Get to Know Our Team
D'Angelos Svenkeson
Co-Founder and CEO
As the CEO of NEOO Partners, D'Angelos provides the executive level guidance of NEOO’s vision through strategic partnership, market expansion, and client services. He is the strategic voice of the enterprise ensuring that the workplace culture creates positive benefits for clients and the team. In his work, D’Angelos is responsible for delivering executive-level commitment across the organization bevy of projects by leveraging over 15 years of industry experience in real estate development, finance, long-range planning, and client advisory services.
He draws on nearly $500M of project leadership experience to shepherd a team of over 20 professionals with deep knowledge on human-centered approaches to resilient community development. D’Angelos relishes complex real estate and economic development opportunities where clients are balancing their “ESG '' values with their core business needs. Affectionately known at NEOO as the Chief Risk Taker, D’Angelos has been able to grow the scrappy two-person operation into a market leader as a value-based alternative to traditional service providers.
D’Angelos has a Master’s Degree in Urban and Regional Planning from Jackson State University, and a Planning and Community Development Bachelor's degree from St. Cloud State University.
Email: Dangelos@neoopartners.com
Denetrick Powers
Co-Founder and Director of Planning & Engagement
As the Head of Planning and Engagement at NEOO, Denetrick leads complex projects through empathetic and data-informed processes to elevate the human experience. He amplifies rich storytelling and transparency to the public by leveraging over 10 years of industry experience in community organizing, public arts, and cultural placemaking. In 2018, Denetrick co-founded NEOO with an intense focus on ensuring voices of diverse communities are brought to the front of the room and that outcomes were tied to needs of the community.
Denetrick has a Master’s in Urban and Regional Planning and a Bachelor’s Degree in Business and Fashion Studies from the University of Minnesota.
Email: Powers@neoopartners.com
Menaka Mohan
Director of Operations
As the Director of Operations for NEOO, Menaka is responsible for leading an operations team of 16 intersectional professionals ensuring the company’s delivery of solutions are well-timed, on-budget, and proactively communicated to all clients. In her diverse background, Menaka has had the opportunity to implement $500M+ master planned communities, develop world-class corporate mixed-use projects, and oversee rent stabilization work in multiple municipalities.
Menaka has a Master’s Degree in Urban and Regional Planning and a Master’s Degree in Public Health from the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, and a B.A in Environmental Policy and Analysis from Boston University
​
Email: Menaka@neoopartners.com
​
Cameran Bailey
Director of Development
As the Director of Development, Cameran leads the operations of NEOO’s Commercial Real Estate and Economic Development Teams. Responsible for project direction and resource management, Cameran provides strategic solutions, guidance and effective project management methods to his staff of seven. He is responsible for quality assurance across a host of projects, and acts as the client’s chief problem solver. Cameran’s deep knowledge and experience with regenerative ecological systems, renewable energy and natural resource management, ensures that NEOO’s framework for restorative development is sustained in our project delivery approach and execution. He directly manages high-profile clients with sensitive and complex decision making. He brings over ten years of managing resiliency, community development and climate resource management programs and initiatives to NEOO.
Cameran has a Master’s Degree in Urban and Regional Planning from the University of Minnesota, and a B.S in Civil Engineering from Rutgers University.
​
Email: Bailey@neoopartners.com
Christina Berry
Senior Economic Development Advisor
As the Senior Economic Development Advisor with NEOO, Christina brings over 20-years of nuanced experience in leading brownfield redevelopments, master planning, and small town economic development initiatives. She champions NEOO’s expansion efforts in the Deep South (Alabama, Mississippi, Arkansas, Louisiana and Tennessee) with a focus on rural county and small town planning needs. Christina’s deep planning experience managing city planning departments and complex planning efforts elevates the support of NEOO’s municipal planning support services.
Christina has a Master’s in Urban and Regional Planning from Jackson State University, a Master’s in Real Estate Development from Auburn University, and an undergraduate degree in Political Science from the University of Southern Mississippi.
Marlin King
Senior Urban Design Advisor
As the Senior Urban Design Advisor at NEOO, Marlin brings over 15 years of experience in long term strategic planning and organizational transformation in both public and private sectors. He has extensive experience in developing architectural designs, identifying operational inefficiencies and providing sustainable building solutions. Marlin works in the Deep South office but has completed projects in Baltimore, Jackson and Minneapolis, totaling over $1.5 billion dollars.
Marlin believes strongly in the built environment playing a crucial role in enhancing people’s lives and transforming communities. He pours this passion into his community by developing a summer camp focused on architecture and planning for high school students at Jackson State University, and teaching elementary students architecture at the Fusion STEM summer camp at Cade Chapel M.B. Church, where has served on the usher board for over 30 years.
Marlin has a Master’s degree in Architecture from Morgan State University and a Bachelor’s degree in Drafting and Design Technology from Jackson State University.
​
Email: Marlin@neoopartners.com
Sharice McCain
Senior Community Engagement Specialist
As the Senior Community Engagement Specialist at NEOO, Sharice leverages over 12 years of labor union organizing, data collection, and empathetic facilitation practices. Having excelled in both public and private stakeholder organizing work with her rich experience with people management and forging common solutions across vast divides NEOO’s clients have an opportunity to work with a seasoned large and small group facilitator.
