New Jersey Future Applauds Adenah Bayoh as the 2025 Smart Growth Leadership Award Honoree

TRENTON, NJ, September 3, 2025—New Jersey Future has announced that Adenah Bayoh, entrepreneur, developer, and community advocate, will receive the 2025 Smart Growth Leadership Award. Bayoh will be recognized for her work advancing equitable redevelopment, affordable housing, and community-building during the Smart Growth Awards celebration on October 9, 2025, at the South Orange Performing Arts Center (SOPAC).

At just 13 years old, Bayoh fled Liberia’s civil war and arrived in the United States with no money, no belongings, and only the determination to build a better future. That resolve, nurtured by her grandmother’s example of serving community through food and care, has fueled decades of transformative work that now spans restaurants, real estate development, and affordable housing.

Bayoh has a portfolio of nine restaurants across New Jersey and New York, including three IHOP franchises, Cornbread—a farm-to-table soul food concept—and Brick City Vegan, which focuses on plant-based dining in underserved communities.

In real estate development, Bayoh has led multiple community-focused projects, including the redevelopment of the former Irvington General Hospital and an affordable housing initiative in Newark’s South Ward, where she became the first Black woman in New Jersey to secure a New Jersey Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency (NJHMFA) 9% affordable housing tax credit.

“Adenah Bayoh’s work is an example of how development can create opportunity while strengthening communities,” said Peter Kasabach, executive director of New Jersey Future. “Her efforts align with the principles of smart growth by combining economic development with equity and sustainability, and we are thrilled to honor her remarkable contributions.”

The Smart Growth Leadership Award is presented annually to an individual who demonstrates outstanding leadership in advancing equitable, sustainable development in New Jersey. Past honorees have included public officials, nonprofit leaders, and developers who have made significant contributions to building more thriving and resilient communities.

“This recognition is deeply meaningful because it affirms that community-centered growth matters,” said Adenah Bayoh. “Every restaurant I open, every home we build, and every space we transform is about creating opportunity, dignity, and a sense of belonging for people who deserve to be seen and served.”

This year’s Smart Growth Awards celebration will honor seven projects and the teams behind them. New Jersey Future will also feature exclusive videos highlighting each project, offering a closer look at the innovative work shaping New Jersey’s future. Sponsorship opportunities are still available to support this amazing showcase, and the sponsorship package is available here.

Join New Jersey Future on October 9 to celebrate Adenah Bayoh and the other 2025 Smart Growth Award winners whose work is redefining what growth and opportunity can look like in New Jersey. Tickets, including access to the pre-event networking reception, are available here.