Demetria Gallagher is the Senior Director of Social Innovation at Shiver & Associates, where she oversees business development and manages all aspects of research development and strategic alliances for a range of corporate and philanthropic clients. Her expertise is leveraging data and research to support the development of new innovation models for minority-owned businesses and communities of color.

​

Demetria draws upon her breadth of experience in both thepublic and private sector as a national leader in strengthening underserved communities. Prior to re-entering the private sector, she served as a White House appointee to the Department of Commerce during the Obama Administration.

​

In support of President Obama’s focus on fostering inclusive innovation, Demetria spearheaded a range of cross-agency initiatives connecting STEM-oriented minority-owned businesses with the federal government’s science and technology resources. As Senior Advisor for Policy and Inclusive Innovation, Demetria also played an instrumental role in building the Inclusive Innovation Initiative, a national effort to increase the participation of minority business enterprises in technology transfer.

​

A native of Chicago, Demetria previously served as an academic advisor at the African American Academic Network, where she helped first generation college students successfully transition to the working world. In Chicago, she also founded UrbanCycle, a social impact real estate incubator to combat barriers to urban development in underserved areas.

​

A current resident of Washington, DC, Demetria holds a Bachelor’s degree in Sociology from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She also earned a Master’s degree in Sustainable Urban Planning from George Washington University. In 2016, she was selected to participate in the Social Impact Investing Program at University of Oxford.

 

EDUCATION

• University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, B.A.

• George Washington University, Sustainable Urban Planning

​​

PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS & CIVIC/COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT

• Founder, UrbanCycle

​

​