Naomi Smith joined Invest Detroit in January 2024 as Associate Vice President, Neighborhoods. In 2017, Naomi moved to Washington DC to serve as the research policy analyst in the Center for Policy Analysis and Research (CPAR) at the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation, Inc. (CBCF). In this capacity she assisted with research, data collection, and analysis across critical policy issues related to African Americans and people of African descent. While in DC she worked at several other organizations including Universal Music Group, the Greater Washington Partnership, and the National Urban League Washington Bureau.
Most recently, Naomi was the Policy Program Manager at Main Street Alliance where she tracked federal legislation and worked closely with small businesses around the country to organize for a more equitable small business economy. Each of these experiences cemented her passion for small businesses and growing local economies to thrive. She recently moved back to Detroit to continue her passion in her hometown.
Naomi is a graduate of Georgetown University’s Master of Urban and Regional Planning Program and the University of Michigan where she earned a Bachelor of Arts in political science with a minor in Afro-American and African Studies.
