Communities have the power to lead change.
Lasting improvements in community health happen when people have the knowledge, resources, relationships, and opportunities to shape the systems around them. We invest in community leadership by helping people develop their skills, turn lived experience into action, and build solutions that strengthen their communities.
Community leadership is health infrastructure.
Healthcare systems, programs, and resources alone cannot create healthy communities. Communities also need people who understand their needs, can advocate for solutions, mobilize others, create new approaches, and influence the institutions that affect their lives.
We build this human infrastructure by investing in people.
Understanding health, systems, and community.
Building the confidence and skills to lead.
Supporting people in developing community-driven solutions.
Developing the next generation of community leaders.
Project Liberate is Normal Anomaly’s flagship leadership development initiative, equipping participants with the knowledge, skills, relationships, and resources to become advocates and change-makers in their communities. Through health and research education, leadership development, peer engagement, and social entrepreneurship, participants move from learning about the challenges affecting their communities to developing solutions of their own.
Leadership Development
Project Liberate equips participants with practical knowledge, skills, and relationships to become stronger leaders and advocates. Participants explore health, research, advocacy, and systems while developing the confidence to use their lived experiences and perspectives to influence change.
Community Innovation
Liberate moves beyond learning by creating opportunities for participants to imagine, develop, and put community-driven solutions into action. Through social entrepreneurship, collaboration, and hands-on projects, participants learn how to transform what they know about their communities into ideas that can create meaningful impact.
Learn and Connect
Build knowledge about health, research, advocacy, and systems and develop relationships with peers, mentors, organizations, and community leaders.
Lead and Create
Strengthen communication, advocacy, leadership, and organizing skills and develop ideas and solutions rooted in community experience.
Act
Put knowledge and leadership into practice through projects, advocacy, entrepreneurship, or community involvement.
What participants explore
4
Liberate Cohorts
59
Graduates
1600+
People who received health education from graduates.
Meet the Liberator
Meet Ash
“Inspired by the program’s founder, Ian L. Haddock’s own journey, and the camaraderie among fellow Liberators, Ash found a renewed sense of purpose and a wealth of knowledge to fuel their entrepreneurial journey.”
In a world where artist’s careers have become dictated by follower counts, social media trends and algorithms rooted in systemic biases, Ash Carter stands as a shining light for Queer Southern artists, activists, and visionaries looking to share their work. As the Founder and Creative Director of Hello Cold World Mag, Ash has embarked on a mission to amplify the voices of the often-overlooked Queer community across the South.Through their journey with Project Liberate, Ash has not only found support for their endeavors but has also become a source of inspiration for others seeking to make a difference in their communities.
Ash's vision for Hello Cold World Mag was born out of a desire to fill a void in regional publications, particularly those that celebrate the vibrant cultural tapestry of the South. Recognizing the richness of Southern culture and the immense talent within the queer community, Ash set out to create a platform that would showcase the creativity and resilience of their peers.
“What really struck me was that there was no publication regionally for the South that highlighted those creative efforts. You know, a lot of people tend to think the South is culturally bullied, but we are actually probably the most preeminent start of all things culture, and all things queer as well. So, it's definitely time for us to highlight that,” said Ash on their motivations behind this magazine.
Meet the Liberator
Brandon
“I sometimes feel the LGBTQ+ community gets a bad rap, even amongst each other, of not always being fully supportive. Project Liberate was an example of what we could do as a community. If we truly are supportive of each other and truly are there for each other, we not only get built up individually, we also get built up collectively,”
Brandon Mack, a Texas-native, served for over 13 years in academia and admissions before
founding B.Mack Strategies LLC, a dynamic consulting company committed to driving positive change in education, diversity, equity, and inclusion. His passion for education, coupled with a desire to address systemic inequalities, led to apply to Project Liberate to help make his dreams of doing things differently a reality.
Reflecting on his career transition, Brandon discussed the pivotal role of the pandemic in reshaping his approach to work. Remote opportunities highlighted the potential for broader access to college admissions services, inspiring Brandon to leverage technology for greater impact. Dissatisfied with the status quo, Brandon made the bold decision to embark on his entrepreneurial journey, driven by a commitment to serving historically marginalized communities.
Brandon's involvement in Project Liberate proved transformative, offering invaluable support and camaraderie. The program's emphasis on community-driven entrepreneurship resonated deeply with Brandon, providing both practical guidance and emotional encouragement during challenging times. Through collaborative efforts and shared experiences, Brandon found inspiration and solidarity among fellow entrepreneurs. He believes this opportunity is crucial for Black, Queer entrepreneurs because, unfortunately, they are not afforded the same opportunities from pitch competitions and startup incubators.
From Individual Leadership to Community Power.
One leader can influence far more than one life.
When people gain knowledge, relationships, resources, and opportunities to lead, that capacity stays within communities. Participants become advocates, organizers, entrepreneurs, professionals, mentors, and trusted sources of information for others.
That’s why Normal Anomaly sees leadership development not simply as a program—but as an investment in community health infrastructure.
Expanding the Model
The lessons from Project Liberate are creating opportunities to advance community leadership. Through our partnership with HPTN 096, Normal Anomaly is expanding elements of the Liberate model beyond Houston and exploring how leadership development, advocacy, and community engagement can strengthen health equity efforts across communities in the South.
This next chapter reflects what we’ve learned through Liberate: when we invest in people, we don’t just develop individual leaders—we strengthen communities’ capacity to advocate, organize, innovate, and shape the systems that affect their health.