Marquetta “Coach Q” Dickens is a community development executive, entrepreneur, and place-based development strategist dedicated to advancing equitable economic growth, community ownership, and long-term resilience in historically disinvested communities. As Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Freedom Org, she leads the organization's mission to build sustainable systems and infrastructure that strengthen economic opportunity, agricultural independence, environmental stewardship, cultural preservation, and community well-being. 

Founded in 2016 and established as a 501(c)(3) organization in 2019, Freedom Org has grown into a multidisciplinary community development organization serving Eastern North Carolina. Under Dickens' leadership, the organization has secured and managed more than $5 million in public and philanthropic investments since 2023, assembled and stewarded 287.76 acres of land for conservation and future development, and built a team of salaried and contracted professionals dedicated to community transformation. Through strategic partnerships with residents, public agencies, educational institutions, foundations, and private-sector stakeholders, Freedom Org advances initiatives across community and economic development, agriculture and food systems, environmental resilience, and heritage preservation. 

Freedom Org's work is centered in Edgecombe County and Princeville, North Carolina—the oldest incorporated Black town in the United States. Guided by the lessons, challenges, and resilience of Princeville, Dickens is helping develop a model for community-led revitalization that can be adapted throughout the Southeastern United States. Her leadership emphasizes local ownership, long-term sustainability, and the preservation of cultural and historical assets while creating pathways to economic mobility and generational wealth. 

Prior to leading Freedom Org full-time, Dickens built a distinguished career as a professional basketball player, collegiate coach, athletic administrator, and leadership development professional. Her experience developing individuals, teams, and organizations continues to shape her leadership philosophy, which centers on accountability, collaboration, and unlocking human potential. 

Dickens holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Facilities Management, a Master's degree in Student Affairs and College Counseling, and a Construction Management Diploma from North Carolina State University. She currently serves on the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality's Tar-Pamlico River Basin Advisory Committee and chairs the Edgecombe County Safe and Affordable Housing Advisory Board. 

Her work has been featured through Pulitzer Center-supported reporting, university exhibitions, national conference panels, and the award-winning PBS documentary Freedom Hill. She has been recognized for her leadership and service through numerous honors, including induction into the Tarboro High School Hall of Fame, where her basketball jersey has been retired, and the Princeville Hall of Fame for Business and Entrepreneurship. 

Driven by a deep commitment to service and community self-determination, Dickens is helping build a future where historically marginalized communities own assets, preserve their heritage, strengthen local economies, and create sustainable pathways to prosperity for generations to come. Her vision is for Freedom Org to help establish equitable and sustainable systems that enable vulnerable communities across the Southeast to thrive for generations.