Introduction

Carson Kahoe

Hello and welcome to Community Insights, a limited audio series from IFF where we hear from nonprofit leaders about projects they’ve undertaken to upgrade their organization’s facilities and expand their abilities to better serve their communities.

My name is Carson Kahoe, and I work at IFF, a mission-driven lender, developer, and real estate consultant that works across the Midwest to help strengthen nonprofits and the communities they serve.

Today, we will hear from Dr. Trinity Davis, president and founder of Teachers Like Me. Dr. Davis will be sharing insights about her experience founding Teachers Like Me and growing the organization to support Black educators in Kansas City.

Joining us as well is Amber Korf, IFF’s director of lending for Iowa, Missouri, Kansas, and Southern Illinois. Amber has built a relationship with Dr. Davis and with Teachers Like Me as IFF’s lending team supported the nonprofit’s expansion of its affordable housing program for new teachers in the Kansas City area.

Thank you, Dr. Davis and Amber, for joining us.

Amber Korf

Thank you.

Trinity Davis

Thank you for having me.

The value of having a “Teacher Like Me”

Carson Kahoe

I’d love to get started with some background about Teachers Like Me.

Teachers Like Me is dedicated to recruiting, developing, and retaining Black teachers in public education in the Kansas City area by removing barriers to entry and providing the support they need to be effective and responsive to the academic and social need of all students, specifically students of color.

Dr. Davis, you founded Teachers Like Me in Kansas City in 2020 after working in Kansas City public schools, first as a teacher and then for eight years as assistant superintendent.

So could you talk about what motivated you to create Teachers Like Me?

Trinity Davis

Well, you know, starting out my career as a teacher, I realized right away that it was significant to be a Black teacher in the classroom — it was almost rare. From the time I was a teacher to a professor, things didn’t look different. And so I decided to come to Kansas City Public Schools and to support them with curriculum and instruction. And while I was there, I realized that we were losing teachers at a fast rate and we were losing Black teachers at—they were like the targeted group that were not staying in the field at the time.

And so when I was deciding my next move, I knew that I had to do something and that was making sure we had the right teachers in the classroom. And so the idea just came to me and I started talking to people and it’s people got excited about it. I got excited about it and we went from there.

Carson Kahoe

You talk about being a Black teacher and feeling rare. What did that mean? What did that look like and feel like?

Trinity Davis

The main piece is if you start looking at Black teachers and you’ve got about 6 to 6.8% or so of teachers in the nation are Black, and even worse, 2% of Black males, and the numbers are going down every year. The city itself was only at 2.8% Black teachers, and that really was an astounding number. It’s rare, and you feel isolated as you’re not in a building where there are black teachers.

Carson Kahoe

What does it mean for the students to have a teacher that looks like them, for Black students to have a Black teacher?

Trinity Davis

John Hopkins came out with research around 2019 about if a Black student has a Black teacher, or more than one Black teacher, that they’re more than 13% or up to 30% more likely to finish high school, and then go into college. And so I think just knowing that, I’m like, why are we not doing something to make sure that happens?

So I think with all of the data and what we know like teachers bring to a classroom and what they bring to kids, especially kids of color, which we have a lot of districts and a lot of schools that have the majority kids of color, my goal was to see how can we create a program that we could retain teachers, have quality teachers, and diversify the workforce.

When I started the program and I was thinking, we’ll just have teachers when they come out of college, I started talking to the colleges around, and I’d ask, “How many Black students do you have coming out?” And they’re like, “None.” Or “One.” So that really made an impact in my decision to say, “We need to start a pipeline.”

We actually focus on HBCUs, which are historical Black colleges and universities. They have a lot of teachers in the program that we need here because Kansas City doesn’t have an HBCU right here around, you know, right here in the city. They don’t have this problem down south because they have historical Black colleges everywhere. So in the Midwest, we’re the area that really needs that level of support to bring in and diversify our teacher workforce.

