THE BRONX COMMUNITY FOUNDATION - Key Persons
"The Bronx is not only my home, having been born and raised in The Bronx, but The Bronx is a borough I consider a place of great strength and opportunity. I consider myself a product of Bronx philanthropy. Co-founding The Bronx Community Foundation allowed me to give back to a community that has given me so much."
A proud New Yorker and Bronxite, Derrick H. Lewis is an energetic and passionate advisor and entrepreneur. He has spent the last fifteen years advising various early and late stage organizations in corporate and technology strategy, strategic planning, growth, risk management, and human capital.
Derrick co-founded The Bronx Community Foundation, the first and only public community foundation solely dedicated to The Bronx, New York. The Bronx Community Foundation's focus is to empower residents to achieve their full potential, advance the well-being of The Bronx community through enabling community power, and make The Bronx a global destination.
Desmon W. Lewis is a proud Bronxite and strong non-profit advocate. He has spent the last 15 years helping to redefine the next generation of transformative impact leveraging digital transformation and technology. He currently helps startup, growth and enterprise companies support underserved and underrepresented communities leveraging financial technology to drive economic empowerment.
Desmon was materially impacted by the grit and strength of the community where he was born in The South Bronx and saw his family dedicate their lives to the Bronx non-profit community, who also supported them as well. Indebted to the non-profit community, Desmon co-founded The Bronx Community Foundation, the first and only public community foundation solely dedicated to The Bronx, New York. The foundation aims to build for scalability, multi-generational sustainability, resilience and wealth. Putting the community needs first, the foundation focuses on the unique needs of individuals, families, and neighborhoods within The Bronx.
"I moved to The Bronx when I was 16 years old, became a youth organizer and led the team that founded The Bronx School for Law, Government and Justice. The Bronx is my home and where I spent the majority of my professional career. In The Bronx I learned so much about what it meant to be part of a community and the importance of including the voices of those we serve as a part of the decision making process is how we ensure change is real and impactful."
Dr. Meisha Porter is The Bronx Community Foundation's inaugural President and CEO. Meisha previously held the position of Chancellor of the New York City Department of Education, the largest school system in the nation. She was responsible for educating 1.1 million students in over 1,800 schools. Prior to taking on the role as Chancellor she served as The Bronx Executive Superintendent where she was deeply invested in sharpening school leaders' equity lens and building collaborative practices across schools.
She also served as the Superintendent for Community School District #11 and Principal of The Bronx School for Law, Government and Justice(LGJ). During her tenure at LGJ, Meisha served as Community Coordinator, Internship Coordinator, and taught English before becoming an Assistant Principal and then taking the helm as Principal in 2004. Having worked her way up through the ranks, she is exceedingly aware of the challenges city schools and communities face and has dedicated her life to improving the learning environment for all students.