Aileen Mayberry

Aileen Mayberry is a visionary leader, community advocate, and the founder and CEO of Heart of Houston Community Development Corporation (CDC), a nonprofit organization dedicated to creating affordable housing and revitalizing underserved neighborhoods throughout Houston.

Raised in Wharton, Texas, Aileen is one of six children from a hardworking, humble family. She pursued higher education at Wharton County Junior College and Prairie View A&M University. Aileen built a successful 30-year career in the corporate world before transitioning into real estate and nonprofit leadership. With a unique combination of business acumen and community passion, she brings decades of leadership experience to her work in housing equity and urban development.

For more than three decades, Aileen has lived in Houston’s historic Third Ward community with her husband of 26+ years, Sharone Mayberry of Mayberry Homes, Inc. It was in this neighborhood — amid growing signs of neglect and disinvestment — that her mission was born: to restore not only homes, but dignity, opportunity, and pride.

In 2020, Aileen founded Heart of Houston CDC to address the city’s affordable housing crisis. The organization focuses on delivering high-quality housing options to low- and moderate-income families, supporting pathways to stability, generational wealth, and community legacy. Under her leadership, Heart of Houston has completed several major developments, including:

• The Berry Center
  A six-unit affordable rental community in Sunnyside.
• Third Ward CHDO Project
  Delivering 11 new homes in proximity to downtown Houston.
• Cuney Homes Redevelopment
  An ongoing project expected to bring up to 22 new homes to East Downtown, in partnership with the City of Houston and Midtown Redevelopment Authority.

Aileen’s leadership style is rooted in collaboration, integrity, and long-term vision. Her expertise in planning, development, and negotiation has made her a driving force in Houston’s housing movement. Yet beyond her technical skillset, she leads with heart — believing deeply that progress is only real when it uplifts others.

Through her work, Aileen Mayberry is doing more than building homes — she is building futures, restoring hope, and reshaping Houston’s narrative, one neighborhood at a time.