Carson Kahoe

So you’re talking about building a pipeline for teachers. Could you briefly describe the program that Teachers Like Me uses to recruit, develop, and retain Black teachers?

Trinity Davis

We have three groups of teachers: We have our collegians who are going to be teachers, so we call them collegians; and then we have our teachers who are their first year in the classroom who are coming in with us; and then we have now, it’s a new thing, is alumni, so they’re the teachers that finished the program and now they’re supporting the new teachers and the collegians.

The way the program works is we basically go and we recruit the college students, we recruit the new teachers from the universities because it’s easy for you to want to be that in college and then get away from it. So our goal is to keep them thinking and wanting to be a teacher and keep really supporting them in that work and making sure they see that teaching’s a rewarding and a great profession.

So the college students are with us for those four years, and then after they graduate from college with their teaching degree, we place them into a school and support them for three more years. So for the collegians, we’re making sure you finish college, we’re checking your grades, we’re helping you in that way.

With the teachers, we’re in the classroom with them to make sure that our instructional coordinators are there. So they’re in the classroom with them, helping them with classroom management, setting up routines and procedures, making sure they understand how to deliver the curriculum and how to look at data. So all of those major parts of teaching, they’re in there with them. It’s a big supporting system.

We provide a mentor for all of them, and so that mentor is really important because, remember, a lot of these teachers aren’t from Kansas City. So the mentor is a veteran educator from Kansas City, and they usually take them to show them, like, where to get their hair done — some of our teachers have locks, so where do I go get my locks retwisted, or where do I go get braids. And the other piece is, they take them so they can find a church, those kind of things so they can make Kansas City home. So the mentoring is such an important part of the program.

Housing for Kansas City’s teachers

Carson Kahoe

I’d love to talk a little more about the housing dimension of Teachers Like Me. So why is housing support an important component of your strategy to cultivate new teachers and bring them to Kansas City?

Trinity Davis

The biggest piece that I think is the recruitment and the retention strategy is the housing.

We provide an option for them to have housing with us, and we do put it at an affordable rate for those first three years or for the college students as they’re going through college. We can’t go to Jackson State and just say, “Hey, you want to come to Kansas City?” And they’re going, “Okay, where will I live? I don’t know anything about the place. I have a job, but…”

With us, they know, “I’m coming there, and there’s a place for me to live. And matter of fact, there’s other teachers who look like me that live around me as well and that can support me in this journey.”

Now, our first cohort has graduated, our second cohort has graduated, we’re finishing with the third cohort, they’ll finish their third year, and we’ve had three teachers buy their homes here. They’ve made Kansas City home.

So this is a retention piece. It’s creating, it’s strengthening our community because our teachers live right where they serve. So that’s the thing I really love. They teach in Kansas City Public Schools. They live in that district. And their kids get to see them in the community, that’s important.

Carson Kahoe

As part of the support for its new teachers, Teachers Like Me operates the School Zone, which is a village of affordable housing for teachers recruited from outside of Kansas City.

Really quick, what is the School Zone?

Trinity Davis

Okay, so the School Zone is an area of houses that we’re trying to build. So we have top and bottom duplexes, and we have one that we’ve had that has six teachers in there. And then what we did was we bought a house across the street, and then there’s a lot next door that’s empty that we’d like to build on next. That right there puts 27 teachers in one block.

The neighbors love it. They know that there’s teachers in their community. The teachers attend neighborhood association meetings — that’s always nice, you know, to have them part of the neighborhood.

With the shared housing, they have each other there. It cuts down the cost of the rent. They do things together that I wouldn’t think — like, one day, I’m like, “Why are all the teachers at the house?” And they were like, “They do Bible study together.” They were doing like a walking club. So they’re fine in those things because they’re close in proximity. And again, that makes them love Kansas City and want to stay in Kansas City.

You see it in the schools. Next thing you know, cohort two, they created a dance team at Northeast High School that had not been there. So many things have come out of them having that close relationship and working together, and the housing piece of it brings them closer. That school placement brings them closer.

