The Fall 2022 Cohort is excited to connect their passion and purpose to actionable change through their FUSE fellowships. We asked them, “What inspired you about the FUSE fellowship and what do you hope to achieve through your project?” DeWayne Bright, Sr. — Kansas City, Kansas FUSE Project: Economic Sustainability Through Affordable Housing I was … Continued
Kristin Vogel — Milwaukee, WI FUSE Project: Implementing a Framework to Advance Racial Equity in Milwaukee County I am inspired by Milwaukee County’s strategic plan commitment and action toward addressing racial inequities to enable the County to become the healthiest in Wisconsin. Through the FUSE fellowship, I aim to be additive to the good work … Continued
As a FUSE Executive Fellow, Daniel Han (2018-19) worked with the City of Long Beach Economic Development Department to provide access to inclusive capital to minority- and women-owned small businesses in low-income communities. He created a comprehensive guide that lists local responsible, affordable, inclusive lenders (RAIL) lenders, their respective loan programs, and the potential advantages … Continued
Collaboration is the cornerstone of FUSE, and we are always looking for exciting ways to connect with government partners both new and existing. After a couple of years communicating with government leaders via phone, email, and virtual meeting rooms, our team was thrilled to once again attend The United States Conference of Mayors (USCM) in … Continued
L’eon Romanazzi – Kansas City, Missouri I was intrigued by the opportunity to put my skills to the test helping limited/low-income families have access to the same opportunities as those with access to greater income. During this year, I hope to create a space where industry experts can work together to form a continuum (from … Continued
As a FUSE Executive Fellow, Autumn McDonald (2015-16) worked with the San Francisco Office of the Mayor to help lead a women’s economic empowerment agenda, which included shaping policies and public-private initiatives, as well as designing the Bay Area Women’s Empowerment and Opportunity Summit. The event convened leaders to focus on solutions that would increase … Continued
As Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month comes to a close, FUSE recognizes the large contributions the AAPI community has made throughout the history of this nation. In honor of this month, we are reflecting on the work of our executive fellows and how they are continuing to push the needle forward in the … Continued
As a FUSE Executive Fellow, Rafael Bracero (2017-18) worked with the Los Angeles Office of Finance to improve how the city communicates its available services to underrepresented small business owners and streamline the registration and permitting processes for L.A. businesses. Rafael is now the Director of Marketing Strategy at MNTN, a performance TV adtech platform. … Continued
The COVID-19 pandemic continues to expose the strengths and weaknesses in public health infrastructure across the nation. The already deep impact of COVID-19 on Texans was further compounded by unprecedented winter storms, far-flung rural populations, and hard-to-reach low-income communities—resulting in lagging vaccination and testing numbers. In 2021, two Texas counties chose to address these issues … Continued