DWAYNE KEYS

For over 20 years Dwayne Keys has advocated on behalf of historically excluded communities for economic justice and full inclusion in economic prosperity, with a focus on eliminating poverty, preventing displacement, and supporting anti-racism initiatives. A native of Wilmington, Delaware, Dwayne moved to Providence in August of 1999 to pursue higher education and has lived in the Southside of Providence since the Fall of 2000. Throughout his life in Providence, Dwayne has served the Black community through various organizations and causes. Dwayne’s most notable volunteer roles of service that he’s held in the past include President of the Rhode Island Young Professionals, Board member with the Urban League of Rhode Island, and Chairperson of the South Providence Neighborhood Association. His organizing and advocacy efforts over the last 2 decades earned him the moniker, Rebel With A Cause, by a fellow community champion.

Dwayne Keys works at Compass Working Capital, a non-profit organization dedicated to ending asset poverty with a focus on Black and Latina women-led households specializing in HUD’s Family Self-Sufficiency (FSS) program. Dwayne joined Compass in July of 2017 as a financial coach working one-on-one with Compass clients at locations in Rhode Island and Southeast Massachusetts and is currently Compass’s Director of Programs for their Multifamily partnerships. In this day-to-day role, Dwayne leads a remote team of 16 people, who are located throughout the United States, to implement Compass’s strategy and growth of FSS with six (6) Multifamily housing partners in 16 states and D.C. at over 70 properties (including 6 in Rhode Island) for over 900 clients in the program while also interfacing with HUD to scale FSS in order to reach as many eligible families. Prior to becoming Director of Programs for Multifamily, Dwayne was the Financial Coaching Manager for the Multifamily team at Compass in which he supervised a team of financial coaches, ensured clients received high quality financial coaching, and served six months as Interim Director of Programs for the Multifamily team. Before joining Compass, Dwayne spent 13 years working in for-profit banking and financial services, holding roles in customer relationship management, service, and sales.

Dwayne is also the Managing Director of D Key Solution, a consulting firm he launched in 2015 that provides services in meeting facilitation, community engagement, and change management with low-to-moderate income Black and Brown communities in areas such as zoning, urban planning, preservation, community development, neighborhood revitalization, small businesses, and overall economic inclusion. A key project that Dwayne embarked on through D Key Solution is the future redevelopment of the site at 246 Prairie Avenue, the former site of the Urban League of Rhode Island, in which he served as the Community Facilitator for the engagement process of the redevelopment that was held in the Fall of 2024.

Dwayne attended Johnson & Wales University where he earned his A.S. in Retailing, B.S. in Marketing and M.B.A. in International Trade. He is an Accredited Financial Counselor® (AFC®), certified in Financial Social Work and is pursuing his designation as a Certified Associate in Program Management (CAPM). Dwayne serves on the Boards for Social Enterprise Greenhouse (SEG), Providence Revolving Fund, and the Economic Progress Institute (EPI) in which he’s currently the Board Chair. An avid reader with a passion for books on the Racial Wealth Divide, you can always find Dwayne attending an event or participating in activity in support of others as they strive to uplift Rhode Island’s Black and brown communities through their efforts.