About Us
Our Roots
Founded in Vallejo, California, Miles McNeal & Powell LLC is rooted in a clear mission: to transform overlooked neighborhoods into opportunity-rich environments through community-centered strategy, creative capital solutions, and public-private collaboration.
We specialize in revitalizing underutilized spaces — repositioning them as productive, vibrant areas that reinforce economic mobility, cultural vibrancy, and long-term neighborhood stability. Our work is grounded in place and powered by systems thinking, equity-aligned innovation, and locally attuned design.
Our Approach
We take a comprehensive, multidisciplinary approach that integrates real estate strategy, impact-aligned investment, and governance-informed design. Our firm operates at the nexus of land reuse, urban policy, and enterprise development — helping cities and partners realize the full potential of assets too often left underleveraged.
Through deep collaboration with local leaders, agencies, and aligned stakeholders, we help shape environments that are economically dynamic, socially rooted, and built for long-term resilience.
Our methodology draws from proven models in:
- Land reuse and infill redevelopment
- Policy innovation and governance reform
- Site activation and capital stack strategy
- Community-based planning and implementation
With an approach that is strategic, adaptive, and built to respond to real-world dynamics of the places we serve, we:
- Activate underutilized land and legacy properties
- Build durable partnerships across public, private, and community sectors
- Design pathways for inclusive asset building and local ownership
- Translate complex frameworks into actionable results
We define success not through short-term wins — but through long-term transformation.
(*) Supercommunity™: A historically marginalized or economically disadvantaged community that, through collective action, mindset shift, and emotional resilience, undergoes transformation into a self-sustaining, equitable, and economically empowered locality.
R. Shay Miles
Chairwoman + Chief Visionary Officer
- Bay Area Native / Vallejoan: Vallejo, California
- Founder/Chairwoman/Chief Executive Officer of Miles McNeal & Powell LLC
- Supercommunity™ Developer: Specializing in community regeneration, social purpose real estate, and urban transformation
- Social Innovator & Philanthropist: Creating, curating, and cultivating community investment
- 20+ years championing community and economic development
- 10+ years as a strategic marketing leader for a Fortune 500 enterprise's corporate social responsibility and digital innovation
- Workforce Development Board of Solano County: Microbusiness of the Year Honoree
- Brand Innovators: 40 Under 40 Award
- Leadership Vallejo:
Outstanding Achievement Award
Education & Certifications - Harvard Business School: Certificate of Completion for Entrepreneurship Essentials
- Stanford Graduate School of Business: Professional Certificate for Innovation & Entrepreneurship
- University of Phoenix: Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing
- OZ Pros: COZA™ Certification (Certified Opportunity Zone Advisor)
- Leadership California: California Issues & Trends Certificate
- Leadership Vallejo: Certificate of Completion
- Urban Habitat: Boards & Commissions Leadership Institute (BCLI) Fellow
- California State University East Bay: Global Innovators Program
- NASDAQ Entrepreneurial Center: Milestone Circle 35 Graduate + Cornerstone Mentor
- The Center for Global Enterprise: USA Women Entrepreneurship Cooperative Fellowship
Appointments & Civic Leadership
- Appointee, Vallejo City Unified School District (VCUSD) Surplus Property Advisory Committee (7-11 Committee)
- Appointee, City of Vallejo Economic Development Commissioner
- Community Advisory Working Group (CAWG) Member, Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) Community Action Resource & Empowerment (CARE) Program
- Capacity Building Grant Implementation Advisor, Vallejo Arts Fund
- Steering Committee Member, Solano Community Foundation’s Multi-sector Collaborative
- Delegate, Vallejo Housing Justice Coalition
- Facilitator, Invest for Better’s Impact Investing Circle Leader
- California Volunteer, DiscoverE Future City®
Board & Institutional Leadership
- Board Treasurer, House of Acts
- Board Member & Marketing Chair, Mira Theatre Guild
- Board Member, Vallejo Main Street
- Founding Board Member, Cultivate Community Food Co-op
- Board Member, 4th Second
- Founding Board Member, BRIDGEGOOD (formerly Oakland Digital Arts & literacy Center)
- Program Ambassador, VF Corporation’s IDEA (Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Action)