Manikka Bowman

Manikka Bowman is the former Director of Policy for the Urban Land Institute Boston/New England District Council. She led policy research and provided CRE thought leadership for the Boston market. Bowman also oversaw the ULI Technical Assistance Panel program, which leverages ULI members' thought leadership to help cities and towns tackle challenging land use issues. She launched Pathways to Inclusion during her tenure, a program designed to connect dynamic CRE professionals of color to the ULI Boston network.

Bowman is also the former Vice-Chair of the Cambridge School Committee. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, she worked with the Mayor of Cambridge to set priorities for the School District. She negotiated four agreements in two years with Cambridge educational unions ensuring students and staff had access to safe in-person learning conditions. Bowman also provided oversight and leadership as budget co-chair, ensuring an equitable process for the $202 million CPSD budget. Her proudest accomplishment during her tenure was providing free access to sanitary products to all students in restroom facilities and the establishment of a Period Equity Bank.

Manikka is a Boston Business Journal 40 under 40 honoree and serves on the board of Abundant Housing Massachusett, a nonprofit committed to expanding housing opportunities in every community in the Commonwealth. Bowman holds a bachelor's degree from Bethune-Cookman University and dual master's degrees in Divinity and Urban Policy from Columbia Theological Seminary and Georgia State University.