Gypsy is CEO of the Power Broker Media Group and Urban Market Analytics, a Florida-based firm that specializes in designing, funding and evaluating place-based solutions for economic equity in majority-black, low-income communities. She has 27 years of experience in the field of community economic development and has worked with 40+ development organizations – public and private, in the U.S. and overseas – to design national, statewide, regional, city and sub-city initiatives that helped accelerate job creation, business growth, commercial revitalization, and employment gains. Her experience includes:
- Working on development teams that developed, co-developed and financed 400,000 square feet of retail, office and institutional space, and 200 units of affordable housing;
- Working with U.S. Treasury-certified Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs) to devise strategies to raise and deploy capital in low-income communities;
- Working with City governments and Community Redevelopment Area (CRA) authorities to plan and pilot development initiatives;
- Working with funding organizations to develop and evaluate funder collaboratives for community real estate development, workforce development, and micro & small business development;
- Working with NGOs, CDCs, BDOs and government agencies to create business incubators, business lending programs and shared services models for business development.
In St. Petersburg, Gypsy’s roles have included Vice President & Director of Development for Urban Development Solutions (9 years), an award-winning CDC that co-developed Tangerine Plaza Shopping Center and Lakeview Apartments, and aided in the build-out and reopening of the Manhattan Casino.
Gypsy is also CEO of The 2020 Plan, a collective impact initiative to reduce the poverty rate by 30% in South St. Petersburg by 2020 and Executive Director of the One Community Plan development process to create a 10-year plan for equitable growth for “black St. Petersburg.” Previously, she was Lead Organizer of a 6-year advocacy effort that inspired creation of the South St. Petersburg CRA, now forecasted to generate $100 million in tax increment funding to community initiatives over 30 years.
Elsewhere, Gypsy’s roles have included Vice President of International Enterprise Development, helping to implement MicroEnterprise Florida, an Enterprise Florida initiative to conduct training and technical assistance with a state network of microbusiness organizations; Chief Development Officer, TheSAS Group, on a project to develop and raise equity for artificial general intelligence products targeting “challenge” populations; Lead Evaluator & Impact Analyst for the Greater Newark CareerWorks Funder Collaborative and for CareerEdge Funders Collaborative; and as Publisher of The Power Broker magazine.
Education & Academia:
- Master of Public Policy, Harvard University Kennedy School of Government, Dual Concentration in Political & Economic Development and International Trade & Finance
- Bachelor of Arts, Whitney Young College of Leadership at Kentucky State University, Double Major: English Literature & Liberal Studies / *Magna Cum Laude & Senior Leadership Award Recipient
- Certificate of Completion, Chase Manhattan Community Real Estate Development Institute
- Guest Lecturer, University of South Florida Community Real Estate Development Program
- PEL Professor, Eckerd College, Microeconomics & Macroeconomics
Service & Leadership:
Gypsy has received two dozen awards for service and leadership. She is prolific in volunteerism and has served on the board and leadership teams for 20+ organizations/initiatives. She has also served as a panelist and keynote speaker for national, state and local conferences on the topic of black community advancement. ■