Harm Repair at Scale: Transportation Infrastructure and Equitable Development Projects

Randolph Belle is the founder of the nonprofit SOA Village Housing DBA EVOAK, which supports the advancement of creative placemaking; he’s the co-founder and partner of Creative Development Partners (CDP), a creative community development firm; and founder of RBA Creative (RBA), a business development center for the arts. He brings over 30 years of experience in Oakland and San Francisco as an artist and social impact leader. His work spans public, private, and civic initiatives, emphasizing responsible economic and community development by leveraging innovation as a tool. His approach, championed by CDP, centers on "community benefit by design," which utilizes market-based frameworks to address community-based challenges.

Randolph's current work includes facilitating multiple harm repair initiatives tied to transportation infrastructure projects that displaced Black families in redlined neighborhoods through urban renewal and eminent domain, including Equitable Black Berkeley, an initiative supporting the legacy Black residents of South Berkeley, and Vision 980, a CalTrans project to study the removal of the I-980 freeway and reclamation.

He also facilitates the groundbreaking multi-agency environmental justice initiative and supports the development of a 2.5-acre eco-industrial artisan park, both in West Oakland.

Randolph is a founding organizational member of the Black Cultural Zone in East Oakland and leads a multi-year Wallace Foundation-funded research initiative to study Black culture in East Oakland’s as a tool for community development.

Brandi Howard is a dynamic and results-driven leader with extensive experience in philanthropy, public health, and community development. As the President and Chief Executive Officer of East Bay Community Foundation, she provides strategic vision and operational leadership for a nearly 100-year- old philanthropic institution with more than $500 million in assets under management. Under Brandi’s leadership, EBCF is leveraging its resources to promote economic freedom and sustainable development in underserved East Bay communities. Since joining EBCF in 2022, Brandi has mobilized $4-5 million in annual strategic grantmaking, enhanced capacity building for organizations in Alameda and Contra Costa counties, and advanced local advocacy efforts that influenced critical public safety policies. 

Brandi has demonstrated a deep commitment to equity and social impact throughout her career. Her tenure as Chief of Staff to the CEO and Interim Vice President of Programs at The San Francisco Foundation (SFF) highlighted her ability to lead organizational strategy and foster cross-sector collaboration. She was pivotal in designing SFF’s first multi-year strategic plan, developing success metrics, and overseeing a $5 million annual grantmaking budget. 

An expert in health equity, Brandi held leadership positions at the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, where she spearheaded citywide initiatives to address racial inequities in chronic disease and maternal health. Her efforts resulted in policy interventions and place-based strategies that improved health outcomes for marginalized communities. She has also contributed to improving maternal and child health in Alameda County, California, through program development and policy consulting with First 5 Alameda County and her work as a doula. 

A respected thought leader in social determinants of health, economic inclusion, and organizational development, Brandi has served in numerous advisory and consultancy roles. She is passionate about fostering sustainable social change through collaborative philanthropy, data-driven evaluation, and inclusive community engagement. 

Brandi has a Master of Social Welfare with a focus on Management and Planning and a Bachelor of Arts in African American Studies from the University of California, Berkeley. She is also pursuing executive education at Harvard Business School, focusing on Leading Business Transitions. 

In addition to her professional accomplishments, Brandi is committed to mentoring future leaders, especially in Oakland where her family has lived for four generations.

Anthony is a cross-sector collaborator, published researcher, and data-driven leader passionate about harnessing partnerships, research, and stakeholder engagement to catalyze change, drive effective decisions, and guide strategic planning for scaling programmatic delivery and social impact. Raised by his teenaged mother in a multi-generational household, Anthony harnesses his lived experiences to drive the values of inclusivity, courage, and compassion through his work. These principles guide his commitment to improving outcomes for marginalized and under-resourced communities to repair harm and historical injustices. 

Currently serving as Deputy Chief of Staff to the Mayor of Berkeley, Anthony leads the office’s legislative and policy agenda, ensuring alignment across a broad spectrum of strategies while managing a dynamic team. A graduate of UC Berkeley’s Goldman School of Public Policy, Anthony honed his expertise in policy analysis, impact assessment, and strategic planning through rigorous academic training and hands-on projects. With over 10 years of professional experience spanning government, education, law, and nonprofit sectors, he has worked on initiatives such as increasing equity in school districts, evaluating policies for disenfranchised groups, and driving effective stakeholder engagement. 

Anthony is a proud LA Chicano with Mayan ancestry, deeply inspired by his family's sacrifices and the resilience of countless others striving for a better life. Outside of his professional endeavors, he enjoys traveling, curating music playlists, attending live art events, moving his body, and exploring new ways to stay connected to his roots and communities.

Wilhelmenia “Mina” Wilson is Executive Director at Healthy Black Families, Inc., a non-profit community based public health organization based in Berkeley, CA. Healthy Black Families, Inc. organizes individuals, families, and the organizations that serve them, into collaborative communities empowered with skills to advance social equity and justice, with a focus on Black people, families and communities. Mina’s ancestry connects her to Somerset Place, a historic North Carolina plantation where five generations of her ancestors were exploited as enslaved people. Mina holds BA degree in Business Administration from Georgia State University and a MA in 21st Century Leadership from St. Mary’s College of California. She lives in Northern California and is the proud mother of two adult children. Comments restricted to single page.