Ja’Net Defell

Fulcrum Fellows

2017 - 2018

Field Catalysts

2022 - 2023

Focus Area:
Community and Economic DevelopmentFinancePhilanthropyRacial EquityShared Ownership
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Community Desk Chicago
Chief Executive Officer
Chicago, Illinois

Ja’Net Defell currently leads Community Desk Chicago. In her current role, Ja’Net coordinates capital access for community-based real estate development projects. Through her ecosystem work, Ja’Net manages community-based capacity building programs and supports city-wide innovative capital solutions including community investment vehicles to advance equitable wealth-building opportunities.

Ja’Net has more than 20 years of management consulting, urban planning and real estate development experience. She holds a Master of Urban Planning and Policy from the University of Illinois at Chicago and a Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) from the University of Michigan.