Our Founder’s Story

Paris Davis — Founder & CEO, CodedChange

Paris Davis is a systems innovator, research practitioner, and national advocate for community-rooted public safety transformation. His work is informed by more than a decade of frontline and program leadership experience within the Community Violence Intervention (CVI) ecosystem, supporting survivors of violence, facilitating crisis response, mentoring youth, and coordinating care for community members navigating trauma, instability, and structural inequities.

Raised in Oakland, California, Paris’ trajectory is shaped by communities deeply affected by generational disinvestment, systemic racism, and community violence. His lived experience in Oakland, combined with years of direct work with individuals affected by violence, helped him understand how structural inequities shape both community safety and practitioner vulnerability. He saw firsthand how violence interrupters, case managers, youth workers, outreach specialists, unhoused teams, crisis responders, and school-based practitioners shoulder high-stakes relational labor while operating with limited systemic safeguards.

From these experiences, Paris learned a foundational truth:
The practitioners who sustain community safety are the least resourced, least safeguarded, and least recognized across the public safety landscape.