Dexter mason, Civic Nation

As a proud resident of Detroit, Dexter Mason is currently the Managing Director of the Change Collective at Civic Nation, a national leadership network launched by President Barack Obama for emerging leaders who are passionate about solving issues in their communities and combating social isolation, political polarization, and civic disengagement.

In this position, Dexter leds strategy, partnership management and serve as the chief operations officer for the new venture that brings civic leaders from diverse sectors, industries, backgrounds and political ideologies in local communities together– including Detroit–with the goal of connecting these individuals to national networks in order to receive additional resources, share best practices and provide thought leadership on solving place-based issues.

Prior to joining the Change Collective, Dexter served as the Head of Social Impact & DEI Strategy at Buzzer Technologies Inc., where he focused on identifying opportunities to leverage Buzzer’s platform in order to increase diverse talent in the technology sector, advised on ESG issues and was a liaison to the company’s minority-led venture capital partners.

Before entering the tech startup world, Dexter was the Special Assistant to the President at the Kresge Foundation, where he led strategic initiatives and the Executive Office’s top internal and external priorities. In this role, he was a co-architect for a $30 million racial justice response package that supported dozens of national organizations and local minority-owned businesses in 2020. Previously, Dexter was the Director of Events & Marketing at RISE, a national organization that partners with professional sports leagues, teams and athletes to drive social progress. Before returning to Detroit, Dexter served in The White House during President Barack Obama’s Administration on the Private Sector Engagement Team and in the Office of Management & Administration. He was also a Staff Assistant in the Office of United States Senator Gary Peters during his time in the Nation’s Capital.

In the community, Dexter is the President of the Founders Junior Council at the Detroit Institute of Arts, serves on the Board of Directors for the Detroit Opera and was appointed to Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s Young Professionals Finance Council. Additionally, Dexter is a 2019 Fellow of the Michigan Political Leadership Program and he was named a Mackinac Future Leader during the 2018 Mackinac Policy Conference through the Detroit Regional Chamber. Dexter holds a master’s degree from Georgetown University and a bachelor of arts degree from the University of Michigan.