Managing partners
Dorian O. Burton, Ed.L.D.

Dorian O. Burton, Ed.l.d,

Managing Partner

Dr. Dorian Burton, Ed.L.D., is currently the Managing Partner of the Southern Reconstruction Fund (SRF), a social impact fund committed to strengthening the American South by transforming communities most affected by racial injustice and systemic inequity into beacons of health and prosperity. Prior to leading SRF Dr. Burton served as the Chief Program Officer and Assistant Executive Director at the William R. Kenan, Jr. Charitable Trust in Chapel Hill, NC, a foundation that supports building healthy and whole communities. He was formerly the Co-Director of The TandemED Initiative for Black Male Achievement and Community Improvement at Harvard University Law School's Charles Hamilton Houston Institute for Race and Justice and was the Wasserman Foundation Fellow in the Doctor of Education Leadership Program at Harvard. Prior to Harvard, Dr. Burton worked as an independent consultant with various non-profits and school districts between Harlem, NY; Houston, TX; and Newark, NJ. In his role as a consultant, Burton worked to provide strategic support to Newark Public School principals in the launch of their Renew School Turnaround initiative. In addition, he worked in a special projects role to develop external partnerships for the Harlem Children’s Zone College Success Office.

Dr. Burton started his professional career working for the National Football League and also served as the founding Program Director of the Education Pioneers Houston Office, the Houston Director of Stand for Children, and the Chief Strategy Officer for TandemED. In addition to his doctorate degree from Harvard, Burton is completing his MBA from Oxford University’s Said School of Business, and holds a Master’s degree in higher education from the Steinhardt School of Education at New York University and a Bachelor’s Degree in sociology from Pennsylvania State University, where he also was a member of the varsity football team.

During Dr. Burton’s tenure at Harvard as a Wasserman Family Fellow, he was selected to the Dean's Committee on equity and diversity, served as a Teaching Fellow for Lani Guinier at Harvard Law School and was awarded the International Marshall Memorial Fellowship from the German Marshall Fund. Additionally, Dr. Burton was a Gordon Ambach Fellow with the National Governors Association Education Division and The North Carolina Department of Public Instruction, as well as a non-Resident Fellow at the Hutchins Center for African & African American Research at Harvard University.

Dr. Burton currently resides in Durham, NC. He is deeply driven by his faith and is the proud son of two wonderful scholarly parents, the father of four great children, and brother to three older sisters who serve as his inspiration, comic relief, and confidants.

Online:​ In 2019 Dr. Burton was selected as one of the 2019 Black Enterprise Modern Man of Distinction and honored by The Root 100 as one of the 100 most influential African Americans in the country. Dr. Burton was also selected to the Boston Business Journal’s​ “40 under 40” list.

He has his own blog on Huffington Post​ and tweets frequently @Dorian_Burton.

He has also been published in the Boston Globe, and Stanford Social Innovation Review.

Napoleon Wallace

NAPOLEON WALLACE,

Managing Partner

Napoleon Wallace is the Managing Partner at the Southern Reconstruction Fund and Co-Founder of Activest, a social justice research and advisory firm, and Opportunity NC, an opportunity fund focused on supporting owner-occupied commercial real estate for minority- and women-owned businesses. In addition, Napoleon is a Senior Fellow at Frontline Solutions, a black-owned management consultancy working with the nation’s largest nonprofits and philanthropies. With more than 15 years of experience in finance and community economic development, Napoleon has led and supported numerous successful impact efforts within private, public, and nonprofit sectors. Most recently, Napoleon served as the Deputy Secretary of the North Carolina Department of Commerce, where he managed North Carolina’s development finance, community development, workforce development and micropolitan economic development efforts. Earlier in his career, Napoleon served on the executive staff at Self-Help, as the turnaround CEO for two troubled CDFIs, as the Social Investment Officer at the Kresge Foundation, as an investment banker with Wells Fargo Securities and as a community banker with M&F Bancorp’s Commercial Credit group.

Napoleon is a native of rural eastern North Carolina (US), the proud son of a teacher and a small-business owner. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in finance from North Carolina Central University and an MBA from the University of North Carolina’s Kenan-Flagler Business School.

Dr. Dorian Burton, Ed.L.D., is currently the Managing Partner of the Southern Reconstruction Fund (SRF), a social impact fund committed to strengthening the American South by transforming communities most affected by racial injustice and systemic inequity into beacons of health and prosperity. Prior to leading SRF Dr. Burton served as the Chief Program Officer and Assistant Executive Director at the William R. Kenan, Jr. Charitable Trust in Chapel Hill, NC, a foundation that supports building healthy and whole communities. He was formerly the Co-Director of The TandemED Initiative for Black Male Achievement and Community Improvement at Harvard University Law School's Charles Hamilton Houston Institute for Race and Justice and was the Wasserman Foundation Fellow in the Doctor of Education Leadership Program at Harvard. Prior to Harvard, Dr. Burton worked as an independent consultant with various non-profits and school districts between Harlem, NY; Houston, TX; and Newark, NJ. In his role as a consultant, Burton worked to provide strategic support to Newark Public School principals in the launch of their Renew School Turnaround initiative. In addition, he worked in a special projects role to develop external partnerships for the Harlem Children’s Zone College Success Office.

