Ashley Paige Allen, Ph.D

Houston Community Land Trust, Executive Director

What do you love most about the Houston region?

I love all the delicious food in Houston. I am a foodie and good food can be found in all parts of Houston at all price points and is easily accessible. 

Why is the area of homelessness important to you?

I was a homeless youth for many years and so I understand the financial, emotional, and educational challenges of experiencing homelessness and it is something nobody should have to experience. In a country as rich as ours, at the very least people should have access to a clean, safe place to live.

What do you hope to contribute to the Coalition and people experiencing homelessness? 

I would like to contribute knowledge on how the issue of homelessness intersects other societal issues. Homelessness is not only about housing. To truly get to the root of the problem, we have to address issues such as pay disparities, healthcare, and education. Having worked in the field of education and workforce development, I believe I can bring that perspective to the conversation. It is my hope that when we get to the root of the problem of homelessness, more effective solutions can be developed. I would also like to advocate for the voices of those experiencing homelessness to be heard when policies and programs are being developed to also improve effectiveness. I believe lived experience is a useful but under-utilized tool in policymaking and program development.

What are you most proud of? 

I am most proud of the work I did as a Program Manager and Program Director for several youth programs in Chicago for over 10 years. Many students that I worked with are thriving and have become leaders in their professional fields, homeowners, parents, change agents, and all-around good people. For many of my students, society would have counted them out but I was part of the village of parents, mentors, educators, family, and friends that let them know they could and would live up to their full potential. 

If you invite three people to dinner, dead or alive, who would you invite and why? 

Prince because he is my favorite musical artist. I was actually front row at his final concert just a week before he died. I know he has some great stories to tell and later in his life he was very much involved in social justice movements which would lend to some interesting conversation. I would also invite author and professor Tressie McMillan Cottom. She is a MacArthur Genius Fellow which is one of my life goals so I would like to hear about that experience. She is brilliant but does not take herself too seriously and loves food so I think she would be a perfect dinner date. Lastly my maternal grandmother because she passed before I was born so I would like to learn more about her and what it was like to raise seven girls in rural South Carolina. 

Chris Hanslik

Chairman, BoyarMiller

What do you love most about the Houston region?

First and foremost, I love the people. Houston is the most welcoming and friendly city in the world. I also love the diversity of our city - both culturally and economically. 

Why is the area of homelessness important to you?

The importance of ending homelessness for me is rooted in my faith and the belief that we are all children of the same higher being. Each of us deserves some level of dignity and no one in our society should be living on the streets. 

What do you hope to contribute to the Coalition and people experiencing homelessness?

My hope is that in some way my time and talents can help the Coalition move closer to its overall goal of making homelessness rare, brief, and non-reoccurring. To the people experiencing homelessness, I hope to help contribute to expanding the housing opportunities available to them as well as the supportive services that will help them maintain that housing. 

What are you most proud of?

My two daughters. 

If you invite three people to dinner, dead or alive, who would you invite and why?

1. Abraham Lincoln - I think the way he used rivals in his cabinet to challenge his own beliefs to get to the best decisions would be a great lesson to learn for any leader. 

2. Sir Richard Branson - he is a fearless entrepreneur who takes great risks and isn’t scared to disrupt the status quo for the sake of innovation and adventure. I think he would be full of great stories.

3. Marjorie Wadler - my maternal grandmother who everyone called “Honey.” She was a pioneer as a businesswoman in Texas taking over the family business in 1950 when my grandfather passed away suddenly from a heart attack. She ran the business until the early 1980s and was a leader in her community at a time when it was rare for women to do so (and raised three kids in the process). She passed in 2001 when I was only 31. I would give anything to be able to talk to her now that I have lived another 20 years and feel I have a much better perspective on life and leadership.

Shannah Stephens

Senior Vice President – Consumer Programs Marketing, Bank of America 

What do you love most about the Houston region? 

It is such an ethnically diverse city. It is full of culture, food, sports, did I mention food.

Why is the area of homelessness important to you? 

Food and shelter are fundamental needs for living. I want to use my talents to ensure our neighbors in need have access. Over 20 years ago, I began volunteering regularly with a Rooms in the Inn program. It was where churches in conjunction with a nonprofit would open their doors during the winter months and provide food and a warm place to sleep for our neighbors currently experiencing homelessness. Over dinner, I was talking to one of guests and she shared her story. We bonded over our love of shoes. Her story reminded me how quickly someone’s situation could turn. All these years later and all of the people I have interacted with who are experiencing homelessness, Abby and her story have always remained with me.

What do you hope to contribute to the Coalition and people experiencing homelessness? 

I have been volunteering with people experiencing homelessness for over 20 years. Before moving to Houston, I volunteered and served on a board whose mission was aligned to both chronic and situational homelessness. I would like to contribute my learnings as well as my willingness to serve.

What are you most proud of? 

While I am not a mother, I have had the opportunity to pour into the lives of several children. This fall I will see my godson graduate from college. I have been there since the day he was born. Additionally, I have been sponsoring the education of a young girl in Uganda. Ruth is extremely bright and needed the chance to attend school. I have been able to support her education. It has been five years and she has never been below #2 in her class. My last trip to Uganda was in 2018. I spent a full day at the school with her, her teachers, and her friends. I am proud of these children and my role in their lives.

If you invite three people to dinner, dead or alive, who would you invite and why? 

Jesus, Nelson Mandela, and my mom. Jesus because he is the center of my faith and what grounds me. Nelson Mandela because he epitomized servant leadership. He focused on the importance of community-building to lead social change. I would also invite my mom, my role model, whom I lost last October. She instilled in me to whom much is given much is required. Plus, she would not want to miss this dinner party.