My Story
Hi, I'm Wilfred Stephen Anfield (most folks call me Stephen), a Digital Health and Community Design Strategist based in Washington, D.C.
As a systems architect and thinker, I work at the intersection of community care, public & population health, and digital strategy. Rooted in Black Southern resilience, I believe in systems that reflect the people they serve and in a world where "y'all" means all: inclusive, welcoming, and designed for everyone.
Mason jar values in a complex world: Clear, grounded, holding care. Trying to do my best to preserve what matters most, even in hard seasons.
Grits-fed, purpose-led, let's break bread.
Where It All Began
My journey into community care work began in a place close to my heart—my Grandma's first-grade classroom in South Carolina. There, seated criss-cross applesauce on a rug, I first experienced the joy of watching her first-graders find their words.
I'd spend time with her students each spring break, sitting alongside them as they sounded out words from their favorite books, counted (and ate) jellybeans for math lessons, and shared stories from their lives. The time I spent in my Grandma's classroom was my first glimpse into the beauty of presence, encouragement, and patience that comes from being part of someone's journey rather than directing it.
The moments shared in her classroom shape how I approach relationships to this day.
What I Do
- Support older folks and caregivers, informed by my lived experience as a court-appointed guardian, conservator, and protector of my mother's story and the dignity she deserves.
- Uplift community voices, especially across Black Southern communities, rural areas, and historically underserved populations.
- Bridge tech, care, and policy, by connecting my digital strategy background to public & population health, aging justice, and disability justice.
- Advance digital health equity by addressing both access and trust through the lens of sociodigital status (SDS).
- Design accessible, dignity-centered tools and narratives, integrating human-centered design with public & population health systems thinking.
How I Got Here
For years, I worked in communications, social media, and digital strategy, crafting narratives, designing accessible content, and consulting organizations on how to present themselves online with clarity and authenticity.
Behind every click and scroll are real people with real needs. My digital work was about creativity at the speed of trust—building messages, tools, and systems that meet people in real-time, on real screens, with real needs.
Now, I bring that lens to care-centered work, where public & population health, social work, and digital inclusion intersect. To build the formal foundation for this work, I returned to school at the University of Michigan. There, I earned both a Master of Social Work (MSW) with a focus on Interpersonal Practice and a Master of Public Health (MPH) in Population and Health Sciences. This dual-degree path, building upon my Bachelor of Arts in Communication from the University of Tennessee, gave me the tools to connect systems thinking with lived experience and to co-design environments that reflect and honor lived wisdom.
Why I Do It
Care is infrastructure. Systems work best when they reflect the communities they serve, creating pathways that support rather than obstacles to overcome.
My work as a court-appointed guardian and conservator for my Mom keeps me grounded. More than just a caregiver, I'm her son, supporting her through this chapter with love, protection, and resolve. It's taught me that the barriers people face aren't just technical; they're emotional, relational, and often systemic.
In my emerging professional practice and my role as a real-time protector, I lead with curiosity, clarity, and compassion.
Where I'm From, Where I'm Rooted
Carolina clay in my bones, my Southern upbringing shows up in everything I do.
Pecan trees taught me patience. Porches taught me how to listen.
Rooted in Black Southern care, nourished by collard greens and front-porch wisdom.
Still sounding things out like I did on that classroom rug. Still believing in what's possible when we center people, care, and design with community.