Community Influencers: The heart of our Trustmaker Network

When Inside Edge partnered on a three-year clinical trial for a rare oncological disease with an especially high death rate for Black patients, we knew real change could only happen with the leadership of our Trustmakers.

In four cities, we teamed up with faith-based organizations and community leaders to co-create programs that felt real and relevant. These Trustmakers helped shape the educational program, invited their friends, neighbors, and colleagues, introduced Inside Edge at events, and made sure people felt welcome. And their role didn’t stop there—they stayed engaged afterward, answering questions, reinforcing key messages, and supporting follow-up conversations so families could make informed decisions with confidence.

Our Trustmakers were deeply committed because they knew this was a rare opportunity to talk about a cancer that has an outsized impact on their communities—and to do it in trusted spaces, with trusted voices. Because people were personally invited and welcomed by someone they knew and respected, a full 550 community members came. They left with knowledge, resources, and the comfort of knowing that they were part of something bigger.

The impact was clear. Sites supported by Trustmakers achieved 40% higher screening rates for the cancer than those without this community partnership. In the end, 69% of U.S. trial enrollees were from diverse backgrounds. Even more, clinical staff shared that the relationships built through Trustmakers for this trial are still helping to strengthen trust and increase access in these four communities—well beyond this particular program.

Sometimes the most meaningful conversations happen right after Sunday service. That’s where Inside Edge, alongside two of our Trustmakers—a church ministry leader and a local doctor—met with the Hispanic community in suburban New York to talk openly about clinical research.

The program wasn’t a lecture; it was a dialogue. Held in both English and Spanish, the session cleared up myths, answered tough questions, and gave families the chance to explore what clinical trials really mean for their health and their future.

Like you, the two Trustmakers who hosted the program understood what their neighbors needed to hear, and they helped shape the session so it felt familiar and relevant. They engaged other trusted colleagues to personally invite neighbors, walk families into the session, and help set up a resource table outside the church with materials and connect with follow-up support. The pastor shared his own story, encouraged questions, and made the space feel safe for honest conversation. The doctor added a health and wellness perspective focused on local concerns. Together, they set the tone for the event—warm, welcoming, and rooted in trust.

Because of their effort, 166 people showed up to listen, learn, and ask questions—and walked away with a clearer understanding of and stronger trust in clinical research. Just as important, participants voiced gratitude for being included in a conversation about opportunities that could improve treatments for their families and future generations.

When it comes to reaching communities in meaningful ways, few organizations have the reach, credibility, and commitment of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. Founded in 1906, this historic fraternity has spent more than a century building brotherhood, academic excellence, and service into every chapter. Today, its network spans over 730 chapters worldwide, with members that include physicians, educators, engineers, faith leaders, civil rights advocates, and entrepreneurs—all deeply connected to the communities they serve. Each and every one of them represents what it means to be a Trustmaker.

With the support of Inside Edge, Alpha Phi Alpha members have brought health education directly into their communities. In cities like Atlanta, Charlotte, Chicago, and Philadelphia—and even in rural and suburban areas—Trustmakers from Alpha Phi Alpha are out in the community every day, talking to people. They share health and wellness information, provide materials on diseases, clinical trials, and therapies that we co-created, and bring new perspectives back to the Inside Edge team and the medical innovators we partner with. The trusted voices and visible dedication of Alpha Phi Alpha make sure important information reaches the people who need it most.

This partnership is a living example of collaboration in action: knowledge meets trust, and trust creates impact. Together, we are helping communities of color gain better access to opportunities that improve health outcomes and have a stronger voice in shaping the future of medicine. Inside Edge is proud to partner with Alpha Phi Alpha as part of our Trustmaker Network. Their reach, dedication, and commitment to their communities make this work possible.

Across the U.S. and Canada, Native American and First Nations organizations have welcomed Inside Edge into their communities. They have invited our field staff to attend multi-tribal gatherings, share in cultural traditions, and experience daily life firsthand. Trustmakers from these communities—including the Six Nations in Ontario, Taos Pueblo in New Mexico, the Sault Ste. Marie Band of Chippewa Indians, the Little River Band of Ottawa Indians, the Diné/Navajo, and the Potawatomi Tribe—have led the way, showing us how knowledge, culture, and trust are intertwined.

Inside Edge is honored to be welcomed into these spaces, to meet people where they are, and to learn directly from the communities themselves. By joining in cultural practices like making medicine bags and bracelets, we show respect for indigenous traditions—and in turn, communities build trust that our clinical programs will be rooted in that understanding. Together with local Trustmakers, we can then share education about disease symptoms, clinical trials, or therapeutic treatments in ways that are empowering, relevant, and easy to relate to.

Through these partnerships, Trustmakers help ensure that health education reaches the people in their communities who need it most—and that the impact is lasting and real.