Derek Lumpkins is an entrepreneur, consultant, and writer who works and lives at the intersection of intentional community engagement and meaningful social change. A Boston native, Derek draws upon over a decade of experience supporting the growth and visibility of communities of color through work in the for-profit, non-profit, and higher ed sectors. Derek launched his consultancy, ReFresh Strategies, in 2020 during the national and worldwide protests in support Black lives. Corporate America’s resulting release of vague and tepid statements supporting social justice pushed him to recognize that 20th-century performative approaches to community engagement and allyship were unsuccessfully being applied to more complex 21st-century situations. With an eye toward sustainable relationships and fresh perspectives, Derek works with consulting and coaching clients to design mutually-beneficial, progressive, creative, ethical, and socially-just solutions that push at the boundaries of the status quo to create meaningful change. Additionally, he is an advocate for breaking generational cycles of economic instability in order to achieve and enjoy financial freedom. Specifically, he supports individuals and groups with learning about the range of topics related to real estate investing, including their own personal motivations, some of the underlying financial concepts, and navigating systemic barriers. Derek is a graduate from Swarthmore College and SOAS University of London, an alumnus of LeadBoston, and former participant in racial justice workshops with the Interaction Institute for Social Change. He has written short articles for Bostinno and the Boston Globe and has appeared on CityLine (WCVB-TV) and Basic Black (WGBH-TV).