Derwin Sisnett
Derwin Sisnett has spent the last fifteen years in community development, public education, and impact investing with a particular focus on coalescing and maximizing community assets. He is a cofounder and partner at Maslow Development Inc., a real estate & community development firm that advises, designs, and develops mixed-use communities anchored by high-quality schools.
Prior to Maslow, Derwin cofounded and served as the CEO of Gestalt Community Schools, a charter management organization that develops high-quality, community-based charter schools in Memphis, Tennessee. Honored by the White House and the U.S. Department of Education for improving school performance through community-based partnerships, GCS grew into one of the highest-performing networks of schools in Tennessee, anchoring over 40 acres of a mixed-use development that Derwin spearheaded, including a performing arts center and affordable housing.
Derwin holds a bachelor of arts in psychology from Emory University, a master of fine arts in creative writing from Hollins University, and a doctor of philosophy in educational psychology from the University of Memphis, where his arts based research examined the effects of the built environment on marginalized communities. He is a Broad Fellow and a Fellow of the Aspen Global Leadership Network, where he was selected as a Braddock Scholar.