Announcing Otis Hackney as Next CEO of Broad Street Love

A message from Chair, Broad Street Love Board of Directors, Shahrukh Tarapore.

Dear friends,

On behalf of our board of directors, it is my privilege and delight to announce the appointment of Otis Hackney as the next CEO of Broad Street Love.

As she shared in her own earlier message to you, Laure Biron, current CEO, conveyed to our board of directors her deeply personal decision to step down in the fall of 2025. Devoted to our mission and work, she dedicated herself to seeing the organization through the search for her successor.

The board subsequently began a thorough search for a new CEO who would build on Laure’s model of servant leadership, sustain our driving value of Radical Hospitality, and lead us in an era full of new challenges and opportunities.

Otis is an extraordinary individual with extensive experience and perspective for the role. A lifelong Philadelphian and an educator by profession, his storied career has been defined by service to others. Beginning his career as a math teacher, then high school principal—notably at South Philadelphia High School, where he developed the foundations of what would become his signature, citywide Community Schools initiative as Deputy Mayor of Education for the City of Philadelphia. Most recently, he served as President and CEO of the national “I Have a Dream Foundation.”

Otis is also a passionate and authentic leader who believes in elevating all those in our community, and committed to our founding ideal of Radical Hospitality. His experiences as an educator, in Philadelphia city government, and in national nonprofit leadership have allowed him to develop a person-centered model for listening, learning, leading and serving. We are thrilled to welcome him to the Broad Street Love community. He will begin his tenure on May 12, 2026.

While we welcome Otis, I’d also like to take a moment to recognize the profound and lasting legacy left by Laure Biron. Leading us through many changes and challenges, including a pandemic that presented grave challenges for our guest population, Laure strengthened the foundations upon which any successful non-profit rests: organizational resilience, financial position, a strong leadership team and a network of innovative partnerships to serve the varied needs of our guests. With her team, Laure further strengthened the reputation of Broad Street Love as the city’s most innovative and creative social services organization. It is impossible to acknowledge here all of Laure’s contributions except to say that we are deeply and profoundly grateful for her leadership.

We will welcome Otis—and pay heartfelt tribute to Laure—at our Be Our Guest gala on May 7. I invite you to join us by supporting the event in honor of Laure, Otis, and our mission of Radical Hospitality, and hope to see as many of you there as possible!

With appreciation,

Shahrukh Tarapore
Chair, Board of Directors