The Karasi Development Group, under the visionary leadership of Katrina Lockhart and Dr. Ray C. Johnson, will execute the project working with our nonprofits and corporate partners. Our team is rooted in the belief that we can improve the lives of our community stakeholders by offering creative and purposeful solutions that address the needs of the community.

Moreover, both Katrina and Ray have decades of experience cultivating expansive business relationships in the public and private sector.  As long-time residents of Detroit and the Historical Districts, they have an intimate knowledge of the area and its evolution to date as they lend their time and skills to develop strategies that improve and safeguard the community.

Katrina Lockhart

Katrina Lockhart is the Founder & CEO of Karasi Development Group. She has over 25 years of successful business development in the private sector and has been lauded for her ability to build successful multi-million dollar brands. Katrina is known as a valuable resource on a national basis for her expert technical knowledge, marketing strategies, and overall business acumen. She is a steward and trustee of the Boston-Edison & Atkinson Historical Districts. The Lockhart family has been rooted in the community for more than six decades and it’s Katrina’s willingness and passion to build on its legacy.

Dr. Ray C. Johnson

Dr. Ray Johnson has earned the distinction of being one of the country’s top educational consultants and specializes in cross-sector collaboration and partnership building. Dr. Johnson has founded and assisted in the development of schools across the country.  He has been a pioneer in the realm of character education, accelerated learning, and multicultural curriculum through his groundbreaking, site-based management. He has elevated parental and community involvement to record-breaking levels.

As the former Chair of the Neighborhood Service Organizations Board of Directors, he worked closely with community stakeholders, governmental agencies, and investors to restore the historic Michigan Bell Building on Oakman Blvd. in Detroit.  This $50 million community investment is providing 155 safe, fully furnished, one bedroom apartments for formerly homeless adults.

Seeding Future Growth

Listed in no particular order are our collaborators, partners, and supporter:

  • UAW-Ford
  • Rosa Parks Institute
  • Detroit Historical Museum
  • The Blue Nile Restaurant
  • O’Brien Construction
  • Hubert Massey
  • Century Partners
  • Virginia Park Community Coalition – District #5
  • Community Development Advocates of Detroit (CDAD)
  • Invest Detroit
  • Joe Heaphy, Ethos Development Partners
  • Neighborhood Service Organizations (NSO)
  • Neighborhood Legal Services Michigan (NLSM)
  • Local Initiatives Support Corporation (Detroit) – (LISC)
  • City of Detroit, City Council, Mary Sheffield
  • City of Detroit, Recreation Department
  • City of Detroit, Planning & Development
  • Coalition of Black Trade Unionists (CBTU)
  • Central Detroit Christian Community Development Corporation
  • Life Remodeled
  • Motor City Match

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