Brittany Forman

"First, you have to work really hard—particularly as a woman of color. Second, you have to remember to fight for those who aren't at the table—those who don't have a voice in the process. Third, you have to have deep-rooted faith. These are the values that were instilled in me since day one.

Every Sunday, we would drive to church, and go from West Chester to West Philadelphia. I'd look out the window and wonder why the landscape would change from green manicured lawns to crumbling buildings and busted sidewalks. I'd wonder how this could happen in a short car ride and why this happens in places where the people look like me. This is where my passion for communities started. I strongly believe that one's opportunities in life should not be determined by their zip code.

Everything I've done in life—from education to career pursuits—has been to build better places for people to live. I acquired education in the different systems and structures that cause inequities in society. I learned about politics, commerce, economics and between college and grad school, I worked on political campaigns. While completing my masters in public administration, my side hustle was acting as a community organizer—working with different stakeholder groups to improve policies at the state level. Today, I work for an economic consulting firm and I recently ran for state representative.

I've held roles across many different capacities—working for the federal government, on the city level, in the private sector, as a mother, the list goes on. Through it all, my values drive how I view public service. It's all about having faith and hope that tomorrow can be a little brighter and better than today, I'm working to make sure my family will have an even better future. I want to give back to my community so all mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, families have the opportunity to thrive."

Brittany Forman grew up in a 'typical' middle-class family. And when she says "typical", she means that she's the legacy of a generation of firsts. Her parents were the first to move from the projects to the suburbs. First to get an education. First to get out of poverty. This upbringing instilled strong values and beliefs in her of what it means to put service first. She believes that to serve is to empower everyone, regardless of their zip code.