social impact council

Revitate’s Social Impact Council is comprised of a diverse, bipartisan, and multidisciplinary group of leaders with deep community, government and business expertise. The council advises on both overall social impact strategy for the firm as well as strategy and fund-specific initiatives to ensure that Revitate upholds high standards of community engagement, partnership, impact assessment, and transparency.

Josh Childress

CEO, LANDSPIRE GROUP

Josh co-founded LandSpire Group to further his personal commitment to community development and expand the investment platform for people of color. While Josh spent 15 years as a professional basketball player in the U.S., Greece, Australia and Japan, he has cultivated over 10 years of experience as a venture capitalist and real estate investor. He was a seed stage investor in Viola, the largest black-owned cannabis company in the U.S., is part owner of the SouthEast Melbourne Phoenix, the only black and minority-owned sports team in Australia and is a published author. In 2010, Josh founded the Josh Childress Foundation (JCF) to provide mentorship and resources to high school and collegiate athletes. He also established and funded the Josh Childress Athletic Scholarship, the first ever Summer Studies scholarship at Stanford University. Josh received his B.A. in Sociology from Stanford University.

 

Mick Cornett

FORMER MAYOR, CITY OF OKLAHOMA CITY & AUTHOR, THE NEXT AMERICAN CITY

Mick Cornett was the mayor of Oklahoma City from 2004-2018. He was the city’s first mayor to be elected to four terms. Named in 2018 to Fortune Magazine’s list of the 50 Greatest Leaders in the World, Cornett left office with Oklahoma City having produced 100,000 new jobs and over 9,600 new businesses. While in office, Cornett also secured Oklahoma City’s first major league sports team, the Oklahoma City Thunder, and the passage of a $777 million quality-of-life infrastructure program. Mick served as President of The United States Conference of Mayors between 2016-2017 and served as national President of the Republican Mayors and Local Officials (RMLO). Prior to public service, Cornett spent 20 years as a television sportscaster, news anchor, and broadcaster. His latest book The Next American City was published by Penguin/Random House in 2019. He now spends his time traveling to speak on his book, and consulting for a diverse group of businesses. Mick holds a B.A. in Journalism from the University of Oklahoma, and an MBA from New York University.

 

Shay Hawkins

PRESIDENT & CEO, OPPORTUNITY FUNDS ASSOCIATION

Hawkins is the co-founder and president of the Opportunity Funds Association, an advocacy, education, and communications organization established to enable Opportunity Fund managers and investors in Opportunity Funds to participate in public policy, share best practices and communicate the industry’s contributions to distressed rural and urban communities across the country. He also has served as staff director for the Senate Finance Subcommittee on Energy, Natural Resources and Infrastructure and as senior tax and economic policy advisor to Senator Tim Scott (R-SC). Shay earned his undergraduate degree in economics from The Ohio State University (OSU), his MBA from Columbia Business School as a Credit Suisse First Boston Fellow, and his JD from the Moritz College of Law at OSU.

 

Lisa Bhathal Merage (CHAIR)

CHIEF IMPACT OFFICER & MANAGING PARTNER, REVITATE

Lisa Bhathal Merage is Co-Founder, Chief Impact Officer, and Managing Partner of Revitate. She previously served as CEO of RAJ Swim, the Bhathal family’s 50-year-old women’s swimwear business. During her tenure, the firm successfully sold to private equity in what remains the largest private equity buyout in the swimwear industry. She was honored as the 2012 Mercedes Benz Fashion Week Swim Presents “Designer of the Year,” and 2015 Modern Luxury magazine “Altruist of the Year.” She has appeared in numerous fashion and business media segments, including CBS, NBC, FOX, and E! Entertainment Television. Lisa is presently a board member of the Orange County Museum of Art and previously served as on the boards of Gen Next, Sage Hill School, and St. Mary’s School. She is a graduate of USC's Marshall School of Business and holds a Certificate in Social Impact Strategy from the University of Pennsylvania.

