Antwi Akom

Antwi Akom Ph.D. is a nationally recognized thought leader on urban acupuncture -  which combines human-centered design with people-powered place-making, designing for the public good, increasing engagement with vulnerable populations, and making cities smarter, more just, and sustainable through culturally and community responsive participatory planning practices that produce neighborhoods that are more affordable, livable, walkable, bikeable, and equitable for all.  Currently, Dr. Akom is a Distinguished Professor and Founding Director of the Social Innovation and Urban Opportunity Lab (http://soullab.co/) the first joint research lab between the University of California, San Francisco and SFSU that focuses on integrating Community-Driven Data with Big Data, Participatory Technologies, and addressing equity questions that are relevant to local communities.  Dr. Akom is also a faculty affiliate with the Center for Vulnerable Population located at the Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital and Trauma Center, where he researches and deploys new health information communication technologies that improve data literacy, health care delivery, and promote equitable community development with vulnerable populations. Prior to joining UCSF/CVP in 2016, Dr. Akom Co-founded and launched a series of technology startups in the San Francisco Bay area, including Streetwyze, which has been recognized and/or collaborated with Google, Aclima, The Obama administration, Race Forward/The Center for Social Inclusion, PolicyLink, EcoDistricts, Mithun, Perkins + Will, USGBC, the Movement Strategies Center, Iron Bound Community Corp, Enterprise Community partners, Green Schools,  Countless grassroots organizations, and the Rockefeller Foundations 100 Resilient Cities to name a few.  Dr. Akom’s work has also been featured in award-winning publications such as: the Atlantic's City lab, The Root, Tech Republic, Green Biz, and was recently named by PolicyLink as one of the top new health equity tools and mobile platforms designed to build power and self-determination with vulnerable populations.