Phillip Ford, The Movement Martial Arts, Washington, DC

The Movement Martial Arts, founded by Phillip Ford in Washington, D.C., empowers Black and Brown youth through a unique blend of Taekwondo, kickboxing, and leadership development. Designed to be affordable and accessible, the program integrates social-emotional learning, faith-based reflection, and character formation grounded in the core values of Focus, Integrity, Grit, Honor, and Tenacity—the “FIGHT” framework. Beyond martial arts training, The Movement fosters confidence, discipline, and purpose, helping students strengthen their minds, bodies, and spirits while opening pathways to greater opportunities in school, sports, and life.

Rev. Dianne Rodriguez and Terri Berkey Gonzalez, Greater Woodburn Opportunity Center, Woodburn, Oregon

Spearheaded by Rev. Dianne Rodriguez and Terri Berkey Gonzalez, the Greater Woodburn Opportunity Center (GWOC) in Woodburn, Oregon, is transforming the historic Immanuel Lutheran Church into a multicultural, intergenerational community hub. The eight-acre site will include spaces for social services, early childhood education, senior programs, affordable housing, walking trails, and immigrant care initiatives. The center will also house Feeding Woodburn, which serves nearly 1,000 meals weekly, and the North Marion Adult Center. Rooted in faith and community care, GWOC models a new vision of church—where feeding, connection, and opportunity nourish both body and spirit.

Candace Maloney, DW/B, University Park, Maryland

DW/B: Design Within Studio – Design Beyond Lab
Founded by architect Candace Maloney, DW/B is a Maryland-based architecture and research studio dedicated to community-led, sustainable design. With a focus on adaptive reuse, mixed-use, residential, and commercial projects, the firm integrates local materials and modern functionality to create resilient, inclusive spaces. Candace’s Caribbean roots and deep belief in community stewardship shape DW/B’s mission to make thoughtful architecture accessible to all. A lecturer at the University of Maryland, she also led design efforts for the National Endowment for the Arts’ Citizens Institute on Rural Design, advancing place-based design through collaboration and engagement until funding for that program ended this year.

Jada Ford, Sisterhood, Indianapolis, Indiana

Sisterhood is a six-session, community-based program founded by Jada Ford to strengthen relationships between mothers and daughters through shared meals, mindfulness practices, and soulful reflection. Designed to foster healing, trust, and joy, the program provides family stipends and support to ensure access for all participants. With the goal of nurturing resilience and connection among families facing the pressures of modern life, the program models dignity-centered community care and is expanding its reach through partnerships and sustainable, family-focused programming.