Lem Cartman is a community strategist and the Manager of Community Relations in Corporate Government Affairs at Henry Ford Health, one of Michigan’s largest health institutions. In this role, he helps strengthen partnerships across Detroit’s neighborhoods by aligning hospitals, schools, grassroots organizations, and local government around shared community priorities.
Originally from Chicago’s South Side, Lem’s leadership is shaped by a belief that collaboration is essential for community transformation. His early training began as an AHEC Scholar in Indiana, followed by roles advancing social determinants of health at Northwestern Medicine, trauma-informed care at Rush University Medical Center, and global learning experiences in the Middle East and Central America. He later completed the Henry Ford Health Administrative Fellowship, a distinction earned by only 3–4% of graduates nationally, before transitioning into community relations.
Lem is also the Founder and Chief Strategist of WE Consulting, a social impact firm that helps schools, nonprofits, and civic organizations strengthen systems, improve collaboration, and bring community-centered ideas to life.
Through the Change Collective, Lem will focus on developing deeper community organizing and narrative leadership skills to help build inclusive, resident-driven structures that empower Detroiters to shape the decisions that impact their neighborhoods.