CDR COHORT 1 MEMBER

Valerie Ballard is a visionary and experienced leader with a passion for serving people, reflected in her four decades of dedicated service to North Texas residents. She is the Founder & Executive Director of Operation Tiny House, a mission rooted in her personal experience of building and living in her own tiny house property in Dallas since the age of 29. With expertise in consulting and developing tiny house communities for five years, she secured millions in sponsorship to revitalize housing in South and East Dallas neighborhoods.

Valerie's work focuses on addressing a broad range of community challenges, from creating youth entrepreneurship programs and assisting businesses to providing healthy foods and revitalizing homes for seniors. She is currently working on a significant project: a 100+ unit tiny house community designed specifically for veterans experiencing homelessness. Drawing inspiration from her family's legacy of caring for wounded veterans, Valerie is driven by her unwavering faith and her goal to deliver tangible community solutions, having been recognized early in her career as one of Ebony magazine's "30 Leaders of the Future."

All CDR Cohort 1 Participants