Career Networking Event & Mentoring Program
Much of success in the work world is a result of who you know. In the DMV independent school ecosystem there are so many people who can help students find internships, jobs, and other great opportunities. By taking advantage of our Career Network mentoring network students will be able to talk with and meet the area’s top professionals who are working in fields we all dream about. The Career Network is always available on our website, plus our annual networking event at a partner school features a keynote speaker and a panel of executives who then sit down with the students in small breakout rooms to field their questions and talk about jobs and internships.
Career Networking Event
Join us for an afternoon of networking fun!
Connect with local professionals, hear about what they do, and learn about possible internships!
Sunday, March 3rd, 2023
2:00-5:00 pm
Connect with our mentors through our Career Network, below.
OUR MENTORS WORK IN THE FOLLOWING FIELDS:
HOW IT WORKS
If you are a student of color at a DMV independent (private or parochial) school then you qualify to contact one of our mentors. Fill out the form below to get started!
ARTS
MACHARVA HOUSLEY | CLOTHING DESIGNER & CO-FOUNDER, SEW ALTERED STYLE; EMPLOYER RELATIONS, AMERICAN UNIVERSITY
DAVID BARATZ | PHOTOGRAPHER, USA TODAY
QUAMÉ HAMLIN | FILMMAKER
Quamé Hamlin is an award-winning filmmaker based in Washington, DC. With an undergraduate degree in Communications from Norfolk State University, Quamé began writing, producing and directing narrative fiction and documentary short films after working in television news, live events and media production post-graduation.
Over the course of his career, he has had the opportunity to work with a number of organizations in the name of great storytelling. Some of those organizations include the Washington Kastles, Complex Media, Krossover Intelligence, Nike, CBS, Schurz Communications and The New York Times Company.
Quamé’s films have screened at festivals around the world and his most recent work, Transition, starring University of Texas star Matt Coleman III and executive produced by hip hop artist Stalley, is in the midst of its festival run. In addition to being a filmmaker, Quamé is a Master of Fine Arts candidate in American University’s Film and Media Arts program. He is currently fundraising for his thesis film, Code Switch, a fictional drama that centers on family, moral integrity, and cultural identity.
ASSOCIATIONS
MICHAEL BELARMINO | SENIOR POLICY ADVISOR, GOVERNMENT FINANCE OFFICER’S ASSOCIATION
BANKING & FINANCE
BRUNA CHERNICOFF | GLOBAL FINANCIAL CRIMES MANAGER, MORGAN STANLEY
Bruna Chernicoff is a Global Financial Crimes Manager at Morgan Stanley, where she serves as an advisor to the firm on matters related to client onboarding, enhanced due diligence, and other anti-money laundering complexities in the wealth management space. Prior work experiences include working for a fintech company in DC and as a portfolio analyst in Bethesda assisting hedge funds and institutional investors with their portfolio management. At Morgan Stanley, she is chair of the LGBTQ committee where she promotes volunteer opportunities for employees to give back to the community.
Bruna earned a Bachelor of Arts at Marymount University and is currently pursuing her MBA at the Kogod Business School at American University.
In her spare time, she advocates for animal wildlife causes in Kenya, such as conservation and anti-poaching efforts.
KYLE MOORE | SVP, BANK OF AMERICA
GENEVER OPPONG | PRIVATE EQUITY ASSOCIATE AT BLACKROCK
Genever Oppong is currently a private equity associate at BlackRock and was previously an investment banking analyst at Goldman Sachs. While at American University’s Kogod School of Business, majoring in accounting and minoring in finance, Genever worked at Goldman as a Financial Analyst in the Controller’s Department. As a result of her commitment to the firm’s business principles and her role as a campus ambassador for the firm, she was awarded the Goldman Sachs Scholarship for Excellence. While at AU, Genever was a member of two career development programs, Sponsors for Educational Opportunity (SEO) and America Needs You (ANY), which are both aimed at helping underrepresented minorities maximize career opportunities.
