Izaah Knox

Izaah serves as the Executive Director for Urban Dreams. As the executive director, he focuses on creating new programming, training, and presentations, strengthening and expanding the current programming, collaborations, record keeping, and fundraising.

Previously, he worked at Wellmark Blue Cross Blue Shield as the community outreach consultant, and Des Moines Area Community College as an adjunct, advisor, and YouthBuild education coordinator.

Izaah sits on multiple boards, commissions, advisory & steering committees, and is active in many other ways. He is the immediate past-chair of the Des Moines Human and Civil Rights Commission and a tri-chair of the Capital Crossroads 2.0 Social Capital.

He currently sits on the board of directors for the Community Choice Credit Union, the Community Foundation of Greater Des Moines the Guardian Project, Mid-Iowa Health Foundation, the Simpson College Board of Trustees, and the Wellmark Blue Cross Blue Shield Foundation.

In 2012 Izaah was awarded the United States of America President’s Volunteer Service Award, in 2013 he made the list of Iowa’s Most Interesting and Influential People by the Des Moines Register, was named a Register Person to Watch in 2015, in 2016 selected as a Des Moines Business Record’s Forty Under 40, a Business Person to Know in 2019 and top 20 Most Influential Business Leader for 2020 in the DSM Book of List, the Greater Des Moines Partnership Innovation Award (2020), and 2020 Inner City Urban Entrepreneur 100. Izaah has been appointed by the Governor for multiple committees.

Izaah is a two-time Drake University graduate, an undergraduate in journalism, and a master’s in Education. He is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies from Iowa State University. His Masters in Leadership from Drake focused on Urban Revitalization. His Ph.D. dissertation focuses on upward mobility within depressed urban areas.

Izaah is married to Jenna. They have three kids: Chance, Porter, and Johnnie. They love to travel and are always on-the-go.