Robert L. Caldwell in an accomplished consultant, trainer, and public speaker, whose subject matter expertise is in the areas of poverty alleviation, collaborative leadership, and urban community development.

A Columbus, Ohio native, Robert has more than 30 years of human service and community development experience; and is the founder or co-founder of several different social and human service initiatives. In 1991 he helped to establish the R.O.W.T.EA.M.S. Program (Residents off Welfare Teaching Educating Achieving Motivating Success), which in 1997 won the Governor’s Award for Excellence in Public Service in the State of Ohio. In 2005 he started Community Revitalization Associates to work with private sector developers for the revitalization of low income urban communities, and their advocacy and community development efforts have resulted in over $250 Million Dollars in economic development investment. Robert also served as the Managing Director of the YWCA Family Center, Franklin County’s (Ohio) only emergency homeless family shelter. During his tenure, the shelter received national recognition for best practices from the National Alliance to End Homelessness. He served as an adviser to former Ohio Secretary of State and Gubernatorial candidate Ken Blackwell; and in 2007, Mayor Michael B. Coleman (Columbus) appointed Robert to the 2012 Bicentennial Commission, where he served as Safety Committee Co-Chair.

Robert is a Graduate and Fellow of the Ray Miller Institute for Change and Leadership at The Ohio State University, served on the Board of Directors of Columbus Compact Corporation, charged with the revitalization of Columbus’ center city neighborhoods and as Board Chair for the University Area Enrichment Association.