Alissa Shelton is a facilitator, citizen-developer, and community activist. She is the first executive director at Brick + Beam Detroit, an organization which grows capacity and community around home repair and building rehabilitation. Prior, Alissa was the director of training for Incremental Development Alliance, a national nonprofit focused on citizen-led real estate development, where she worked on the national training series. She is the founder of Bank Suey- a 1920s corner bank building, turned Chop Suey restaurant turned community space. An experiment in how we use main street spaces, exploring layered uses and curated programming, the space has hosted over 300 gatherings with 6000+ attendees since opening in 2016. The space is now home to a co-op bookshop 3 days a week, and will soon include a cafe. She and her partner are stewards of a 100+-year-old Hamtramck duplex, which they rent out, and are in the process of fixing-up a 1923 bungalow, where they live. Alissa is endlessly curious and committed to how we build places together- both physically and through community. She is a licensed Builder and holds a B.Sc. in psychology from Wayne State University.
