CONSTANCE COLLINS

FOUNDER AND PRESIDENT, SUNDARI FOUNDATION, (LOTUS HOUSE WOMEN’S SHELTER), MIAMI

On a frigid trip to New York City at age 13, Constance Collins saw a homeless woman digging through garbage. The sight stuck with her for decades. She eventually founded the Sundari Foundation, better known as the Lotus House Women’s Shelter, in 2004 to combat homelessness. She became the mastermind behind Lotus Village, a mixed-use development that opened in Miami’s Overtown district in 2018 to offer trauma-informed support to children and families experiencing homelessness. A 75,000-sq.-ft. expansion called Children’s Village is now underway. It’s the largest homeless shelter for women and children in the country, serving 1,550-plus women and children annually. More than 80% of Lotus guests exit the shelter system successfully. Collins also serves as the president and executive director of the National Women’s Shelter Network, an initiative of Lotus House that now includes more than 180 shelters and safe haven programs nationwide.