Meet Tené Hamilton Franklin
Tené Hamilton Franklin
Founder & Principal Consultant | Hamilton Franklin Strategies
Tené Hamilton Franklin is a strategist and bridge-builder dedicated to helping organizations lead with equity and build stronger, healthier communities.
With more than two decades of experience across academia, non-profits, grassroots engagement, and government, Tené brings both strategic clarity and deep community insight to every partnership. As the Founder and Principal Consultant of Hamilton Franklin Strategies, she guides mission-driven organizations to translate values into measurable impact through her firm’s Equity Strategy Accelerator, Community Engagement Tools, and Trainings & Talks.
Tené served as Fractional Chief Strategy Officer for the Tennessee Justice Center, where she was responsible for organizational health advocacy strategy, key performance metrics, and fund development—advancing a cultural approach to Medicaid protection across Tennessee.
Her leadership journey spans roles as Executive Director, Southeast Region and Vice President of Health Equity & Stakeholder Engagement at Health Leads USA, where she co-authored Bringing Light & Heat: A Health Equity Guide for Healthcare Transformation & Accountability. Earlier, as Director of Tennessee’s Office of Minority Health and Disparities Elimination, she helped shape statewide equity infrastructure and funding strategies that still influence practice today.
A cancer survivor, mentor, and lifelong learner, Tené believes the most powerful strategies start with connection, courage, and community.
Current Leadership & Affiliations:
- Chair, Metropolitan Nashville–Davidson County Board of Health.
- Executive Committee Member, National Association of Local Boards of Health (NALBOH).
- Health Committee Chair, Tennessee State Conference NAACP.
- Advisor, Vanderbilt Ingram Cancer Center Community Advisory Board.
- Advisor, Vanderbilt University Medical Center Program for Health Equity Research.
- Health Equity Community Collaborative Child Health Equity Working Group.
- Board Vice-chair, Nashville General Hospital Foundation.