Designing Community Collaborations

An Interview with Jairius Matthews

Jairius Matthews, co-director of the Embers Project in Stockton, CA discusses what it takes to build truly community-centered development collaboratives.

Jairius works to “activate local community leaders to envision and plan new inclusive economic development projects, and connect them to resources and support to make those visions come to life.”

Her interview is full of insights about how to ensure residents remain front and center throughout development processes and how to design strategies that move a group toward an abundant sense of possibility.

Thanks for reading! The papers in the From the Ground Up series are public drafts. Please fill out our evaluation at your convenience.