entrepreneurial ecosystem in the city, invest in small businesses and skills training, and build economic opportunity for Detroit residents. Caroline’s work is also focused on supporting our Curing NF team, where she collaborates with scientists to manage research projects for the foundation’s Vision Restoration Initiative.

She comes to the Gilbert Family Foundation with years of experience in the nonprofit industry. Previously, she served as the Communications & Strategic Initiatives Manager at Global Ties Detroit, where she was responsible for leading projects to improve the organization’s infrastructure and outreach.

Caroline holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Professional Writing from Michigan State University, and an M.A. in Public Policy and Administration from Northwestern University.

Andrea Scobie serves as the Senior Program Manager on the Arts and Culture team.  She has spent her 20-year career in a wide variety of roles in the Detroit arts space, and has worked as an arts educator, administrator, performer, producer, and director at arts and cultural organizations of all sizes and types, including serving as the Director of Education at Matrix Theatre Company for nearly a decade.

Prior to joining the Gilbert Family Foundation, Andrea was the Director of Education at Detroit Opera where she led all programming. She was responsible for connecting more than 25,000 Detroit residents of all ages with music, theatre, and dance experiences annually. Andrea collaborated with artists, educators, civic leaders, K-12 schools, universities, nonprofits, and community organizations across all sectors, building partnerships and programs to bring the arts out of the Opera House and into Detroit neighborhoods.

As an arts educator, Andrea has worked with young people ages 5-18 to create over 100 new plays and musicals that reflect their own experiences and concerns. She believes deeply in the power of the arts to transform individuals and communities. Andrea holds a B.A. in Musical Theatre Performance from Oakland University.

JJ Velez is the Senior Director of Public Space at the Gilbert Family Foundation, leading projects and partnerships in service of our mission to elevate public spaces – including the beautification of public parks, engaging public activations and sustainable public art. Prior to joining the organization in 2020, JJ served as the Deputy Director of the City of Detroit’s Parks & Recreation Department.

In his current role, JJ brings unbridled enthusiasm and positive energy to elevate our community engagement and create robust, out-of-the-box partnerships. He has an appreciative grasp of the critical role that quality programming – especially sports and after school – has had on his own life’s trajectory. He remains committed to making a positive impact in his community, both by creating access to public spaces for the community to connect, and through his extensive volunteer efforts.

Dr. Poornima Venkat is a Scientific Program Manager on the Gilbert Family Foundation’s Curing NF Team, and leads the Gilbert Family Foundation’s Brain Tumor Initiative. With a decade of experience in developing novel therapeutic approaches to improve disease outcomes, she is dedicated to transforming patient care and enhancing healthcare outcomes, particularly for those with unmet needs.

Previously, Dr. Venkat held a joint appointment as an Assistant Scientist/Professor in the Department of Neurology at Henry Ford Health, and the Department of Physiology at Michigan State University. She has served as the Principal Investigator on multiple studies funded by the National Institute of Aging, American Heart Association, nonprofit foundations, and has collaborated with pharmaceutical companies to develop neuroprotective and restorative treatments for stroke and vascular dementia.

Dr. Venkat graduated from Anna University in India with a Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Engineering. She received her PhD in Biomedical Sciences from Oakland University, Michigan, and completed her post-doctoral training in Neurology at Henry Ford Health, Michigan.

Paris Wilson serves as the Senior Program Manager on the Gilbert Family Foundation’s Housing team. A proud Detroit native, Paris has a decade of experience in nonprofit management, grant management, program design, and implementation. His dedication to doing good for others empowers him to serve as a catalyst for meaningful impact and positive change for Detroit residents.

Prior to joining the Gilbert Family Foundation, Paris was a Grant Specialist at the Baltimore Mayor’s Office of Homeless Services, where he led initiatives and a steward of federal funds to help end homelessness in Baltimore City. Additionally, he worked directly with nonprofit partners and grant recipients, where he evaluated programs and administered compliance training in order to drive forward their mission.

A proud alumnus of Michigan State University with a Bachelor of Arts in Social Relations & Policy, Paris also holds a master’s degree in public administration from the University of Baltimore. Now back in his hometown, he is committed to championing the causes that matter most to Detroiters, from tax foreclosure relief to eviction prevention and probate assistance.

Kenyetta “Kitty” Yarbrough, BSW, MSW, serves as a Program Manager on the Gilbert Family Foundation’s Housing Stability team. In this role, she leads strategic initiatives to reduce property tax foreclosures and expand access to the Homeowners Property Exemption (HOPE) Program, helping Detroit homeowners secure long-term housing stability and build generational wealth. Her work centers on collaboration, equity, and sustainable community impact.

A two-time graduate of Wayne State University, Kenyetta brings more than two decades of experience across human resources, community development, and public service. She has counseled, trained, and placed hundreds of individuals in meaningful careers as a Human Resources Manager; advanced neighborhood revitalization as Community Engagement Manager for the Grandmont Rosedale Development Corporation; and connected residents to essential health and education resources as Enrollment Manager for the Detroit Medical Center’s Path to Health Campaign. She was also previously licensed through the State of Michigan as a Foster Parent. She also served as a Guardian Ad Litem for the State of North Carolina, advocating for children in the foster care system.

Kenyetta’s career reflects a deep commitment to strengthening communities and expanding access to opportunity.

Dan Gilbert is Founder and Chairman of Rocket Companies, which went public on August 6, 2020. He is also Founder and Chairman of Rocket Mortgage (formerly Quicken Loans), the nation’s largest mortgage lender; Founder and Chairman of the Rock Family of Companies, a portfolio of technology businesses and real estate investments; and Chairman of the Cleveland Cavaliers. In 2016, the Cleveland Cavaliers won the NBA championship. The Rock Family of Companies and its more than 100 affiliated companies across the country employ more than 30,000 team members, including more than 17,000 in Detroit’s urban core.

From 2013 through 2018, Detroit-based Quicken Loans closed nearly half a trillion dollars in home loan volume across all 50 states, and in 2019, for the tenth consecutive year, earned J.D. Power’s highest rating for client satisfaction among all U.S. mortgage lenders.

Dan is also an active investor in fintech, sports-related and consumer direct companies. Dan is a Founder and Principal of Detroit Venture Partners (DVP), a venture capital firm that funds startup and early-stage technology companies and a Founding Partner of Detroit-based private equity group Rockbridge Growth Equity.

In February 2016, Dan co-founded Detroit-based StockX, the world’s first ‘stock market of things’, combining the visible, liquid, anonymous, and transparent benefits of a stock market with the online consumer secondary market.

Dan began moving his Family of Companies to Detroit’s central business district in 2010 in an effort to help lead the transformation of a great American city. In 2011, Dan co-founded Detroit-based Bedrock, a full-service real estate firm specializing in acquiring, leasing, financing, and managing commercial and residential space. Since its founding, Bedrock and its affiliates have invested and committed more than $5.6 billion to acquiring and developing more than 100 properties, including new construction of ground up developments in downtown Detroit and Cleveland, totaling more than 18 million square feet.

Dan serves on the boards of the Cleveland Clinic and the Children’s Tumor Foundation. In 2015, Dan and Jennifer Gilbert established the Gilbert Family Foundation and in 2017, formed NF Forward to fund cutting-edge research dedicated to finding a cure for neurofibromatosis (NF).

Dan earned his bachelor’s degree from Michigan State University and his law degree from Wayne State University.