Devan Southerland (she/her/hers) joined the Community Advisory Board because she believes that we must bravely and intentionally work together in creating a more joyful, equitable and abundant world for Baltimore City youth.

Born and raised in the McElderry Park neighborhood of East Baltimore, Southerland is a Coppin State University graduate and the founder of Brown on the Spectrum, an online platform providing information and resources in an effort to advance equity, advocacy and partnership for Autistic individuals.

As a member of OSI Baltimore’s 25th cohort of Community Fellows, Southerland draws on 20 years of experience in customer service, organizational administration, advocacy and strategy for social innovation to create equitable opportunities for workforce development for Baltimore’s neurodiverse individuals.

What do you want people to know about Baltimore?

Sourcing inspiration and enlightenment from my son, Liam, I want people to know that local organizations are working tirelessly to create tangible opportunities for young people WITH young people at the table.