Carmen Davenport is the Executive Director and Founder of Black Dolla Connect, a nonprofit focused on improving the social and economic health of underrepresented communities. She is also the Founder of Black Dolla Indy, a for-profit digital platform launched in 2020 to eliminate the fragmented ways consumers discover Black-owned businesses, deals, events, and educational resources—streamlining discovery all while strengthening visibility. Carmen is a healthcare systems leader, author, and community strategist with over 30 years of experience in nonprofit healthcare. She manages Revenue Cycle operations and leads the implementation of Practice Management and EHR systems, while also developing training programs that improve workflows and expand financial access for patients. She is the author of the Nosey Nia children’s Bible series, which teaches spiritual lessons through storytelling, and an adult journal titled From the Pages of My Notebook, that encourages personal growth. Carmen is the creator and sole owner of Prep & Access, a business fundamentals course that helps aspiring entrepreneurs build strong foundations. The program is facilitated through Black Dolla Connect, but the curriculum remains her intellectual property. As lead facilitator, she provides hands-on instruction covering everything from legal structure to launch strategy and pitch development. She has partnered with Edna Martin Christian Centers' F.R.E.E. Business Program to deliver four 7-week cohorts to individuals wanting to bring their business idea to life. Through a partnership with LISC Indy, Carmen has helped onboard over 900 Black-owned businesses into the Verizon Digital Ready program, 85 into the ISBDC technical assistance program, and over 50 into the LISC/CDFI Loan Readiness Program (due to capacity limitations). She has also been a referral source for several other programs that range from vendor events, conferences and even community health and housing initiatives. Her broader network of over 60,000 consumers and entrepreneurs reflects a values-driven ecosystem rooted in access, trust, and visibility. Her work has been featured in the Indianapolis Recorder, IndyStar, and on multiple radio and news outlets. She is the recipient of: 2023 Kimet 360 Black Excellence Award 2023 SEA Leaders Service Impact Award 2024 WTLC Trailblazer Award 2024 InnoPower Black Rising Star Award 2025 UAW Local 933 Civil & Human Rights Community Service Award Carmen also serves on the Board of Directors for Fight for Life Foundation, led by NFL alum Marlin Jackson. Fight For Life focuses on empowering underserved youth through social–emotional learning, athletics, and wellness activities. Established in 2007, the foundation creates supportive programs like football camps and its “Building Dreams” initiative, which help young people develop teamwork, resilience, empathy, and decision-making skills . In partnership with schools and mental health providers (like Preventia), Fight for Life equips educators with tools to foster students’ mental and emotional well-being, backed by grants such as the Colts’ “Kicking the Stigma” award BDConnects Guiding beliefs: Consumers before capital. Collaboration crushes competition. Visibility is life. And through Black Dolla Connect, she invites others to Plug Into Tomorrow.