You know, we’ve had two that have moved away after their three years. And one of them called me — it was so funny. He called me a few weeks ago and was like, “You know what?” He said, “These are my brothers and sisters now.”

It’s been the best thing for them.

IFF’s Stronger Nonprofits Initiative

Carson Kahoe

I’d love to talk a little more about your relationship with IFF.

So not long after you started Teachers Like Me, you first got introduced to IFF through your participation in the Stronger Nonprofits Initiative, or SNI, which is a program that IFF runs to support nonprofits that face systemic barriers to building their financial sustainability and organizational capacity.

So to start, what attracted you to SNI?

Trinity Davis

I applied for it because I’m an educator, right? I’m walking into a whole new area with fundraising — I’ve never had to do nonprofit work. What does that look like? Or housing? I just remember seeing that and being like, this would be awesome, I think it’ll teach me a lot. I love to learn, and here I can learn all the things that I need to know firsthand.

So the things I learned was just like, how to really look at my financial statements, how to look at all of those pieces. I’m working on a three-year budget right now with someone, but I understand what I need to have in that, and if it wasn’t for that, being in the Stronger Nonprofits Initiative, I’d be still trying to figure out a lot of that.

So they really gave me a wealth of knowledge and then I found out that IFF would support in that way, and so that just sparked our relationship from there.

Carson Kahoe

SNI was how you first met Amber — so first of all, Amber, thank you for joining us. Could you start by just introducing yourself, what you do at IFF?

Amber Korf

Sure. I’m the director of lending for Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, and Southern Illinois. And so oddly enough, I actually started on IFF just weeks before SNI started, or maybe during the beginning of SNI. So I was learning SNI at the same time, Trinity was learning SNI.

Trinity Davis

So we learned a lot together.

Amber Korf

We did, we learned a lot together!

Carson Kahoe

That’s so fun. So what was your role in SNI?

Amber Korf

Well it’s a cohort of about 10 organizations meeting weekly over a several week period of time — so I was getting to know these organizations and walking with them, and also meeting for presentations on access to capital and how important financials are and being able to tell your financial story. I was not leading that; I was participating. And then after the sessions and during the whole program, folks might reach out to us on IFF’s capital side and say, “Can you tell me more about what this is that IFF can do and how you can support?”

Carson Kahoe

Like what exactly?

Amber Korf

We as a CDFI, as a community development financial institution, we’re mission-driven lenders, and so our focus is nonprofits and facilities: financing for nonprofits and their facilities for capital improvements or acquisition, new construction, rehab.

Carson Kahoe

So with SNI, financial management and organizational capacity are really key. What is the importance of financial management for a nonprofit?

Amber Korf

Well, obviously, it’s being able to manage day-to-day operations, right? But in the long run, it’s: What are the organization’s strategic plans? How are you going to get there? Are you budgeting wisely?

And part of SNI too is being able to tell your story through your financials. Are they accurate? Are they complete? Are they timely? Having a clear understanding of your financial position is incredibly important for your sustainability, and especially doing a capital project. And then also when you’re reaching out to funders, foundations and whatnot — being able to tell that story too is critically important.

Carson Kahoe

So after you guys first met in that SNI training, you stayed in touch for a while before working together more formally. Coming out of SNI, how did your relationship evolve?

Trinity Davis

I know Amber became a phone call, an e-mail away, to say, “Hey, I’m thinking about this. How can we get support?” It’s not like we’re ready to do it, just, “Amber, I’m thinking about this.” And she can really advise you in the right way to say, “Well, you need to be thinking about this, you need to do da da da da.” And then I can start getting together, and then I can call her later or e-mail her later and say, “Okay, I think I’m ready for this,” and then she can take me through the next steps.

Like I said, Teachers Like Me would not be here for — well, IFF of course, but Amber especially, for me. I know she’s going to tell me what to do and help me to get to the next step.

