Leonard Davis

Leonard Davis (Leo) has a passion for community organizing and community empowerment. While growing up in the city of Newark, New Jersey, Leo felt the impact of what it means to have a community invested in you from a young age. As a result of this support, Leo chose to dedicate his career to both pouring back into the city that raised him and helping other cities in need of support. Through working with numerous nonprofits, local officials, religious clergy, and community residents, Leo is deeply connected to his passion: giving back to communities in need.

Before joining GreenLight Fund, Leo was an Associate Director of Corporate Service at Jersey Cares, a nonprofit organization that connects volunteers with community needs across New Jersey. While there, Leo worked with major corporations such as the NBA, Goldman Sachs, the New York Red Bulls, Barclays, and other Fortune 500 companies in their efforts to give back to communities across the nation. A large part of his role involved the creation of an impactful bridge between corporations and nonprofits, schools, churches, senior citizen homes, and other varied organizations.

Leo attended Saint Peter’s University where he received a MA in Public Administration. After graduating, he began working for the East Orange Recreation Department as an Administrative Assistant. In this role his primary focus was the East Orange Food Program, which provided meals for youth in the city throughout the year. With this program, Leo was able to supply meals to youth in the community and provide them with mentorship and guidance on how to access the different programs available through the East Orange Recreation Department. While in this role, Leo also worked as a Teacher Assistant for John Costley Middle School where he provided mentorship and educational assistance to students.

After Leo’s departure from East Orange, he began working for BRICK Education Network, where he served as a Neighborhood Ally Coordinator. While there, he developed a true understanding of what it meant to be a community organizer as he developed key relationships and partnerships with the community in Newark South Ward. During his time at BRICK, Leo pioneered long-standing community events in the South Ward including South Ward Gives, BRICK’s annual Thanksgiving celebration. Further, he constructed a community performing arts space, The Culture Spot, which continues to bring positive and impactful change to the community. On a personal level, Leo’s time at BRICK provided him the opportunity to give back to the community that supported him throughout his upbringing.

Leo also worked for the Partnership for Maternal and Child Health in Northern New Jersey as a Program Manager where he helped create a fatherhood program titled FELLAS. FELLAS stands for Fathers Empowered to Lead, Learn, and Achieve Success. The FELLAS program aids fathers in the Essex County area by providing them with a variety of parenting and couples communication skills, with the ultimate goal of helping them become better fathers and partners. FELLAS also connects fathers in the community to much needed resources such as employment opportunities, child care assistance, and training programs. As Program Manager, Leo built local partnerships, managed the program’s administrative and fiscal budgets, and frequently assisted in the recruitment of fathers for the program. The FELLAS Fatherhood Program remains open to fathers in Essex County and is known for its positive impact on fathers and their families in the community.