 

Kunal Merchant

PARTNER & CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER, REVITATE

Kunal is Revitate’s Partner and Chief Operating Officer, overseeing the firm’s strategic and operational activities on behalf of the Managing Partners. Kunal also leads Revitate’s sports vertical, drawing on fifteen years of experience in the business of sports as a former senior executive and advisor to a range of major professional sports teams and organizations. Kunal was previously Co-Founder and Managing Director of Lotus Advisory, a consulting firm providing strategic, management, public affairs, and communications support to clients in sports, technology, real estate, public policy, and philanthropy. Kunal specializes in public-private partnerships, having played central leadership roles in over $10 billion in projects nationwide. Kunal was instrumental in the development of the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento via his roles as a Mayor’s Chief of Staff and Sacramento Kings executive. He is also a former nonprofit executive in health care and education and sits on the Board of the Green Sports Alliance. Kunal earned his B.A. with high honors from Harvard University, and M.B.A. from Harvard Business School.

 

Derrick Morgan

MANAGING PARTNER, KNGDM GROUP

Derrick Morgan is a former NFL linebacker who enjoyed an amazing nine year career with the Tennessee Titans. Derrick has a passion to change the narrative of a traditional athlete. He is a champion of empowerment for the underserved as well as an advocate for financial literacy. Derrick has been involved in commercial and residential development in Nashville and Austin over the last several years. He is a Co-founder of NexLegacy construction company, and engages with FEMA to deliver construction services to areas hit by natural disasters. Derrick is also an angel investor, investing in dozens of companies over his professional career. More recently, aligning his private finances with his values, Derrick has started KNGDM Group, an Opportunity Zone initiative focused on investing in projects and companies that generate a double bottom line return (financial + social/environmental). He is an early investor in food sustainable company Beyond meat, as well as Bitwise, a tech startup that administers technology training for minorities. Derrick believes that private investment has a critical role in revitalizing marginalized communities and continues to leverage his platform for positive change. Derrick is married with 2 children and his faith is the centerpiece of his life. He studied Business Management at Georgia Tech and received his MBA from the University of Miami.

 

Stephanie Rawlings-Blake

FORMER MAYOR, CITY OF BALTIMORE & CEO, SRB ASSOCIATES

Stephanie leads and founded SRB & Associates, which provides consulting and advocacy services to cities, businesses and elected officials. She previously served as Baltimore’s 49th mayor from 2010 to 2016. During her tenure, she passed significant legislation surrounding Baltimore financial planning and reform and helped make the city more immigrant friendly. She also served as President of the U.S. Conference of Mayors (USCOM) and Secretary of the Democratic National Committee following the reelection of President Obama. She currently serves on the USCM Board of Trustees.

 

Rachel Reilly

FOUNDER, ACES & ARCHERS

Rachel Reilly is Founder of Aces and Archers, a strategic advisory firm that specializes in impact investing and economic development. She recently departed her role as EIG's Director of Impact Strategy, where she led the organization’s work to support communities, policymakers and investors in their efforts to catalyze sustainable economic growth across the country through Opportunity Zones and other forward-thinking initiatives. Previously, Rachel was the Director of Impact Investing at Enterprise Community Partners where she expanded community investment opportunities for people and businesses. Rachel was at the helm of Enterprise’s engagement with Opportunity Zones, and her portfolio of work included leading Enterprise’s $100 million debt offering – the Impact Note – in addition to policy and advocacy activities related to impact investing. She has a Master’s in Real Estate Development from the University of Maryland, and served two terms as an elected representative in Washington, D.C.

 

Brett Theodos

SENIOR FELLOW, URBAN INSTITUTE

Brett Theodos is a Senior Fellow and Director of the Community Economic Development Hub at the Urban Institute. He is currently leading several efforts to study and inform the implementation of Opportunity Zones. His other work includes studies of the Economic Development Administration, the New Markets Tax Credit program, SBA and other small business loan and investment programs, and HUD’s Community Development Block Grant, Section 108, Strong Cities Strong Communities, and Choice Neighborhoods programs. He is studying how capital flows (or fails to flow) into communities, and the roles of mission finance actors like CDFIs. He is investigating the effects of several large placebased initiatives. Brett also directs Measure4Change, which provides technical assistance and facilitates a community of practice for nonprofits. Brett serves on the boards of the Center for Community Progress, the Douglass Community Land Trust, and the Housing Authority of Prince George’s County. He received his BA from Northwestern University, MPP from Georgetown University, and PhD in Public Policy from George Washington University.