My Journey

Aaron Jackson's early career began in the South investigating complaints and desegregating schools for the U.S. Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights. His goal was to become a civil rights attorney. Still, that experience changed his focus to what he believes is his generation's new civil rights issue: economic justice, also known as silver rights. Aaron's passion for helping others understand the language of money and generate wealth has led to fourteen years of experience in community and economic development, working with partners across Michigan to advocate for social and economic change. Currently, Aaron is the Director of Michigan Good Food Fund, where he leads the statewide initiative offering food and farm entrepreneurs financing and business assistance that increases access to healthy food and sparks economic opportunity in their communities.

 

Before joining Fair Food Network, Jackson was the Program Manager for the Detroit Neighborhood Entrepreneurs Project at the University of Michigan – Ann Arbor, where he led a national model for year-round university-based small business support. The collaboration brought together small businesses with faculty-supervised student teams to provide a learning experience for students and solve business challenges. Before his impact at the University of Michigan, Aaron began his first statewide role as a Small Business Consultant for Michigan Rehabilitation Services (MRS), providing business assistance to disabled adults with a passion for entrepreneurship. In addition to his work with adults through MRS, Aaron implemented the first entrepreneurial curriculum for disabled high school students in Oakland County, allowing them to transition into self-employment after matriculation through secondary school.

 

Outside of Aaron's full-time roles, his dedication to providing resources to his community to create financial freedom has included his work as Director of Client Services at the Center for Community-Based Enterprise (C2BE), building worker cooperatives to support a living wage economy and teaching essential entrepreneurship and master classes at Build Institute and ProsperUS Detroit. Finally, Aaron is an entrepreneur himself. He is the founder and principal consultant of The CorpVantage, offering professional development and customer service training through his self-designed etiquette curriculum to increase interpersonal skills to the level of technical excellence for advancement in school and the workforce for the last decade.

 

Wayne County has recognized Aaron through a resolution honoring his commitment to community and economic development, the Michigan Chronicle in their "40 under 40", and the Transformative 25 through their list of funds transforming finance for people and the planet. Aaron remains active in his professional community through membership and leadership roles - e.g., Advisory Board of the Oakland County Revolving Loan Fund and Detroit Means Business, Co-Chair of the New Economy Initiative (NEI)/Neighborhood Business Initiative (NBI) Digital Access Committee, planning committee member for the National Microloan Conference, and member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Incorporated. Aaron's education includes a Bachelor of Science in International Business, a Master of Business Administration in International Business, and a Jurist Doctor in Law.

 

He resides in Southfield, Michigan, with his wife Gerrae and two cockapoos, Knight and Trey, where he spends most of his free time traveling, watching films, and the rigorous process of becoming a master sommelier.