Donald Alexis established Caribbean Integration Community Development (CICD) in 2011 to promote the wellbeing and advancement of the residents of Mattapan–a low-income, working-class and predominantly black neighborhood in the greater Boston area that is home to a large population of Haitian and Caribbean immigrants.

 

As a Haitian immigrant himself, Donald sees neighborhood revitalization through a uniquely personal lens. An advocate for social equity, Donald works to affect change by including those most impacted by community development decisions in the planning process. He brings his neighbors into critical discussions on issues that affect their futures and those of their children and gives them the tools and knowledge they need to successfully advocate for themselves and their community. This progressive approach has empowered the marginalized residents of Mattapan to improve access to social services in their neighborhood and to secure three City of Boston-owned parcels of land as the sites for the construction of 140 affordable housing units. These constructions will transform this struggling neighborhood into a thriving community and attract outside investments to further enrich Mattapan and its residents.

 

Prior to founding CICD, Donald was a software analyst for Partners Healthcare. Donald holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth and is certified by the National Development Council in the area of historic real estate development finance.

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Donald Alexis was named “Change Maker” by Hub Week in 2018,  “Haitian American Young Professional of the Year” in 2019 by the US Haitian Chamber of Commerce and one of Boston Business Journal 's 2020 40 under 40.