Carson Kahoe

And Amber, what did that relationship look like for you? Did you see any of Dr. Davis’ planning for Teachers Like Me through SNI showing up in the evolution of that relationship?

Amber Korf

Absolutely. SNI really builds the muscle for small, growing nonprofits to think about those things, break down barriers in access to capital, building budgets, looking at pro formas.

Especially, as we developed this relationship and had conversations about a specific project, I could say things like, “Have you thought about the new operating budget with this new building? Have you thought about a pro forma?”

And she’s like, “Oh yes, we talked about that in SNI and I know what this is, I know what it looks like.” And so we can work on that.

I think what’s special about CDFIs is that we’re there for the ride and the journey, and we’re having those discussions and providing that support — not just like some institutions that just say, “Yes, this is good, I’m going to committee here, you’re closed, bye.”

Building community together

Carson Kahoe

So you guys had developed and cultivated this relationship with each other, but then began working together more formally in 2023 and then again in 2025 when Teachers Like Me connected with Amber and IFF for financing to expand the School Zone.

So first, just at the highest level, what did IFF’s loans do for the school zone?

Trinity Davis

Creating, like I said, a neighborhood feel that’s huge. IFF has helped me to not only expand our neighborhood, but to learn what it takes to expand it from a financial piece, because even though I thought I knew, I know more now — I thought I knew in 2023, I know a lot more in 2026. So all of those things I’m starting to understand a lot more, and that’s due to the work with IFF.

Carson Kahoe

In 2023 and then in 2025, did Teachers Like Me explore any other financing options?

Trinity Davis

Yes, we did, and for the small house across the street, it was perfect to go through another financing piece. But when it comes to this construction and this piece, that’s when I’m like, “Amber!” This is a different type of situation. And honestly, I don’t think that lender could handle what IFF could handle, because it comes with support. IFF comes with support along the way.

It’s not like just buying a house; it’s like buying a house with a friend who knows what they’re doing. It’s not just giving you a loan and going from there. It’s checking in, seeing how things are going and everything. So IFF has more of a relationship with you. Like she said, we build community together.

Like even the fact of knowing that, because we are a nonprofit — and only IFF can really understand it at this level that — we have revenue coming in, but it doesn’t come for three months, you know what I mean? They still understand we’re getting it.

It’s just those things are so important. It just makes the work easier. I can focus more on the teachers and the work.

Carson Kahoe

So where do things currently stand with the School Zone?

Trinity Davis

We have nine teachers there that are in the School Zone right now, but with the new build that we’re getting the lending from IFF, we will have another eight. So we’ll have 17 teachers in that block, which is huge. Again, we have the lot across the street, and so we’re going to look at that design; we can probably fit 12 teachers over there. So in the end, we could end up with almost 29 teachers in that one neighborhood, which is huge.

What’s important about this new build that we’re doing that only IFF, again, can understand, is it’s not just two duplexes — it’s a community space in the middle. This house that we’re building right now is a little more expensive because it’s really going to be the hub of the neighborhood. It’s where everyone can gather, it’s where everyone can plan, it’s where they can BBQ.

So we want to get to a point where we can have everyone in that block, and then we have other lots, so I think we’re thinking about what that could look like for the next field. I would like to leave some things out for single family homes because we do have more families coming.

That’s pretty much what’s on the horizon as we expand. I just I don’t want to turn anyone away. We need great teachers, so how can we make it work for all types of family sizes?

Carson Kahoe

You talk about this, and this is building community — from what you’ve seen, what has building community looked like for the teachers who are moving into the School Zone?

Trinity Davis

It’s definitely building the community, but it’s more of the friendships they’re developing, and it shows up in data from the students, like the impact on the student data. We’ve looked at how the Teachers Like Me’s teachers have done this year compared to ones who hasn’t been in the program. We’re outscoring them.

The other impact of this is we have six teachers of the year, and that’s unbelievable considering they’re very young teachers. You know, they just started in the field, but they’ve made an impact on their students.

