Why is he on our inspiration board

Fred's entire life embodies the power of reational networks - the very idea that community can repair what circumstances try to break. He then spent nearly two decades at the YMCA building programs that helped young people find belonging, purpose, and upward trajectory — work rooted in the same belief that human connection transforms lives. His story is a reminder that leadership doesn’t start with power or position — it starts with being shaped by others and choosing to pay that gift forward.

Where is he from?


Growing up in Saginaw amid food insecurity and instability, he experienced firsthand how neighbors, church, and family stitched his life together through care and generosity.

Big break in life

When the Aspen Institute and David Brooks launched Weave, Fred was a natural choice to lead it because he had lived the problem and spent his career creating the solution: rebuilding trust, strengthening local fabric, and elevating everyday “weavers” who hold communities together.

His network

When you look at the institutions someone has been part of, it gives you a window into their network, and who they might know.

• The Aspen Institute
• YMCA
• National Conference of Black Mayors