Community Champion Award

2025 Award Recipients

Chukwuemeka (Emeka) Ebo, Engr ’04
Emeka Ebo founded Ekovolt, a startup dedicated to providing telecommunications services and internet access solutions to underserved communities and emerging markets. The company has partnered with Microsoft to deliver affordable internet access and cloud computing solutions to communities and small to medium-sized enterprises in Nigeria. Currently, Ekovolt is focusing on improving connectivity in underserved areas across three cities, including high-need institutions like schools and hospitals that may not be seen as profitable by other providers. Some of these schools lack connectivity, and these hospitals have limited access, many of which do not have the security needed to operate effectively. While Ekovolt’s current strategies can provide these upgrades, Emeka states that they are looking ahead to a pan-African solution that transcends geographic borders so local communities can fully experience the benefits of IT solutions and cloud services. In collaboration with the Microsoft Airband initiative, Ekovolt also aims to address the existing gender gap in these underserved communities. The company provided students at Gbaja Girls High School with computers for their ICT laboratory, along with consistent solar-powered electricity and reliable internet, fostering a digital transformation in their education. This comprehensive support not only transformed the students’ educational experience but also facilitated a significant shift toward digital advancement in their academic pursuits. By empowering these girls with a range of valuable digital skills, the Gbaja Girls School project has opened doors for students to access numerous opportunities in the digital space. A group of successful beneficiaries graduated from Gbaja Girls High School in Surulere in 2022 and have since enrolled in tertiary institutions in Nigeria.

Alka Gupta, A&S ’06
Alka Gupta, MD, believes that exceptional health care should encompass all dimensions of wellness, including physical, emotional, and mental health. She is the Chief Medical Officer and Co-founder of Bluerock Care, located in southeastern Washington, DC. Founded in 2021, Bluerock Care aims to meet the healthcare needs of seniors and underserved communities. The organization has strategically chosen a location with a high percentage of minority residents and notable healthcare disparities. Many of its senior patients are enrolled in Medicare and face obstacles in accessing quality care due to transportation issues and limited local resources. Under her leadership, Bluerock Care is implementing innovative strategies to make healthcare more accessible to those who usually have difficulties, and her team is dedicated to improving health outcomes in the broader community by systematically addressing inequities. In 2024, Alka was named to the American Journal of Health Promotion’s prestigious “20 Under 40” list, which honors exceptional professionals under 40 who have made significant contributions to the healthcare sector. She serves as a board member for the American College of Lifestyle Medicine and is a Clinical Assistant Professor at George Washington University. Previously, she co-founded and served as the medical director of integrative health and wellbeing at New York Presbyterian & Weill Cornell Medicine. Recently, she represented her field as a panelist at a congressional briefing discussing the benefits of combining GLP-1 drugs with food-as-medicine to enhance outcomes in obesity treatment. As a JHU alumna, Alka dedicates her time to the Krieger School’s Second Decade Society advisory board and serves as a mentor and alumni participant for the Hopkins Semester in DC program. She is also a longtime member of the JHU healthcare affinity group. 

Wesley Jamison, BSPH ’24
Wesley Jamison, MPH ’24, is a catalyst for health, health education, and community building in Baltimore. As the Director at MissionFit, a nonprofit devoted to creating a supportive community centered around fitness, Mr. Jamison uses movement and coaching to develop young leaders with the capacity to be health leaders. Mr. Jamison and his team at MissionFit recognize that many young people in Baltimore do not have access to fitness services or infrastructure such as gyms in schools, healthy food, or mentors to guide them. Since 2019, Mr. Jamison has worked with MissionFit and directly with community members and other youth-serving organizations to create summer and year-round programs that teach young people to “take ownership over their health” and bring those skills to their communities.  He developed the Coach Development program that allows young coach participants from local universities to work alongside MissionFit Coaches and earn certifications. This collaboration-based program creates more impact and allows the team to offer more free youth fitness classes to students ages 11-24 that teach the foundations of fitness along with life skills of communication, public speaking, goal setting, and accountability. It creates multiple layers of membership and allows young people to support each other. Along with supporting the health and wellness of Baltimore’s youth, Mr. Jamison has also built powerful community bonds between MissionFit and other local businesses, including Johns Hopkins University and SOURCE, a community engagement and service-learning center for the University’s health professional schools. As a SOURCE partnering community-based organization, Mr. Jamison has served as a preceptor for multiple graduate students through practice, service-learning courses, and field placements. He supports the development of future health professionals, while simultaneously supporting local youth. Mr. Jamison is a champion of building knowledge-sharing capacity and strengthening community partnerships all with the goal of supporting Baltimore’s young people.

