About Us
The Built Studio empowers organizations to develop high-quality housing options. We offer our partners the resources and support they need to maximize their impact in their communities and the world at-large.
After more than a decade working in industries like government, housing, media, and education, our team was disillusioned by traditional consulting. The important steps to successfully implement an idea and have a lasting impact were being overlooked.
In 2019, we were created through a passion and readiness to change the world of housing and community development. Leveraging our lived experiences, we knew we could utilize our professional and academic backgrounds to help organizations address the common problems hindering them from transforming their community. We believe in true partnerships that amplify marginalized voices and drive sustainable change.
Our Approach
We’re over stuffy and ineffective consulting. We approach the fundraising, marketing, and implementation process in a fresh way and are committed to creating real, sustainable change — vanity metrics are no good to us, or to you.
We’re the first to admit this is challenging work, and it’s easy to get overwhelmed. That’s why we use Heifetz’s framework of Adaptive and Technical Leadership to keep us grounded, informing the services we offer and the way we work with our partners. Both technical and adaptive work can have a multi-dimensional impact from individual to institutional, so we’re intentional in the ways our work touches people, organizations, and broader communities. We believe the intersection of all these forces is necessary for progress.
Our Leadership
Meet our smart, passionate crew of strategists and critical thinkers
Morgan Mansa
FOUNDER & CEO
Morgan Mansa is the founder of The Built Studio, guiding the organization’s growth and serves as the unifying voice for our multifaceted housing & community development work. Prior to this role, Morgan was the Executive Director of the Nashville Housing Trust Fund, overseeing a portfolio of over $25M in assets. Before this appointment, Morgan was the Policy Advisor for the Tennessee Housing Development Agency, Director of Policy for the Oak Park Regional Housing Center, and the Executive Director of the Chicago Area Fair Housing Alliance. In 2020, Morgan was appointed to the Legislative Policy Committee for the NC League of Municipalities and elected as Co-Chair of the NC Women’s Affordable Housing Network. Morgan has a BA in Sociology from Calvin University and Master of Public Policy and Administration from Northwestern University.
Angelique Schuler
Senior Research associate
Angelique is the Senior Research Associate for The Built Studio. She serves as lead researcher/evaluator on a wide range of projects related to housing, community development, and poverty alleviation strategies. Her expertise includes learning-focused and highly participatory approaches to process and outcomes evaluation, primary research, strategic grant-making, and learning meeting design and facilitation. Angelique’s work focuses on research that is designed to identify and explore innovative and emerging new practices and strategies and is geared toward program capacity-building and field-building. Angelique holds a Bachelor of Arts in History from DePaul University and MS in Information Science from Dominican University.
Meghan Winston
Director of Development
Meghan is the Director of Development for The Built Studio. In this role, Meghan helps to transform groups with limited budgets into strong organizations successfully shaping the housing and development landscape in their community. Meghan is a seasoned fundraising professional, with expertise in cultivating donor relationships, hosting fundraising events, and developing and executing strategic development plans. Prior to joining The Built Studio, Meghan served as the Development Associate for Council for a Strong America (CSA), a national bipartisan organization advocating for policies and programs positively impacting youth. Meghan earned her Bachelor of Science in Political Science from George Washington University and Masters in Public Administration from Syracuse University.
“What would it look like if organizations were holistically supported so their work could be amplified? What if communities had more ownership in how their cities developed? These are some of the gaps we address at The Built Studio.”