Parisa Norouzi is the cofounder and Executive Director of Empower DC where she has led grassroots organizing efforts on a range of issues including childcare, housing, land use, environmental justice and racial equity since 2003. Her work centers on building community power to advance equitable development by ensuring impacted community members are the visionaries, drivers and beneficiaries of land use decisions, disrupting current patterns of harm and displacement. At Empower DC, Parisa has incorporated arts, science, legal, community history and other strategies to bolster organizing efforts. She is particularly proud of her 20+ years of work with Ivy City residents to win public use of the historic Alexander Crummell School as a community center and park, long desired by residents. Parisa’s Iranian-American heritage, her daughter Aziza, and her love for nature are inspirations for her work.