Kathryn Locke-Jones, Ed ’15
Kathryn Locke-Jones is a nationally celebrated educator, mental health advocate, and community leader whose work reflects the highest ideals of the Johns Hopkins University mission: excellence, innovation, and service to others. A Teach for America alumna, Locke-Jones currently teaches English Language Arts at Hampstead Hill Academy in Baltimore, Maryland, where she has distinguished herself as a transformative force in both pedagogy and school culture. Her classroom is more than a place of learning—it is a “brave space” where students are challenged not only to achieve academically but also to develop their voices, identities, and resilience. Through a student-centered approach rooted in high expectations and social-emotional growth, her seventh-grade students have earned the highest state assessment scores in Baltimore City for five consecutive years, with an 82% pass rate that far exceeds both local and state averages. Locke-Jones’s focus on equity has helped close achievement gaps for economically disadvantaged and multilingual learners—affirming her belief that with the right supports, all students can thrive. Beyond her instructional work, Locke-Jones has expanded opportunities for student growth and expression throughout her school. She founded Hampstead Hill’s first school-based writing center, offering tailored support to multilingual learners and a space for peer-led literacy development. She also launched the school’s National History Day program, introducing students to rigorous research practices and encouraging critical engagement with the past—an initiative that has inspired new confidence and academic curiosity among her students. Locke-Jones’s leadership in the field was formally recognized when she was named the 2024 Maryland State Teacher of the Year, a distinction that has amplified her voice as an advocate for student well-being and educator support across the state and beyond. This passion for mental health advocacy is deeply personal. Following the loss of her younger brother Sean, Kathryn co-founded SL24: Unlocke the Light, a nonprofit organization dedicated to reducing the stigma around mental health and increasing access to care for young people. In 2020, the organization opened Sean’s House, a free 24/7 peer support center for young adults in Newark, Delaware. In just a few short years, Sean’s House has served more than 32,000 individuals, offering life-saving support in moments of crisis and ongoing wellness programming that helps students and young adults build long-term coping strategies and connections. Through both SL24 and her classroom, Locke-Jones has championed the use of “courageous conversations” to help young people navigate complex emotional and social landscapes. Her advocacy is reshaping how schools address trauma, mental health, and emotional well-being— ensuring that students and teachers alike are equipped with the tools they need to succeed both academically and personally. Locke-Jones holds a bachelor’s degree in English Education from the University of Delaware and a Master of Science in Education from the Johns Hopkins School of Education. She continues to give back to the Hopkins community through alumni engagement and mentorship.

Matthew Reeds, Bus ’23
Matthew Reeds is a lifelong Baltimorean who has made an immense impact on his hometown community. A graduate of Baltimore Polytechnic Institute high school and Morgan State University, Mr. Reeds was awarded a Baltimore Scholars Fellowship by Johns Hopkins Carey Business School and graduated from the full-time MBA program in 2023. The Baltimore Scholars Fellowship recognizes outstanding Baltimore City high school graduates who enroll in Carey’s MBA program. Mr. Reeds is outstanding in every way. Following his graduation from Morgan State in 2017, Mr. Reeds spent about a year and a half working for Goldman Sachs in New York City. But he returned to Baltimore because he wanted to make a difference in his community. In 2019 he co-founded The Reeds Fund, a nonprofit organization that educates and supports families in Baltimore that are affected by autism and sarcoidosis. The Reeds fund has since organized numerous events in Baltimore City to build a community to support young people with autism. Also, the Roxanne L. Reeds Scholarship Fund has awarded over $3,000 to local autistic youth in support of their educational journeys. In addition to the Reeds Fund, Mr. Reeds has worked in the City of Baltimore Mayor’s Office of Children and Family Success, recently completed a term as Deputy Director of Baltimore Homecoming, and serves on the boards of Disability Rights Maryland and Green Street Academy, a public charter school in Baltimore City.

Alicia Lynn Wilson, Nursing Advisory Board and 2023 JHU Trustee
Alicia Wilson is a member of the Johns Hopkins School of Nursing Advisory Board and serves as Vice President for Civic Engagement and Opportunity at Johns Hopkins University and Health System, Alicia leads the institution’s comprehensive strategy to strengthen partnerships with local, national, and global communities — advancing economic development, education, health equity, and community investment. In this role, she oversees initiatives that position Johns Hopkins as a model anchor institution, deeply committed to empowering under-resourced communities, expanding access to opportunity, and driving inclusive growth. Previously, as Managing Director and Global Head of Philanthropy for JPMorgan Chase in North America, Alicia profoundly impacted communities both locally and nationally. At JPMorgan Chase, she oversaw local philanthropic strategies across more than 40 markets, guiding the firm’s $2 billion Racial Equity Commitment to create sustainable and transformative change. Her work drove critical investments in education, economic development, and healthcare access, addressing systemic inequalities and fostering opportunity. Prior to JPMorgan Chase, Alicia served as Vice President for Economic Development and Community Partnerships at Johns Hopkins University and Health System, where she led transformative programs in neighborhood revitalization, education, and healthcare, further strengthening the institution’s role as a key partner in Baltimore’s ongoing renewal. Alicia’s achievements have earned her national recognition in Forbes and the National Business Journal for her leadership in creating economic opportunity. Her deep commitment to education and equity is further demonstrated through her service as Board Chair of the CollegeBound Foundation, which has helped countless Baltimore City students realize their dreams of a college education.