Toye Watson

Toye Watson is a dynamic and experienced social impact leader dedicated to bridging institutional resources with community assets to foster change. With a foundation in community organizing, education, and strategic design, she excels at building the collaborative partnerships necessary to address complex social challenges.

As the Director of Community Impact at urbanCORE she leads the  Innovation Incubator.  In this role, she leads initiatives that empower community stakeholders by aligning the talent of students, faculty, and staff with community-identified goals. She aids in facilitating a campus-wide vision for social impact, cultivating long-term partnerships with nonprofits and local agencies, and integrating hands-on, community-based learning into the academic experience. By championing data-driven strategies and a community-centered approach, she ensures that these collaborations are reciprocal, sustainable, and lead to measurable, positive outcomes.

This work is a natural extension of her deep experience at the grassroots level. Previously, as a Community Organizer at the Community Building Initiative, Toye spearheaded community-centered planning efforts, forging powerful alliances to address critical issues such as housing displacement and access to mental health services. Her background as an Education and Outreach Coordinator at PBS Charlotte and a Curriculum Development Lead Instructor for Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools honed her ability to design impactful educational experiences that foster cultural understanding and improve outcomes for learners of all ages.

Toye holds a Master of Education in Urban Education and Bachelor’s degrees in Africana Studies and English, all from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. Her leadership is further informed by specialized training in Liberatory Design, and Innovation Design.