naakoshie awurama mills

The Black Baltimore Digital Database

I supported the planning and programming for the Black Baltimore Digital Database, a public-facing archive highlighting African American histories across Baltimore and Maryland. I helped digitize oral histories and family photographs, and used both archival methods and AI tools to identify unnamed people and places. This work felt especially meaningful as it honored and preserved Black life in everyday form.

Community Health Worker/Promotor(as) Capacity Building Collective

I joined a consulting team to help evaluate a state-funded program that supports community health workers in California. We conducted interviews with over 20 grantees and reviewed program materials to assess impact and inform next steps. I loved being part of a research process that was collaborative, values-driven, and responsive to the needs of frontline workers.

Agence Française de Développement

Working with local partners in Nigeria, I helped design and implement a research strategy to scale a microloan product within nine months. I led focus groups and co-designed questionnaires with loan officers and community members to understand how people actually use and experience these tools. Our insights helped shape sustainable recommendations for future development efforts that could reach over 2,000 beneficiaries.

Transatlantic Inclusion Leaders Network

I co-facilitated trainings for young elected leaders from Europe and the Americas, exploring questions of race, inclusion, and transatlantic equity. I also contributed to a research report on discrimination and political participation, developed in collaboration with the U.S. Helsinki Commission and the German Marshall Fund.

ACDI/VOCA Program for Afro-Descendants and Indigenous Communities, Colombia

During my Fulbright year, I conducted original research on women working in the informal economy. I used ethnography alongside focus groups, surveys, and interviews to understand the daily challenges and aspirations of street vendors, caregivers, and domestic workers. I shared findings with local organizations and private sector partners, and also supported academic research on Afro-descendant displacement.