“Zach is an exemplary leader whose passions and determination made him an exceptional asset and team member at City First. His contributions for our housing and community wealth building initiatives helped both programs progress and led to key decisions impacting the future direction of the initiatives. Zach is very bright and dedicated and you could trust him to complete projects with the highest professionalism and talent. All of the team enjoyed working with him and he is sincerely missed here. An organization would be incredibly fortunate to have Zach contributing to its future. ”
About
Zach Komes is Associate Director at Founders First Capital Partners, a national impact…
Activity
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It was a pleasure speaking with NPR about the anti-DEI backlash. While anti-DEI activists seek to frame DEI as about so-called "racial preferences,"…
It was a pleasure speaking with NPR about the anti-DEI backlash. While anti-DEI activists seek to frame DEI as about so-called "racial preferences,"…
Liked by Zach Komes
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August is National Black Business Month! Over the last 5 years, CFE has deployed over $22 million in financing to support 39 Black-owned businesses…
August is National Black Business Month! Over the last 5 years, CFE has deployed over $22 million in financing to support 39 Black-owned businesses…
Liked by Zach Komes
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We’re heading in the right direction, but we’re not stopping here. While we’ve made progress, it’s just a small step forward. At CFE, our mission…
We’re heading in the right direction, but we’re not stopping here. While we’ve made progress, it’s just a small step forward. At CFE, our mission…
Liked by Zach Komes
Experience
Education
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Harvard Business School
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Activities and Societies: HBS Impact Investing Fund (Co-Lead), Harvard Social Enterprise Conference (Finance Co-Chair, Panel Captain), Harvard Venture Capital Private Equity Conference (Panel Captain), Cross-Harvard Study Group on the Future of Work (Student Consultant on MA state healthcare workforce strategy), Rising Leaders for Social Impact (Facilitator), Case Writer (proposed "Impact Developers Fund" - first of its kind case added to 1st year finance curriculum on racial wealth gap and community development finance)
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Activities and Societies: Roosevelt Institute (President/Policy Director), GW Bank on DC Campaign (Co-Lead Organizer), DC Students Speak, Politics & Values Program, Undergraduate Economics Association, Real Estate Investment and Development Organization, Honors Econometrics Statistics Thesis - "Economic Growth Without All: Examining Factors Limiting and Expanding Black Business Development in the U.S."
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Travel to New York City, São Paulo, Ahmedabad, and Cape Town for comparative, cross-discipline urban planning honors program on challenges and opportunities in global metropolitan areas.
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Licenses & Certifications
Projects
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GW Task Force on Local Supplier Diversity
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Led a successful advocacy campaign that encouraged the university to establish a committee of administrators, faculty, and students to create a supplier diversity purchasing and construction contracting program at George Washington University. Conduct best practices research to develop a working proposal. Meet with stakeholders to determine feasibility and sustainability.
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GW Bank on DC Campaign
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Led a successful advocacy campaign that encouraged the university to make $250,000 impact investment deposit in a local community development financial institution in DC. Drafted full proposal, created campaign strategy, set up meetings with stakeholders, prepared resources, and delegated tasks to team members.
Honors & Awards
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Horace W. Goldsmith Fellow
Harvard Business School
Award for incoming MBA students with commitment and exemplary leadership for social impact
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Nonprofit of the Year
DC Chamber of Commerce
Awarded for advocacy for District-based minority-owned companies through the DC Community Anchor Partnership
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Featured Grantee, Annual U.S. Bus Tour
JPMorgan Chase
Honored with site visit by Jamie Dimon, Chairman/CEO, for roundtable discussion on DC Community Anchor Partnership
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DC Economic Strategy - High-Impact Initiative
District of Columbia Executive Office of the Mayor
Featured in DC's 5-year economic development plan (2017-2022) as a high-impact initiative supporting goals to grow private sector GDP by $100M and reduce unemployment below 10% for all races, wards, and education backgrounds
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Innovation Fund Grant Competition
Citi Bank
Selected as recipient of international grant competition for innovations in financial inclusion and economic empowerment
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City of Milwaukee Proclamation
Mayor Tom Barrett
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Milwaukee Hero of the Week
Shepherd Express Magazine
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City of Milwaukee Commendation
Milwaukee Common Council
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Youth Leadership Award
Interfaith Conference of Greater Milwaukee
Languages
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English
Native or bilingual proficiency
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Spanish
Limited working proficiency
Organizations
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White Men for Racial Justice
Member
- PresentWMRJ is an anti-racist pro-justice community of practice rooted in personal transformation, relationships of mutual accountability, and taking action in our spheres of influence.
