In every generation, there emerges a leader whose work refuses to sit neatly in one category. Someone who moves between boardrooms, block clubs, youth centers, congressional offices, and digital innovation spaces with the same purpose-driven energy. In Detroit, that leader is James “Screal” Eberheart Jr. — a transformational thinker, nonprofit architect, and cultural strategist whose impact stretches across neighborhoods, institutions, and national networks.
As Founder and CEO of Motivating Inner New DreamS (M.I.N.D.S.), Screal is building more than a nonprofit — he is building an ecosystem. His organization approaches community not as a collection of disconnected problems, but as a holistic network of people navigating entrepreneurship, mental health, civic responsibility, safety, and identity all at once. Under his leadership, M.I.N.D.S. has become a model for 21st-century empowerment, proving that true change happens when people are treated as whole human beings.
Screal’s trajectory has always been defined by this dual commitment to authenticity and systems-level thinking. His early work as Chief Visionary Officer and Vice President of New Era Detroit (2014–2020) cemented him as a grassroots force, while his current role as Senior Moonshot Ambassador at Merit Network positions him at the forefront of digital transformation statewide. Whether leading high-level initiatives or mobilizing community members on the ground, Screal demonstrates a rare ability to connect strategy with lived experience.
His résumé reads like a blueprint for modern leadership. As Community Visioneer with Force Detroit, he contributed to violence intervention models that achieved 67–72% reductions in community violence. Through his role as Lead Ambassador for Inceptions: The First Mental Health, he coordinated 30 ambassadors across the U.S. and abroad, building sustainable networks focused on wellness equity. His work with Own Your Story / Detroit Is Us elevates authentic Detroit narratives and challenges media stereotypes, expanding community-centered storytelling nationwide.
Recognition has followed him at every level. Screal has earned the Spirit of Detroit Award, received State of Michigan Tributes from both the House and Senate, and completed the Arizona State University Digital Leadership Certification, marking him as a forward-thinking innovator prepared for the next era of civic leadership. As Team Lead in the Lead for America / American Connection Corps Cohort 2026, he now mentors emerging leaders while continuing to expand his own social impact portfolio.
But Screal’s work doesn’t stop at traditional community development. Through business partnerships with Motu Viget Spirits and Takers: The Gaming Vault, he is proving that economic growth and social mission are not competing values, but powerful partners. His intergenerational CVLC T.E.C.H. Initiative tackles social determinants of health, while his Dreams & Connections Mixer brings together Detroit’s most committed changemakers, building bridges across sectors and generations.
A 2025 graduate of the Kansas Leadership Center, Screal continues to serve communities across Michigan through AmeriCorps’ signature leadership programming. Yet, despite the titles, accolades, and expanding influence, he remains rooted — “Inkster born, Detroit built, Inktown bound.”
James “Screal” Eberheart Jr. represents a new kind of leadership: grounded, visionary, digitally fluent, community-centered, and boldly future-focused. He is not simply working to change systems; he is cultivating the next generation of Detroiters who will change them alongside him.
Quick Facts
- Founder & CEO: M.I.N.D.S. (est. 2022)
- Current Roles: Senior Moonshot Ambassador (Merit Network), Team Lead (Lead for America/ACC)
- Honors: Spirit of Detroit Award, Michigan House & Senate Tributes
- Education: ASU Digital Leadership Certificate (2025), Kansas Leadership Center Leadership Development
- Ventures: Motu Viget Spirits; Takers: The Gaming Vault
- Based: Detroit, Michigan
- Contact: motivatinginnernewdreams@gmail.com | (313) 768-8220