FRED SCARBORO | INVESTOR, ARETE CAPITAL
Fred Scarboro is a managing director with and general counsel to Arete Capital. Arete Capital, and its affiliated companies, purchase, develop and lease commercial and mixed use properties in Washington, D.C. and Maryland. Fred has extensive experience as a banking, project finance and real estate attorney. He has represented J.P. Morgan Chase, First Union, Citibank, Fannie Mae and the Overseas Private Investment Corporation.
Fred was also Bloomingdale’s operations manager for the food division (which included three restaurants) in the New York City flagship store. During his tenure at Bloomingdale’s, he managed a staff of over 300 employees.
Fred holds a Bachelor of Arts and juris doctorate from New York University. He graduated from NYU with honors and served as an editor for the Review of Law & Social Change for New York University School of Law. Fred is married to Cheryl J. Scarboro, the former Chief of the Securities and Exchange Commission, Foreign Corrupt Practices Unit, Division of Enforcement.
TED SCHIANO | ANALYST, TECHNOLOGY & SERVICES GLOBAL INVESTMENT BANKING, BAIRD
Ted Schiano is an investment banking analyst at Baird. Previously, Ted worked with EY’s Mergers and Acquisition advisory group, specializing in financial due diligence of Aerospace and Defense companies. He has worked on multi-million dollar deals involving both public and private companies. In 2017, he received his Bachelors of Science in Accounting from American University, and went on to earn his Masters of Science in Accounting in 2018. Ted is a Certified Public Accountant in Virginia.
CONSULTING
DELISE BERNARD | ENTREPRENEUR
MICHELLE GRANT | SENIOR CONSULTANT, EXPLORANCE
Michelle Grant is a management consulting professional with 15 years’ experience in international development, monitoring and evaluation, and business development. After serving as a director and leader of monitoring and evaluation at several international development and philanthropy organizations, Michelle shifted sectors to human resources and talent development with the Corporate Executive Board (CEB, now Gartner). Today, Michelle is a Senior Consultant at Explorance, a technology and employee experience company with offices in Montreal, Canada and Chicago, IL.
Michelle graduated from Stanford University in 2006 with a BA in international relations. She completed her PhD in educational policy and international development studies in 2011. She has visited more than 30 countries and speaks Spanish and Kiswahili. She is a certified sommelier who loves cooking and hopes to open her own restaurant and wine bar one day.
ALEXANDRA MCCARGO | PRESIDENT & CEO, PRECISION COLLECTIVE CONSULTING
Alexandra (Alex) McCargo is the President and CEO of the Precision Collective, a management consulting company headquartered in Alexandria, Virginia focused on the advancement and strategic growth of small businesses in both the private and public sector through services such as strategic planning, business development, workforce development and marketing and proposal support. Alex also served as the CFO of a women-owned biotechnology startup and continues to be a staunch supporter of current and future business leaders and entrepreneurs.
Alex has an undergraduate degree from the University of Virginia and MBA from American University’s Kogod School of Business.
AYOMIDE OLULEYE | SENIOR ASSOCIATE/HUMAN RESOURCES, KPMG
EMMANUELLE PALIKUCA | SUSTAINABILITY ADVISOR, ISS CORPORATE SOLUTIONS
SHANI ROSENSTOCK | STRATEGY & ANALYTICS CONSULTANT, DELOITTE CONSULTING
Shani is a Strategy & Analytics Consultant at Deloitte Consulting within the Government & Public Sector (GPS) practice. Shani uses her background in strategy to solve multidimensional problems across the federal government. Shani also serves as the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Policy Fellow to Deloitte’s Policy & Government Relations (PGR) team, where she conducts policy research on homeland security issues and synthesizes relevant information for federal client leaders.
Prior to joining Deloitte Consulting, Shani worked on Capitol Hill for Speaker John Boehner’s Office and on the U.S. House of Representatives Floor. In Speaker Boehner’s Office, Shani assisted the Speaker’s staff with policy research and worked with members of Congress on various bills and legislative documents. Shani is an American University graduate with a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science and Business Administration.
