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WELCOMING JAMES AND JOHNNY!
Ujima is proud to welcome two new staff members to our team, James Vamboi Jr and Johnny Charles!
James Vamboi (Chief of Staff, Community, and Culture): James is a social worker, visual artist and fundraising strategist originally from Philadelphia. He moved to Boston to serve on the City Year Boston 2012-2013 corps and never left. James cares deeply about people and the planet and is inspired by the work of the Justice Funders, Bayard Rustin and his Sierra Leonean aunties who taught him all about love.
He will play a critical role in supporting the strategy and execution of the assemblies as well as thoughtfully stewarding our partnerships in the movement. Prior to Ujima, James worked at Health Leads for 3 years primarily focused on managing a portfolio of institutional & individual donor relationships against cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship activities. James is honored to support the economic world-building that the Boston Ujima Project is envisioning and continue to build towards a world where all humans are in right relationship with change and each other.
Johnny Charles (Managing Director, Ujima Fund): Johnny was the Director of Economic Development at Dorchester Bay Economic Development Corporation where he managed and oversaw a subsidiary of the organization, the Neighborhood Loan Fund, which deploys capital to local small businesses in Boston. In addition, he managed the organizations Re-entry program, and a number of economic mobility initiatives as extended programs of the Economic Development Department.
Johnny came to Dorchester Bay from the Heller School for Social Policy and Management, where he was the Associate Director of Admissions for the institution’s six graduate school programs. He worked in the field of economic development on behalf of small businesses for a number of years. First, serving as the Boston Program Manager for Interise Boston, managing its flagship program then, as the Economic Development Specialist for Codman Square Neighborhood Development Corporation.
He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Communications with a focus on Journalism from Curry College and a Masters of Business Administration from Brandeis University, The Heller School for Social Policy and Management.
TOMORROW at 6PM: '#CO-DIRECT with Ujima'
Our next Ujima Open Meeting is tomorrow, Wednesday, June 17, from 6:00pm-8:30pm.
- 6:00-7:15pm #CoLearn: The US Federation of Worker Cooperatives will present a multi-part series on Cooperative Work. The first installation presents an overview of the history of co-op organizing in communities of color.
- 7:15-8:30pm #CoCreation: Anchor Institutions and Investor Outreach
PLEASE RSVP. Thank you!
- June 17th Ujima Open Meeting
- June 17th Anchor Institutions
- June 17th Investor Outreach
- Join online: Register here for Ujima Meeting
Time: Wednesday, June 17rd, 6PM | Location: Zoom Only
#CoLearning Recap: Member Stories, Cooperative Work
Check out the link to view the video.
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Upcoming Ujima Meetings
We hold Open Meetings every Wednesday at 6pm via Zoom. Check out our May Calendar below!
#UjimaWednesdays Meeting Agenda:
6:00-7:15 - Community Building + Financial and Political Education.
7:15-8:30 - Member Team Meetings (Based on rotating schedule; See calendar below)
