Ja’Net Defell

President & CEO
Community Desk Chicago

Ja’NetDefell is the President and CEO of Community Desk Chicago (The Desk), a 501c3 organization that works with nonprofits, community developers and entrepreneurs to advance real estate development projects in their neighborhoods. Under Ja’Net’s leadership, the Desk was also instrumental in organizing a city-wide effort to launch commercial shared ownership models to build wealth in underserved communities. Collectively, Ja’Net has secured more than $10 million in funding to support neighborhood-based development projects.

Ja’Net has more than 20 years of management consulting, urban planning and real estate development experience. Prior to launching The Desk, Ja’Net served as a real estate subject matter expert for a federal agency, a real estate consultant and developer for a community lender and a management consultant for a global consulting firm.

Ja’Net holds a Master of Urban Planning and Policy degree from the University of Illinois at Chicago and a Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) degree from the University of Michigan.

Ja’Net’s work has been featured in the Crain’s Chicago Business, Block Club Chicago, Chicago Tribune, Chicago Suntimes and on The U and WBEZ.