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JUST Capital
JUSTGen Member
- PresentA community of early/mid-career changemakers dedicated to furthering stakeholder capitalism, and putting purpose-driven, values-based leadership into practice.
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EveryDistrict PAC
Co-Founder & Finance Director
-Strategy, finance, reporting, and evaluation for national grassroots political action committee, which raised nearly $3.5M for 250 state legislative campaigns in 12 states, helping 3 states flip blue and electing dozens of new lawmakers in other states.
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ProInspire
Management Fellow
-Participate in Managing for Success professional development program for emerging leaders, focused on improving how they manage self, others, and organizations.
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StartingBloc
Social Innovation Fellow
-Participate in institute and ongoing fellowship of leaders committed to making a world that works for everyone.
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School for International Training (SIT)
IHP Alumni Mentor
-Serve as a resource to prospective applicants for the SIT International Honors Program's Cities in the 21st Century study abroad program.
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Roosevelt Institute @ GW
President, Policy Chair
-Led the GW chapter of the Roosevelt Network, a national student-led think tank, from the early stages of its re-establishment on campus. • Created a strategic planning process and board retreat, enacting reforms that increased membership by 55%. • Designed and implemented successful advocacy campaigns, including leading to $250,000 in impact investment deposit and creation of a task force on local supplier diversity by the university. • Facilitated workshops on a variety of topics including…
Led the GW chapter of the Roosevelt Network, a national student-led think tank, from the early stages of its re-establishment on campus. • Created a strategic planning process and board retreat, enacting reforms that increased membership by 55%. • Designed and implemented successful advocacy campaigns, including leading to $250,000 in impact investment deposit and creation of a task force on local supplier diversity by the university. • Facilitated workshops on a variety of topics including idea brainstorming, policy writing, student organizing, and initiative evaluation at chapter meetings and regional conferences.
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Young People For (YP4)
Advocacy Trainer, Fellow
-Participated, and now train students, in a year-long progressive leadership development and policy advocacy program through People for the American Way.
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DC Students Speak / DC Students Speak-GW
Field Director
-Worked on campus and in the larger DC region to increase student participation in local elections. • Led a successful lobbying campaign of university administrators to encourage university-sponsored busing to a polling station from the Mount Vernon Campus, allowing students to more easily vote in the 2012 presidential election. • Worked in a team that registered several hundred students to vote by dormstorming and tabling, efforts that contributed to the successful election of three GW…
Worked on campus and in the larger DC region to increase student participation in local elections. • Led a successful lobbying campaign of university administrators to encourage university-sponsored busing to a polling station from the Mount Vernon Campus, allowing students to more easily vote in the 2012 presidential election. • Worked in a team that registered several hundred students to vote by dormstorming and tabling, efforts that contributed to the successful election of three GW students to the Advisory Neighborhood Commission 2A.
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Milwaukee County Youth Task Force
Board Member
-Contributed to an audit of County-sponsored youth programming for the Milwaukee County Board through presentations, site visits, and review of County resources.
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American Civil Liberties Union of Milwaukee
Board Member
-Appointed youth representative to the Board of Directors of the ACLU of Wisconsin-Milwaukee chapter.
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City of Milwaukee Youth Council
President/Member (District 10)
-Elected twice as leader of youth commission, successfully lobbying 2 council resolutions, holding 3 press conferences, and allocating $125,000 in city funds.
Recommendations received
5 people have recommended Zach
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