Ezekiel Harris is a seasoned social impact leader, entrepreneur, and strategist with more than a decade of experience advancing community and economic development across the nonprofit, real estate, and startup sectors. He brings a deep commitment to building ecosystems that foster collaboration, innovation, and economic mobility.
Prior to joining Co.act Detroit, Ezekiel served as Founder and Principal Consultant of Freedmen’s Lab, a firm that partners with mission-driven organizations to strengthen operations, design innovative programs, and expand access to capital. He was previously Chief Operating Officer at Urū Sports, a $1.6M venture-backed workforce development startup connecting former elite athletes to meaningful careers, and Senior Project Manager at IFF, where he led feasibility and real estate development efforts for community-based projects across the Midwest.
Earlier in his career, Ezekiel served as Executive Director of MACC Development, where he oversaw the $2 million transformation of a 12,000-square-foot building into a vibrant community hub and expanded programs that supported neighborhood revitalization and entrepreneurship. He also helped launch United Way X, the social innovation lab at United Way for Southeastern Michigan, where he led cross-sector collaborations to address systemic issues such as youth transit and tax foreclosure.
A graduate of the University of Michigan–Ann Arbor, where he was captain of the Men’s Varsity Soccer Team, Ezekiel has been recognized with the Spirit of Detroit Award and was featured in the Detroit Metro Times “People of Detroit” issue for his leadership and community impact.
