Meet The Team
Henry C. McKoy, Ph.D.
Director Emeritus
Dr. Henry C. McKoy, Jr., is considered by many as the leading thinker and researcher in the area of inclusive and equitable entrepreneurial ecosystems. He currently serves as Faculty Entrepreneurship Lead, Director of Entrepreneurship, and Director of the Eagle Angel Network at North Carolina Central University School of Business, as well as the founding Director of the Entrepreneurship Ecosystem Research Clinic and Lab. In addition to NCCU, he holds simultaneous academic appointments at: Kenan Flagler School of Business at UNC-Chapel Hill; Duke University’s Sanford School of Public Policy and the Samuel DuBois Cook Center on Social Equity; and Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government – where he leads an effort to create a network of equitable global cities. He is a former Aspen Institute Scholar, former Kenan Institute of Private Enterprise Entrepreneurship Fellow, and former Assistant Secretary of the NC Department of Commerce – where he was the top community and economic development official in the state of North Carolina. Dr. McKoy is one of the top researchers in the United States and highly sought out to complete research projects with government agencies at the local and state levels. In addition, he is a sought-after speaker on entrepreneurial inequity and ecosystems. He is frequently quoted in local, regional and national media on the topic of racial equity in entrepreneurship and economic development.
Anita Scott Neville
Director, Hayti Reborn Community Action Council
Anita Scott Neville is a Durham native who has served the community since her teenage years. As a member of the first class of students to graduate the “forced integration school system” she made civic history in Durham Public Schools by being the first Black student to cross racial barriers in positions she held in the predominantly white school she was assigned. Simultaneously, Anita shadowed her Father who was among the business owners in the historic Hayti District; specifically on Pettigrew Street. Since graduating from UNC Greensboro, Anita’s career has been rooted in public service in professions in local and federal government and community development. Currently, Anita serves as Restorative Practices Coordinator and Equity Champion in the Durham Public Schools system. Her passion and belief in the “science” of restorative practices led her to become a licensed trainer and to complete graduate certification from the International Institute of Restorative Practices (IIRP). On a broader field she serves families and faculties in her role as a trainer on the Peaceful Schools’ Staff Development Team. Additionally, Anita serves on the Community Engagement Team for Hayti Reborn and experiences maximum gratitude in this opportunity to revitalize and restore. Anita is also the founder and principle of CommYUnity Matters, LLC, a non-profit collective whose goal is to work with individuals and groups in support of their efforts to address issues that affect their ability to be of maximum service. Having served in local and federal government in service to a wide variety of constituents, Anita brings to her work an appreciation for the broad scope of community needs that could benefit from a restorative practices platform. Service to groups and families that comprise the core of the community is her primary focus. Anita’s self-reflections honor the spirit of “Ubuntu - I am because you are” and her awareness that community matters.
Keisha Williams, Ph.D.
Media Lead
Keisha Williams is a strategist, communicator, and advocate whose career spans corporate, nonprofit, higher education, and community-based leadership. She began her professional journey in the corporate sector, building expertise in business development, account management, and consumer behavior before earning her MBA from Elon University and later completing a Ph.D. in Higher Education.
Her career path then led her to higher education, where she served as Director of Marketing and Communications, developing strategies and campaigns that advanced academic and community objectives. She later directed statewide communications efforts to strengthen civil liberties, social justice, and grassroots advocacy. She also serves on the board of a nonprofit theater organization that uses the arts to drive dialogue and action around issues of justice and equity.​​
Today, Keisha brings this blend of corporate expertise, academic scholarship, strategic communications, and social justice advocacy to her work with Hayti Reborn, where she helps ensure the story and mission of Hayti are told in ways that foster deeper connection, amplify resident voices, and strengthen the movement for equitable development, housing justice, and cultural preservation. Her greatest joy is integrating the skills she has acquired across her career into community-driven work that uplifts historically Black spaces and builds a more just future.