Dr. Burton started his professional career working for the National Football League and also served as the founding Program Director of the Education Pioneers Houston Office, the Houston Director of Stand for Children, and the Chief Strategy Officer for TandemED. In addition to his doctorate degree from Harvard, Burton is completing his MBA from Oxford University’s Said School of Business, and holds a Master’s degree in higher education from the Steinhardt School of Education at New York University and a Bachelor’s Degree in sociology from Pennsylvania State University, where he also was a member of the varsity football team.

During Dr. Burton’s tenure at Harvard as a Wasserman Family Fellow, he was selected to the Dean's Committee on equity and diversity, served as a Teaching Fellow for Lani Guinier at Harvard Law School and was awarded the International Marshall Memorial Fellowship from the German Marshall Fund. Additionally, Dr. Burton was a Gordon Ambach Fellow with the National Governors Association Education Division and The North Carolina Department of Public Instruction, as well as a non-Resident Fellow at the Hutchins Center for African & African American Research at Harvard University.

Dr. Burton currently resides in Durham, NC. He is deeply driven by his faith and is the proud son of two wonderful scholarly parents, the father of four great children, and brother to three older sisters who serve as his inspiration, comic relief, and confidants.

Online:​ In 2019 Dr. Burton was selected as one of the 2019 Black Enterprise Modern Man of Distinction and honored by The Root 100 as one of the 100 most influential African Americans in the country. Dr. Burton was also selected to the Boston Business Journal’s​ “40 under 40” list.

He has his own blog on Huffington Post​ and tweets frequently @Dorian_Burton.

He has also been published in the Boston Globe, and Stanford Social Innovation Review.

Napoleon Wallace is the Managing Partner at the Southern Reconstruction Fund and Co-Founder of Activest, a social justice research and advisory firm, and Opportunity NC, an opportunity fund focused on supporting owner-occupied commercial real estate for minority- and women-owned businesses. In addition, Napoleon is a Senior Fellow at Frontline Solutions, a black-owned management consultancy working with the nation’s largest nonprofits and philanthropies. With more than 15 years of experience in finance and community economic development, Napoleon has led and supported numerous successful impact efforts within private, public, and nonprofit sectors. Most recently, Napoleon served as the Deputy Secretary of the North Carolina Department of Commerce, where he managed North Carolina’s development finance, community development, workforce development and micropolitan economic development efforts. Earlier in his career, Napoleon served on the executive staff at Self-Help, as the turnaround CEO for two troubled CDFIs, as the Social Investment Officer at the Kresge Foundation, as an investment banker with Wells Fargo Securities and as a community banker with M&F Bancorp’s Commercial Credit group.

Napoleon is a native of rural eastern North Carolina (US), the proud son of a teacher and a small-business owner. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in finance from North Carolina Central University and an MBA from the University of North Carolina’s Kenan-Flagler Business School.

Dr. Brian C.B. Barnes is a speaker, consultant, and thought leader for non-profits and philanthropies on the topics of social impact, equity, education, youth development, innovation, and social entrepreneurship. He has partnered and worked with national organizations including Grantmakers for Effective Organizations, the American Heart Association, United Way Worldwide, MENTOR, and Campaign for Black Male Achievement. ​ Dr. Barnes is also the co-founder and CEO of TandemEd, an entity that educates and propels communities of color to lead their own social change efforts in tandem with institutions willing to align with community-based efforts. ​ In addition, Dr. Barnes ​ has published writings on the topic of social justice and equity including recent contributions to the Stanford Social Innovation Review entitled "Shifting Philanthropy from Charity to Justice" and "Paid in Full: How to Reorient Philanthropic Investments for Justice-Oriented Collective Action and Impact." ​ Dr. Barnes’ previous experience includes serving as the chief officer on community engagement for the State of Tennessee's direct-run turnaround schools; instructor and coach at the Harvard Graduate School of Education; district leader on ​ faith-based and community partnerships, small-school principal, and mathematics teacher at Boston Public Schools; and director of youth ministries in the African Methodist Episcopal Church (A.M.E.). ​ Recently, Dr. Barnes was recognized and selected as a member of the 2017 Class of Presidential Leadership Scholars, a leadership advancement program sponsored by a consortium of select U.S. Presidential Centers. Dr. Barnes holds both a Doctorate and Masters in education leadership from Harvard University; a Master of Divinity from Andover-Newton Theological School; and a Bachelor of Science in mathematics with a minor in secondary education from Morehouse College. Dr. Barnes is married and is the father of three small children, one son and two daughters.

Anne Kenan has served as a trustee for the Perrin Family Foundation for over 10 years, advocating for youth as leaders of social change. Anne is also a trustee for Elhapa Foundation where she directs funding toward racial and social justice causes, with a particular interest in the south. Anne is longtime student and practitioner of buddhism and has training as a meditation teacher. She currently lives in New York City with her husband and their three children. Anne is a volunteer director and the organization's co-chair. Her duties are spelled out in our bylaws and include attending meetings of our board of directors and voting on decisions.

Annice Kenan is a volunteer director. She has served on the Board of the Randleigh Trust Foundation, The Kenan Family Foundation, and Flagler Systems Inc. for almost two decades. She has studied Sociology with an emphasis in Urban and Gender Studies. She co-founded the organization SEEDS in her hometown of Durham, North Carolina. She was trained as a community organizer by the Industrial Areas Foundation. She is steeped in the intersection of meditation and psychology, and is trained in both. She currently lives in California with her family. Annice is a co-chair of the organization and her duties are spelled out in our bylaws and include attending meetings of our board of directors and voting on decisions.

We will be better as a nation
when all of our communities are well.

© 2020 The Southern Reconstruction Fund