Email: Mccain@neoopartners.com
Mer'Ce Tyler
Business Relations Coordinator and Executive Assistant
As the Business Relations Coordinator and Executive Assistant for NEOO, Mer’Ce has over 15 years of experience in professional and entrepreneurial development, training and facilitation and peer to peer style coaching. She supports business development, project financing, and site selection for the Real Estate team and . Her professional strengths lie in mentorship and relationship building, and at NEOO they have aligned with her passion for community development and real estate and she channels it towards building a legacy and closing generational gaps of ownership within underserved communities.
Mer’Ce is working towards her Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration at Purdue University.
​
Email: Merce@neoopartners.com
Dionne Gharamu
Senior Development Advisor
As the Senior Development Advisor, Dionne has notable experience supporting clients through the design, construction and financing process as an owner’s representative and broker. In his over six years of housing and community development experience, Dionne has created, managed, and funded BIPOC Developer Training, and Technical Assistance programs for municipal government leadership. He is also responsible for managing small business and non-profit clients through the entire development process driving down the cost of capital through innovative and alternative financing vehicles in both Minneapolis and St. Paul. Dionne is also a licensed realtor. He aims to reliably advocate for communities navigating socio-economic inequities and striving for upward economic mobility.
Dionne has a Master’s degree in Public Administration from Hamline University, and a Housing Studies degree from the University of Minnesota.
Email: Dionne@neoopartners.com
Jasmine Carey
Public Engagement Specialist
As the Public Engagement Specialist for NEOO, Jasmine leads clients through the process of creating a holistic engagement framework to elevate community. She has over seven years of experience working in the public sector, at the intersection of community, advocacy and public policy. Jasmine’s expertise includes leading, advising and collaborating with community leaders and elected officials on policy solutions for issues that disproportionately impact Black communities and communities of color. Jasmine also has experience facilitating and training community stakeholders and leaders on navigating the political process and leveraging their collective power to create change.
Email: Jasmine@neoopartners.com
Aimirou Sy
Community Development Coordinator
As a Community Development Coordinator at NEOO, Aimirou brings years of experience in managing diverse stakeholders and data analysis through GIS. He will support the Resilient Community Development Practice area by coupling his technical experience with his internationally acquired problem solving abilities. Aimirou has gained valuable experience working on master plans, GIS maps, economic development, and environmental planning.
Aimirou has a Master’s degree in Urban Planning and a B.S. in Urban and Regional Studies from Minnesota State University - Mankato.
​
Email: Sy@neoopartners.com
Chris Herndon
Community Development Coordinator
As a Community Development Coordinator at NEOO, Chris brings a diverse background which includes underwriting and risk management, business development, account management and executive business coaching; giving him a holistic perspective on the challenges facing businesses today.
At NEOO, Chris partners with community members, non-profits, and local government to develop real estate projects that address social and economic issues. As a real estate developer, he is passionate about small-scale development and workforce-priced missing middle housing, and this fuels his work on the Real Estate Development team.
Chris earned his BA in Sociology & Political Science from the University of Washington and his MBA in Leadership & Marketing from Portland State University.
​
Email: Chris@neoopartners.com
Sam King
Community Engagement Specialist
As the Community Engagement Specialist for NEOO, Sam leverages five years of engagement experience as an organizer and within county government to help clients create clarity on engagement projects. Fundamentally, Sam believes that all communities deserve equitable representation, and continues to be a conduit for community change. He supports the needs of the Community Engagement team by pushing forward innovative strategies to engage diverse groups, and providing a trauma-informed approach to connect with communities that have been historically left out of the process.
Sam earned his Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University.
​
Email: Sam@neoopartners.com
Asnat Ghebremedhin
Community Development Coordinator
As a Community Development Coordinator for NEOO, Asnat manages projects across multiple specialties including economic development, affordable housing, community engagement and real estate development practice. With almost 10 years of experience working at the intersection of social impact, data for good and fundraising, across the U.S. and Ethiopia, she brings her community-conscious and data-forward lens to NEOO’s economic development team which is responsible for systems level change.
Asnat holds a B.A. in Sociology from Biola University and an M.S. Degree in Applied Urban Science and Informatics from New York University and is a licensed Realtor®.
​
Email: Asnat@neoopartners.com
Tyler Jackson
Communications Advisor
As a Communications Advisor, Tyler supports Community Engagement projects through creative storytelling that aims to amplify the artistic voice of the next generation through murals and creative placemaking events. His passion for how we consume information informs his approach to community engagement and communications.
Tyler was NEOO’s 2022 - 2023 Artist-in-Residence, and is a talented muralist whose work can be seen in the Twin cities, Chicago and Wuppertal, Germany. He has a Bachelor's Degree in Fine art and Graphic Design from the Minneapolis College of Art and Design.
​
Email: Tyler@neoopartners.com
Carmen Iman
Communications Advisor
As a Communications Advisor with NEOO, Carmen brings a decade of human-centered communications and storytelling to the team. She has worked across multiple digital media and understands how to channel the brilliant ideas of clients and the internal NEOO team into a single, collective voice.
Carmen has a Bachelor’s degree in Mass Communications and Journalism from Savannah State University.
​
Email: Carmen@neoopartners.com