Progress Center for Black Women

Madison, Wisconsin

While working at SmithGroup, Michael Ford developed and lead community engagement efforts for The Progress Center for Black Women, founded by entrepreneur Sabrina Madison. The Design Cypher brought Black women together to help shape the vision for the organization’s future permanent home through conversation, storytelling, and collaborative design activities.

The engagement process centered the voices and experiences of Black women while exploring how architecture and community space could support empowerment, entrepreneurship, wellness, and connection. Sabrina Madison’s work was previously recognized by ESSENCE as part of its 2018 Woke 100 list for her impact and leadership within Madison’s Black community.

Services Provided

Community Engagement