Detroit native Darnell Adams is the Director, Detroit Community Initiatives for the Gilbert Family Foundation. He brings more than 10 years of community development, strategic planning, and thought leadership experience to his role. Throughout his career, Darnell has strived to build and adjust resources that directly affect Detroiters.
Prior to joining the Gilbert Family Foundation, Darnell served as Vice President, Neighborhoods at Invest Detroit where he led equitable investments in the city’s Strategic Neighborhood Fund districts with a special focus on supporting BIPOC developers. Previously, he served as the Director, Inventory for the Detroit Land Bank Authority where he oversaw the strategic disposition of 94,000 publicly owned parcels.
Darnell is a graduate of Michigan State University with a degree in Urban & Regional Planning. Darnell continues to push community development work forward as a board member of several community development organizations across Detroit and shares his work through local, national, and international forums.