SHALLON THOMAS | BUSINESS OWNER, THOMAS & WYNTER R&D
Shallon was born in Trinidad and grew up in the Bronx. He has spent his career working for various government contractors, primarily as a senior data analyst. Shallon’s professional background is as a Project Management Professional (PMP) and Lean Six Sigma certified data analyst. He has over eight years of experience in the government contracting space.
Shallon is currently the CEO and co-founder of the Thomas & Wynter R&D (research and development), a consulting firm that helps small and minority-owned businesses develop and launch new products. The company has launched multiple products for their clients, one of which was seen on national TV multiple times in its first year and was featured in GQ magazine for the European market. Shallon currently resides in the DC area where he received his bachelors and master’s degree in business from Washington Adventist University. He is passionate about spreading knowledge and servant leadership.
SHERIKA WYNTER | BUSINESS OWNER, THOMAS & WYNTER R&D
Sherika Wynter is the co-founder & managing partner of T|W Tote, a subsidiary of Thomas & Wynter R&D (research and development), a minority woman-owned consulting firm, established in 2014 by Sherika and her business partner. The company offers budding entrepreneurs and small businesses consulting services in product, project and business development.
Sherika has an extensive career in hardware and software product development, with over 11 years of experience in private sector and government affiliated companies. She has degrees in mechanical engineering and industrial design from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and University of the Arts, respectively. Sherika’s approach to product management and development is simple: “Does this solution solve the underlying problem?”
DEFENSE
FAITH RIVERS | QUALITY ANALYST, NORTHROP GRUMMAN
Currently, Faith works as a quality analyst where she manages the day-to-day flow of information from Northrop Grumman’s programs and their respective performance, sector operating objectives, and enhances process efficiencies.
Faith graduated from Kennesaw State University in 2016 with a Bachelor’s degree in International Management. She has her Master’s degree in Business Administration from American University.
In her spare time, she involves herself in an array of activities from exploring new cities to training for marathons.
EDUCATION
RYANN FAPOHUNDA | DIRECTOR OF TEACHING & LEARNING, BULLIS SCHOOL
Passionate about student development and diversity in education, Ryann is currently the Bullis School’s Director of Teaching & Learning. In July 2021 she moved to Bullis from the National Cathedral School, where she was the Assistant Dean of Upper School Student Life for three years and, before that, the Co-director of Teaching & Learning also for three years. Ryann is experienced in student support services, student advising/counseling, curriculum writing, learning outcomes assessment, research-based interventions, learning strategies, student training and recruitment efforts, and building student and academic affairs partnerships through co-curricular programs. Ryann completed her master’s degree in School Leadership from the University of Pennsylvania in June of 2018.
OJ JOHNSON | EDUCATOR, ST. ALBANS SCHOOL
GOVERNMENT
KRISTOPHER DRUMMOND | ENVIRONMENTAL PLANNER, METROPOLITAN WASHINGTON COUNCIL OF GOVERNMENTS
Kristopher Drummond is a DC born and based Environmental planner and community activist. Over the past decade, he has worked in a wide range of scientific capacities dealing with marine and environmental sectors. Kristopher currently works at the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments assisting local governments in the creation and adoption of sustainable practices. Current projects include air quality and climate, energy efficiency in infrastructure, and urban agriculture. Prior to joining MWCOG, he has had extensive experience in regulatory compliance, environmental / construction inspection, and marine research. He earned his BS in Marine Sciences from Savannah State University while on a full athletic scholarship.
JULIETTE NELSON | BUSINESS ALLIANCE SPECIALIST, US POSTAL SERVICE
Juliette is a Business Alliance Specialist at the US Postal Service where she engages business partners, executive leaders, and alliance partners in-person as well as in a virtual environment in developing, improving, and executing business plans and budgets to increase revenue and improve customer satisfaction
Juliette is also the founder and CEO of JUNURI, a company that equips students, professionals, and business owners, with the tools and resources to be successful in the different areas of their lives. She is also the Co-Founder, Chief Business Development Officer, and Chief Learning Officer of Vwazen, a learning management system which works to meet the language learning needs of Haitian Creole speakers and learners.
