As Director of Place Based Growth, Raabia works with local leaders across the country to lead our strategy of demonstrating how service years at scale can help repair broken cities, uplift and educate children at risk, and empower communities struggling with poverty.
Previously, Raabia facilitated international and philanthropic partnerships at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and led a federal interagency team to pilot the White House Strong Cities, Strong Communities (SC2) Initiative engagement in Macon-Bibb County, Georgia. A groundbreaking place-based initiative, SC2 works to better align federal policy and resources with committed city leaders as they implement locally driven economic visions.
Prior to joining SC2, Raabia built partnerships and advanced economic policy to spur entrepreneurship and job creation in Africa and the Middle East at the U.S. Department of State. Before joining the federal government, Raabia consulted for local governments, federal agencies, social enterprises, and international organizations on strategic planning, service and organizational design, and urban development.
Raabia earned dual Master’s degrees in urban planning and public administration from the University of Southern California’s Price School of Public Policy, and her B.A. in Psychology and Linguistics from Emory University. Raabia proudly served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Kyrgyzstan, as an AmeriCorps member in Atlanta, and is a NextCity Vanguard.
