About Us
Who was Hypatia?
Hypatia is considered to be the first female philosopher, astronomer, and mathematician. She was the daughter of Theon, a man recognized as one of the most educated men in Alexandria, Egypt. Hypatia was known for her work in mathematics, astronomy, and her ability to make concepts easier to understand which helped make the works of Apollonius stand the test of time. Hypatia’s work was expanded on by Descartes, Newton, and Leibniz.
We chose Hypatia as our namesake because we wanted to honor the contributions of a woman of color who thrived during a time when women were prevented from accessing education and status. Her life and legacy are examples of how humanity can advance when all people are given opportunities and support to pursue their passions.
Unfortunately, her life was cut short; Hypatia lived during a time when there were riots between religions. “Cyril, a leader among the Christians, and Orestes, the civil governor, opposed each other. Hypatia was a friend of Orestes and it is believed that Cyril spread virulent rumors about her. In 415 AD, on Hypatia’s way home, a mob attacked her, stripped her, and killed her with pieces of broken pottery. Later, the mob dragged her through the streets.”1
Despite her tragic end, her contributions have lived on. And we honor her today as not only a scientist and philosopher but as a shining symbol of creativity and tenacity amidst enormous structural oppression.
History
What is the Hypatia Collaborative?
This project started with the IGNITE! The Deuces initiative. Ignite! the Deuces is focused on concurrent equitable economic and community development in a historically black corridor by investing in physical, organizational, and community infrastructures. Funds raised were to be used to complete capital projects that have an existing narrative, budget, and execution plan created by and for nonprofits on the corridor to share resources in seeking funding and investment together rather than individually. Concurrently, we believed completing capital projects on this historic corridor could stave off gentrification as the existing community develops its own neighborhood. In 2022, the founding partners of IGNITE! The Deuces formed a 501(c)4 organization called Hypatia Collective as a non-profit structure to fundraise for nonprofit services.
In 2023, The Hypatia Collaborative, LLC was founded to house future non-capital projects like a Shared Services Organization (SSO). We were awarded a significant American Rescue Plan Act grant from the City of St. Petersburg and the Pinellas Community Foundation in 2024 to implement the Shared Services Organization model as a 3-year pilot.
Meet Our Team
Linsey Grove
DrPH, MPH, CPHChief Executive Officer
Veatrice Farrell
Chief Community Officer
LaTasha Barnes
Chief Financial Officer
Naomi Ardjomand-Kermani
MPH, PhD(c)Director of Programmatic Operations
Bradlie Nabours
MPH, CPHResearch and Evaluation Director