Sherrill B.

About Sherrill B.

I am a mission-driven strategist helping organizations unlock capital and cross-sector collaboration to fuel economic inclusion, community well-being, and generational wealth-building. As a FUSE Executive Fellow embedded in the City of Philadelphia’s Department of Commerce—Office of Neighborhood Economic Development, I’m leading a citywide initiative to support immigrant and historically disadvantaged small business owners. My work focuses on building a digital education and technical support toolkit that helps entrepreneurs navigate business succession and commercial property acquisition—preserving cultural identity while expanding intergenerational opportunity across Philadelphia’s vibrant commercial corridors. This initiative—aligned with Mayor Parker’s economic equity agenda—brings together city departments, corridor-based organizations, and community nonprofits to solve systemic barriers that prevent small business continuity and ownership. The goal is to keep businesses strong, neighborhoods vibrant, and ownership local, ensuring that legacy enterprises remain anchors of wealth, stability, and culture in Philadelphia and beyond. Before my fellowship, I spent over 25 years leading fundraising and business development efforts for mission-driven organizations nationwide, raising more than $40 million across 80+ campaigns. I’ve secured major gifts, built corporate and foundation partnerships, and advanced financial resilience for nonprofits serving low- to moderate-income communities—including the National Foundation for Credit Counseling and the SCORE Foundation. I combine a collaborative, equity-first approach with sharp data analysis and operational strategy. My work bridges philanthropy, public innovation, and entrepreneurship to design systems that sustain opportunity. I’m also exploring how generative AI can enhance learning, research, and advisory services across these fields. MBA – Northeastern University | BA – Boston College | CAP® Candidate – The American College Core Competencies • Strategic Planning & Interim Leadership • Fundraising & Major Gifts • Grants & Institutional Partnerships • Donor & Philanthropic Advisory Services • Small Business Succession & Ownership Models • Cross-Sector Ecosystem Collaboration • Generative AI Integration for Research & Strategy

Experience

1. Executive Fellow

   FUSE

   Apr 2025 — Present · Philadelphia, PA, US

   I lead a citywide initiative to small business ownership through succession planning and commercial real estate acquisition readiness.Working with city leadership, Council offices, corridor managers, and community-based organizations, I’m helping design and pilot solutions that preserve legacy businesses, expand generational wealth, and stabilize commercial and cultural corridors across Philadelphia. Key Accomplishments• Designed a dual-track curriculum — Passing the Torch (Succession Planning) and Buying the Building (Commercial Real Estate Readiness) — to prepare entrepreneurs for ownership transitions and property acquisition.•Created five modular learning programs integrating financial readiness, capital access, property investment, and long-term business sustainability.•Mapped and prioritized 26 commercial corridors, layering demographic and economic data to target areas most at risk of business and property loss.•Developed pilot implementation plans with community partners in key corridors such as Lancaster Avenue, East Passyunk, Germantown Avenue, and 9th Street (Italian Market).•Built the framework for integrating these programs into the forthcoming Philadelphia Digital Business Resource Hub and Learning Management System (LMS) for scalable delivery and tracking.•Forged partnerships across City departments, CDCs, BIDs and CDFIs to align education, funding, and policy toward equitable small business continuity. Long-Term Impact Goals • Engage 200+ entrepreneurs and preserve over 2,500 local jobs by 2032 • Leverage $10–15 million in corridor investments through succession and ownership programs • Establish Philadelphia as a national model for equitable small business sustainability

Education

• D'Amore-McKim School of Business at Northeastern University

  Master of Business Administration (MBA)

• The American College of Financial Services

  Candidate

  2022

• Boston College

  Bachelor of Arts (B.A.)

Skills

• Proposal Writing
• Strategy
• Key Alliances/Partnerships
• Business Strategy
• Program Management
• Project Management/Leadership
• Customer Relations
• New Business Development/Account Management
• Training–Curriculum Development/Enhancement
• Business Planning
• Marketing Strategy
• Leadership Development
• Grant Writing
• Coaching
• Prospect Research
• Entrepreneurship
• Sales
• Start-Ups
• Community Outreach
• Market Development
• Presentation/Writing/Public Speaking Skills
• Management
• Nutrition
• Board Development
• Leadership
• Social Media
• Recruiting
• Project Planning
• Fundraising
• Event Planning
• Business Development
• Organizational Leadership/Management
• Project Management
• Event Management
• Organizational Structure
• Nonprofits
• Start-Up Consulting
• B2b and B2c Sales
• Public Policy
• Strategic Partnerships