By: Lennard James
MEMPHIS, Tenn. In a city where neighborhoods carry generations of history, culture, resilience, and community pride, meaningful revitalization requires more than constructing buildings or attracting investments. It requires leadership that understands the people, respects the past, and recognizes the importance of creating opportunities for future generations. For Roshun Austin, President and CEO of The Works, Inc., that commitment has become a defining part of her professional journey and her mission to help transform communities throughout Memphis.
For more than a decade, Austin has led The Works, Inc., a Memphis-based nonprofit community development corporation dedicated to rebuilding, restoring, and renewing neighborhoods through affordable housing, economic development, social services, and sustainable community initiatives. Since assuming leadership in November 2012, she has worked to strengthen communities by addressing the fundamental needs that influence neighborhood stability and quality of life.
But Austin’s vision extends beyond housing and economic development. She understands that successful neighborhoods are built around people, relationships, shared experiences, and a sense of belonging. That philosophy is particularly evident in her efforts to bring residents together at Northside Square, where music, fellowship, and community engagement are helping create renewed excitement about the future of North Memphis.
Northside Square represents more than a gathering place. It symbolizes the possibilities that emerge when community development focuses on bringing people together. Through opportunities for music, entertainment, and fellowship, Austin has helped create an environment where neighbors can reconnect, families can enjoy shared experiences, and residents can celebrate the cultural identity that makes North Memphis special.
For many residents, these gatherings represent something deeply meaningful: the opportunity to see their community come alive through positive activities that encourage unity, pride, and participation.
Austin recognizes that revitalization must include opportunities for residents to experience the benefits of neighborhood investment firsthand. Music and fellowship provide a welcoming foundation for community relationships while creating opportunities for conversations about the future.
Her efforts at Northside Square reflect a broader belief that communities thrive when residents feel connected to the places they call home.
Under Austin’s leadership, The Works, Inc. has pursued a comprehensive approach to community development. The organization addresses housing security, food stability, health equity, financial empowerment, and environmentally sustainable solutions. Its initiatives include single-family and multifamily housing development, access to fresh food, nutrition education, educational opportunities, and financial resources designed to support homeownership.
Since its establishment in 1998, The Works, Inc. reports investing more than $50 million in the Memphis community, demonstrating the scale of its long-term commitment to neighborhood improvement.
These investments represent more than financial figures. They reflect efforts to strengthen families, stabilize neighborhoods, create opportunities, and address challenges that have affected Memphis communities for generations.
Austin brings more than 24 years of experience in fiscal management, strategic planning, operations, and community relations to her leadership role. Before joining The Works, Inc., she served in key positions that strengthened her understanding of organizational development, financial management, and community engagement.
Her professional background includes serving as Chief Operating Officer at St. Andrew AME Church, Operations Service Lead at HOPE GMAC Mortgage, and Community Relations Manager at GMAC Mortgage. These positions provided valuable experience in managing complex operations, coordinating organizational initiatives, and addressing financial challenges affecting individuals and families.
Throughout her career, Austin has managed multimillion-dollar organizational and project budgets. Her experience includes initiatives addressing foreclosure prevention, neighborhood blight, and the financial challenges that can threaten housing stability.
Her educational background further reinforces her understanding of communities and the social factors that influence neighborhood development.
Austin earned a bachelor’s degree from Middlebury College and a Master of Arts in Urban Anthropology from the University of Memphis. This combination of academic training and professional experience provides a distinctive perspective on how neighborhoods function, how residents interact, and how economic and social conditions shape community life.
Her commitment to Memphis also extends into civic leadership and organizational governance. Austin serves as Treasurer of the Memphis Fourth Estate, the nonprofit organization associated with The Daily Memphian, and participates in the Urban Land Institute Memphis Chapter’s Management Committee.
These responsibilities reflect her continued involvement in conversations surrounding community development, responsible leadership, and the future of Memphis.
Austin is also associated with Memphis Urban Wood, an innovative sustainability initiative focused on transforming fallen and discarded trees into useful products, including lumber, compost, and other materials. The project represents an approach to environmental responsibility that connects resource conservation with economic opportunity.
By supporting initiatives that combine sustainability, workforce opportunities, and community investment, Austin continues to demonstrate that neighborhood revitalization can take many forms.
Yet one of the most compelling aspects of her leadership is her understanding that community transformation cannot be measured solely through construction projects, financial investments, or development statistics.
It must also be measured through the relationships that are strengthened, the opportunities that are created, and the pride residents develop in their neighborhoods.
That is what makes the activities at Northside Square especially significant.
By bringing people together through music and fellowship, Austin is helping reinforce the importance of community connection. These experiences provide opportunities for residents to celebrate their neighborhood while participating in a broader vision for its future.
For North Memphis, a community with a rich cultural legacy and generations of residents who have contributed to the city’s identity, that sense of renewed engagement carries special meaning.
And according to the vision reflected in Austin’s ongoing work, there is much more to come.
As The Works, Inc. continues advancing its mission, Northside Square represents the kind of community-centered development that can help create lasting neighborhood pride and encourage additional opportunities for residents, families, entrepreneurs, and community partners.
Austin’s leadership demonstrates that meaningful progress requires patience, collaboration, and an understanding that lasting change is built over time.
She is not simply focused on improving physical space. Her work reflects a commitment to strengthening the people and relationships that give those spaces purpose.
Roshun Austin is a committed advocate for Memphis, a leader whose dedication to housing stability, economic empowerment, sustainability, and neighborhood revitalization continues to contribute to the city’s future.
Through her leadership at The Works, Inc., her involvement in innovative community initiatives, and her efforts to bring North Memphis residents together at Northside Square, Austin represents the power of purposeful leadership.
For the residents who call North Memphis home, the message is one of possibility, pride, and renewed community spirit.
And with Roshun Austin helping lead the way, the next chapter of Northside’s revitalization is still being written. For more information, visit the website of The Works, Inc..
