Shamayim ‘Mama Shu’ Harris is a mother, a community activist, a former school administrator, and the founder and CEO of Avalon Village, a sustainable eco-village on Avalon Street between Woodward and Second avenues in Highland Park. Her dream of building this urban oasis arose after the tragic loss of her son, Jakobi RA, who was killed by a hit and run driver in 2007 at the age of two. Shu chose to heal and honor Jakobi’s memory by transforming blight to beauty and creating something wonderful for the people of Highland Park. She assembled a team of engineers, futurists, artists, urban farmers, volunteers and donors who are helping to build Avalon Village.