In November of 2019, Juliette authored and published Sharing My Lens: The College Experience, in which she shares some of the gems that she learned about college readiness and success. Given her personal, professional, and academic experiences, she is intentional about being an agent of motivation, inspiration, and encouragement to the world around her. https://juliettenelson.me/ https://junuri.co/
BELINDA NIXON | PARTNER AT PERKINS COIE
Belinda Elvan Nixon is a partner at the law firm of Perkins Coie where she provides strategic legal counsel on complex transactional and regulatory issues for communications, media, and technology companies. Belinda is a former deputy division chief at the Federal Communications Commission where she developed and implemented competition and infrastructure policies. She has a BA in International Relations from Stanford University and a JD from Georgetown University Law Center, where she was a member of the Georgetown Journal of Legal Ethics. Belinda serves on both the Board of Trustees of Sidwell Friends School and Studio Theatre, and from 2010-2016 she served as a leadership team member for Stanford Admissions. She and her husband, Gregory Nixon live in Washington, DC, and have two sons, Garrett (graduate of Sidwell) and Jonathan (currently attending Sidwell).
HEALTH CARE
DR. AMANDA D. CASTEL | DOCTOR OF MEDICINE, GEORGE WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY
DR. DONNA NEALE | MEDICAL DIRECTOR, JOHNS HOPKINS CENTER
Dr. Neale is the Medical Director of the Johns Hopkins Center for Maternal and Fetal Medicine at the Howard County General Hospital. In addition, she has served as the Director of Obstetrics at the hospital. Her research interests focus on the immune regulation of the maternal fetal interface and how dysregulation in this space leads to adverse pregnancy outcomes.
Dr. Neale received her Bachelor of Arts in human biology from Brown University. She completed her residency in OB/GYN at Georgetown University Hospital and her Fellowship in Maternal Fetal Medicine at Yale University School of Medicine.
LAW
HON. LISA A. HALL JOHNSON | JUDGE, PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY DISTRICT COURT
Lisa Hall Johnson was appointed to the District Court of Maryland by Governor Martin O’Malley on July 2, 2013. As an Associate Judge of the District Court for Prince George’s County she served as the Domestic Violence Coordinating Judge, as well as the backup Criminal Judge. She has served on the Judiciary’s Domestic Law Committee, the Civil and Domestic Workgroup, and the Security Workgroup. She currently serves on the Domestic Violence and Peace Order Subcommittee.
Prior to her appointment to the District Court for Prince George’s County Judge Hall Johnson was the Director of Litigation for Washington Gas Light Company. Judge Hall Johnson began her legal career as an associate in the Washington, DC office of McDermott Will & Emery, an international law firm, where she specialized in energy regulatory matters and complex civil defense. Judge Hall Johnson received her B.A. from the University of Virginia, with a double major in Economics and Sociology. She received her J.D. from Duke University School of Law, where she received the Duke Law Advocacy Award, was the first African-American woman to serve as the chairperson of the Moot Court Board, and served as a staff editor of the Duke Environmental Law and Policy Forum.
KEVYN ORR | PARTNER-IN-CHARGE, JONES DAY LAW FIRM
Kevyn Orr provides strategic crisis management advice, identifying creative approaches to novel or first impression situations with an eye toward developing cost-efficient, business-oriented solutions. He has practiced in the areas of business restructuring, financial institution regulation, and commercial litigation for three decades and has experience handling all aspects of complex and precedent-setting matters.
Prior to rejoining Jones Day, Kevyn served as Emergency Manager of the City of Detroit and was charged with restructuring the city’s finances and operations. During his tenure, he oversaw the largest and most complicated municipal bankruptcy proceeding in the nation’s history. At Jones Day, Kevyn has advised Chrysler on its bankruptcy.
Kevyn is a member of the American Bar Association and the American Bankruptcy Institute. He is a graduate of the University of Michigan for both his undergraduate and law degrees.
