EFM BLUE
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Together We Can Build and Serve

Our team is unified under one mission — to serve underserved communities. We want to help to bring your wildest dreams of transformation and growth to fruition. Meet the people passionate about rehabilitating the rich legacies of your communities.

EFM Our Team

Meet Our Founder

EK (Elisse) Douglass is passionate about reimagining what Black economic opportunity can be, and she believes strongly in the connection between real estate, solidarity economies, and racial justice. She specializes in leveraging strategic investments, partnerships, and bold visions to create the neighborhood economic hubs of the future, making sure they are equitable, innovative, and reflective of the community they serve.

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Russell A. Hicks

Program Manager

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Daniel Fireside

AGENDA Fund

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Crystal Robinson

CFO

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Matthew A. Grande

Fractional COO

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Jonathan Andrews

Acquisitions and Investment Analysis

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Hannah Marks

CPO

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TiYanna L. Smith

Program Manager

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Musu Taylor

Project Manager

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Todd Hestand

Managing Director

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Kim Carter

Program Director

EFM BLUE

Elizabeth Moriarty

AGENDA Fund

Let’s Work Together

We are currently hiring for a Senior Project Manager, Real Estate Development. If you are interested, please send a cover letter and resume to [email protected]. Please note that submissions without a cover letter will not be considered.

As we grow, we are constantly looking for value-aligned folks to join our team. If you don’t fulfill these exact requirements and are still interested in joining our mission, please send a cover letter and a resume to [email protected] We would love to hear from you!

Have a Passion for Change?

Here’s how you can support East Freedman & Main in our mission to reclaim and revitalize communities.

Russell A. Hicks

EF&M/AF Program Manager

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Russell A. Hicks is a esteemed business leader and dedicated social entrepreneur committed to sustainable impact for diverse families in local communities. His core values of efficiency, contingency, integrity, and loyalty can be attributed to his strong sense of family. Mr. Hicks, originally from Chicago, IL, is an alumni of Howard University’s School of Business with a B.B.A in Business Management and over 20 years of experience in economic development and access to higher education in under-served communities. He is passionate about empowering youth by training and mentoring future business leaders, and helps business owners and C-level suite executives to go green, make green and do good with their green through their business mission and operations. He has implemented his brand of sustainability, community development and the triple bottom-line business model (People, Place, and Profit) in various cities such as Salvador, Bahia Brazil, Atlanta, Los Angeles, Chicago and Philadelphia.

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Daniel Fireside

Agenda Foundation

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Daniel specializes in raising mission-aligned and reparative capital, having secured tens of millions in below-market financing for community-based initiatives through his firm, Uncommon Capital Solutions. With a career focused on non-extractive financing in both non-profit and impact business sectors, Daniel has served as Capital Coordinator for Equal Exchange and as a board member for Equal Exchange, Namaste Solar, and the Cooperative Fund of the Northeast. He is also a frequent speaker and writer on cooperatives and alternative financing.

Uncommon Capital Solutions
CEO and Founder

Crystal Robinson

CFO

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Crystal is a CPA and tenured director of finance, controller, and president of Resolute Accounting and Finance Solutions.

Resolute Accounting & Finance Solutions
Founder

Matthew A. Grande

Fractional COO

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Matthew was formerly a General Partner and COO at Shift Capital where he helped launch and manage the $40+MM Shift Neighborhood Fund and supported the development of Jumpstart Kensington, the Kensington Corridor Trust, and the Impact Appraisal. He now coaches and advises mission-driven and mission-emergent leaders to realize their ambitious, innovative, and equitable visions.

Equitable Innovations
Managing Partner

Jonathan Andrews

Acquisitions and Investment Analysis

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Jonathan Andrews is Principal of JJA Real Estate Consulting, a boutique impact capital and affordable housing advisory practice, based out of NYC. In a development management capacity, Jonathan has worked on projects with an aggregate value of +$475M, representing over 600 units of market rate and mixed-income housing. Additionally, in his current role as Principal of JJA Real Estate Consulting, Jonathan has experience with a variety of both traditional and impact financing tools, inclusive of LIHTC, NMTC, and FHA, amongst other federal/state/local sources.

JJA Real Estate Consulting
Principal

Hannah Marks

CPO

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Hannah is an entrepreneurial People Operations leader with over a decade of experience building teams and designing programs that lay a strong foundation for high-growth organizations like Lyft and Discord.

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Founder

TiYanna L. Smith

Program Manager

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TiYanna leads Medisi Ventures, an urban development firm focused on revitalizing neighborhoods and cities through action-oriented approaches in the real estate and cannabis sectors. With over a decade of experience as a business strategist, operations specialist, and real estate advisor, TiYanna is dedicated to empowering individuals, businesses, and communities to overcome challenges and capitalize on opportunities. Harnessing purposeful collaborations and holistic approaches, TiYanna is committed to driving meaningful, lasting social impact in urban environments.

Medisi Ventures
Principal

Musu Taylor

Program Manager

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Musu earned a Master of Science in Social Policy and Data Analytics from the University of Pennsylvania, with research focused on community development, juvenile justice, and education. Before joining BBF Co., she worked in education as a teacher and Business Operations Specialist for PHLpreK, building tools and curriculum to support site directors. Musu received a BBA and a minor in Africology/Af Am Studies from Temple University and is passionate about advancing Black philanthropy. She enjoys hiking, baking, and exploring new restaurants in her free time.

Todd Hestand

Managing Director

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Todd Hestand has over 15 years of experience in economic development, specializing in designing business technical assistance programs that promote equitable access and upward mobility for minority business owners. He has developed and managed a range of business support services, including workshops, accelerators, and funding programs, with a focus on minority-owned businesses in development, construction, and retail. Todd is skilled in change management and has led a decade-long research study on the effectiveness of business support programs for minorities in urban environments.

Elizabeth Moriarty

Faith-Based Relationships, Fundraising and Strategic Partnerships

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Elizabeth Moriarty accompanies, organizes and forms faith leaders and religious institutions, who desire radical transformation in themselves and their communities. Elizabeth does this work through coaching, advising and consulting for individuals and organizational leadership at faith-based institutions, community development organizations, and with other value-aligned partners. Some of her collaborations include accompanying the Lawndale Christian Development Corporation in Chicago, building partnerships for AGENDA Fund nationally, supporting convenings for the CIIC/Francesco Collaborative, and advising local faith and diocesan leaders in New Hampshire where she is preparing for ordination as a priest in the Episcopal Church.