And then we always do surveys with the kids, and just to read what they say about their teachers — that’s probably the one time where I get teary-eyed, you know? It’s like, “I wouldn’t come to school every day if it wasn’t for her.” And that’s something that we want to see happen. I watched attendance, and I knew that kids would come if they had a reason to come. So I think the impact is seeing them grow as teachers and as people — that’s huge — and just seeing where they impact children.

Fifty-one teachers in the program, or have been through the program, and all 51 are still teaching.

Carson Kahoe

Well, that impact on the students that you’re talking about, that cuts back to the core of what Teachers Like Me is trying to do, and that’s really fantastic.

Amber Korf

I can’t imagine a school district that wouldn’t want that kind of system in place.

Takeaways and final thoughts

Carson Kahoe

I’d love to close out with a few reflections on some of the challenges and surprises that you’ve had.

Now that you’re in your sixth year of running Teachers Like Me, what things do you wish you had known when you were first getting started?

Trinity Davis

I wish I had known Amber earlier. [laughter] Yeah, really!

But I don’t know, because there’s some things I needed to fall on my face, and figure it out — understanding how to use your reserves, things like that. Or what percentage of money to keep as my reserves, that’s one.

And probably I wish — one thing I do say all the time is I probably should have hired a director of development first. But I hired an instructional coordinator first, because it’s about the teachers. I can write a grant and do those kind of things, but the reason I say I wish I would have gotten a director of development first is because they could have lived it and been able to write the grant as well as I can.

Carson Kahoe

What sort of challenges arose as you were going about this process of expanding the school zone?

Trinity Davis

It was funding,  because people love the program, or the philanthropic community loved the program, but the housing is risky. So I think the more that we can show the need for the housing and how it impacts the program, I think that’s the piece that’ll help us in the future. But I think the challenge right now is getting that capital funding.

Carson Kahoe

What’s on the horizon? What’s next for Teachers Like Me?

Trinity Davis

So I think the one big thing that I would like to do is we’ve had a few other cities who would like to look into what we’re doing and see if we’d be willing to come there and replicate it. And so that’s something we’re looking for probably the next three years, but I will tell you, my goal is to make sure Kansas City is set in stone. Like we have the housing we need, we have our staffing, and Kansas City’s in a good place as we start before we expand to the next city.

We’ve expanded in Kansas City. We started off, it was four, it was 12, it was 16, you know, and now we actually have 39 classroom teachers, we have eight collegians, and we have four alumni, and those numbers are getting ready to double for next year.

The longer we do this, the more support we’re getting because they’re seeing houses go up, and then they’re seeing teachers stay in their schools. You know, they’re seeing that. So I think the more we prove ourselves, the more we can really get that support.

Carson Kahoe

I’m so excited to be sitting here and talking with you today, I’m so excited to have learned everything that Teachers Like Me is doing, and it’s really incredible and heartwarming to hear the impact you guys are having. I’m excited to see where you guys go in the future.

Trinity Davis

Well, thank you for having me. This was a great experience, and I love talking about IFF and Teachers Like Me.

Closeout

Carson Kahoe

Well, that about wraps up today’s episode.

Now, you may have noticed a slight change in scenery. Unfortunately, we ran into some technical difficulties during recording, and we lost the last few minutes of my camera, so now I’ll wrap up today’s episode from IFF’s Chicago office.

Again, I want to thank Dr. Davis and Amber for taking the time to sit down with me today and talk about Teachers Like Me. If you would like to learn more about Teachers Like Me, visit their website at www.teacherslikeme.org, or feel free to reach out to Dr. Davis directly at trinity@teacherslikeme.org.

Are you a nonprofit in the Midwest looking to upgrade your facilities? Visit iff.org to learn more about our lending and real estate consulting services, and feel free to follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn, X, and YouTube, @IFFcdfi. And feel free to reach out to Amber directly at akorf@iff.org if you have any questions for her specifically.

Thank you again for listening, and we’ll see you next time.