Five HIM Leadership Network participants presented their community development plans at a national real estate conference.
When five young people from the HIM Leadership Network took the stage at the National Community Real Estate Conference in Atlanta, the audience of seasoned professionals took notice.
These weren’t students reading from a textbook. They were presenting original community development plans — proposals they had researched, designed, and refined over months of mentorship through the HIM Leadership Network.
The presentations covered topics ranging from converting vacant lots into affordable housing to creating youth-owned cooperative land trusts. Each plan was grounded in real data from their Sacramento neighborhoods.
“I was nervous at first,” admits 20-year-old participant Destiny Williams. “But then I realized — I know this material. I’ve lived it. These aren’t just ideas to me. This is my community.”
The conference organizers were so impressed that they invited HIM to return as featured speakers for next year’s event. Several attendees offered mentorship and partnership opportunities on the spot.
For HIM Leadership Network director James Carter, the moment was a validation of the program’s approach: “We don’t just teach leadership in a classroom. We put young people in rooms where decisions are being made — and we let them lead.”
All five participants are now working on implementing versions of their plans in Sacramento, with support from new professional connections made at the conference.
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