Essence Wilson | Eli Broad College of Business, 2015
Essence Wilson has always envisioned a better world, and through her life’s work, she is creating it. A Flint native and a proud Spartan, she is the co-founder and chief strategy officer of Communities First, Inc. (CFI), a nonprofit dedicated to equitable community development. Essence shares this mission with her husband and co-founder, Glenn Wilson, who nominated her for the Alumni Service Award in recognition of her lifelong commitment to transformative change.
From her earliest years, Essence believed she could make a difference. That belief grew stronger each time she stepped foot on Michigan State University’s campus to attend football games, sitting in the stands with premium tickets and dreaming of what was possible. Those moments laid the foundation for a relationship with MSU that would later shape her leadership. She earned a Master of Science in Management, Strategy, and Leadership from the Eli Broad College of Business in 2015, further grounding her vision with tools to elevate her community.
Together with her husband, Essence has helped transform Flint and communities across Michigan. At CFI, she leads efforts that have preserved or created nearly 500 units of safe, affordable housing, secured more than $80 million in community investment, and supported over 35,000 people annually through programming that spans financial literacy, arts and culture. Her approach is rooted in dignity, inclusion and long-term systems change.
Essence serves as board chair for the Community Economic Development Association of Michigan and advises multiple statewide initiatives focused on housing, equity and sustainability. Her peers and community members describe her as a visionary with a human-centered ethos, known for inspiring hope and catalyzing impact.
This award recognizes her unwavering service to MSU and to the public good. Her leadership not only uplifts Flint but also elevates the broader Spartan community through example and action. When imagining a far better world, Essence’s life work is evidence that it is within reach.