"What my mom didn't know is that our house was making me sick."

Social determinants of health (SDOH) refer to the conditions in the places where people live, learn, work, and play that affect a wide range of health risks and outcomes. These factors encompass quality-of-life considerations related to healthcare, education, social and community connections, economic stability, and the built environment.

In his TEDxMemphis 2023 talk, Dwayne Spencer, President & CEO of Habitat for Humanity of Greater Memphis, shared his personal story and explained how understanding the factors that influence SDOH can help improve and advance health equity. This talk was part of a TEDx event organized independently by a local community, following the TED conference format. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx

 

 

About Dwayne

Dwayne Spencer has worked in nonprofit management for more than 30 years and has led Memphis Habitat since 2001. He has extensive experience working with a wide range of community constituencies to create strategic partnerships and impactful collaborations. Since joining Memphis Habitat, Spencer has grown the organization from a 9-member staff to more than 60 employees; from a $1 million annual budget to $18 million; and from serving 15-20 families a year through its Homebuying Program alone to 250-plus annually through the launch of the Aging in Place program. Today, Memphis Habitat ranks in the top 45 home-producing affiliates and in the top five for home repairs out of more than 1,100 Habitat affiliates in the US. Spencer also holds a master’s degree in public administration from the University of Memphis.