MULTI-MEDIA
MABINTI YILLAH | PRINCIPAL CONSULTANT, MSY ASSOCIATES MULTI-MEDIA
MaBinti Yillah, a Principal Consultant at MSY Associates, LLC, is an award-winning multimedia producer and brand strategist. MaBinti has designed and implemented communications strategies and policies for small federal contractors as well as federal agencies like the Department of Justice and the Department of Navy. Her specific areas of expertise include brand, business, and marketing strategy, digital marketing, and creative storytelling.
MaBinti has produced documentaries, web series, and she co-executive produced an internationally recognized short film entitled, “Radio Rahim: Renaissance Man.”
MaBinti holds an MBA from American University and a B.A. in English Literature from the University of Maryland in College Park.
NGO & NON-PROFIT
NIDHI KHATTRI | SOCIAL SCIENTIST, WORLD BANK
PR & MARKETING
LYNN PINA | CHIEF MARKETING OFFICER, GEOBLUE
JACOB TERRELL | PUBLIC RELATIONS, WARD CIRCLE STRATEGIES
Jacob Terrell serves as a Senior Associate at Ward Circle Strategies. In his role, Jacob provides strategic communications support to senior leaders at the Defense Health Agency (DHA), where he works to develop key messaging that highlight DHA’s role in providing health care services to our nation’s service members and their families.
Prior to his work at Ward Circle Strategies, Jacob worked as both a lobbyist and congressional staffer. As a lobbyist, Jacob served as the Associate Legislative Director for Homeland Security and Emergency Management at the National Association of Counties (NACo). As a congressional staffer, Jacob served on the legislative policy teams for both Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), and Sen. Jim Webb (D-Va.).
Jacob majored in Criminal Justice at Virginia State University in Petersburg, Virginia, one of Virginia’s oldest historically black colleges, and is passionate about public policy and advancing issues of social justice and equality.
PUBLISHING
KEVIN TURPIN | PRESIDENT, NATIONAL JOURNAL
Kevin Turpin II is the president of National Journal. As president, Turpin has transitioned National Journal from a traditional media company to an information services organization. As the former senior vice president of National Journal, Turpin led the product development, strategy research, digital, and marketing teams. In this role, he oversaw product research, evaluated potential partnerships and established operational infrastructure for the new product pipeline. With over 10 years at National Journal, Turpin has produced successful proposals to increase profit margins, identified efficiencies in vendor relationships and created new revenue lines for the organization. Turpin also built a strategic advisory group of 60 government affairs executives from Fortune 100 corporations and influential trade associations; resulting in the launch of National Journal’s Leadership Council. He is also responsible for the launch of Policy Brands Roundtable and the Network Science Initiative. Turpin has a deep passion for mentorship of young people and serves on the board of City Year DC; a non-profit dedicated to mentoring young people during their primary and secondary years of education. He is a board member of the Carlton Club. In addition, Turpin serves as a member of the Economic Club of Washington and the Council on Foreign Relations. A proud Hoya, Turpin is a graduate of Georgetown University.
REAL ESTATE
JAY HOBBS | REAL ESTATE BROKER, HOBBS HOMES REAL ESTATE GROUP
Mr. Hobbs provides an experienced approach to the various avenues of real estate by utilizing a background in strategic consulting, banking, education, business development, marketing and market research. His business relationships extend through a network of real estate professionals across the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States. This includes corporate entities and partnerships with professionals that manage mortgages, titles, insurance, relocation, property management, vacation rentals, and others.
Also an advocate for educational preservation, Mr. Hobbs has a committed interest in the future direction and quality of programming within our community. He is focused on the need for collaborative efforts to raise the awareness of critical issues related to improving student and community integration as it relates to intellectual development.
Mr. Hobbs received his BA and his MBA from Florida A&M University.
RETAIL
TRACEY GRIFFIN | CFO & COO, FRAMEBRIDGE
Tracey joined as the CFO & COO of venture-backed Framebridge in the Fall of 2019. Tracey oversees financial planning and day-to-day operations, spanning from merchandising, product management, engineering, and data analytics. Tracey has had a successful operating track record in retail/consumer goods, previously with Kendra Scott and Pandora Jewelry. Tracey was a senior partner at McKinsey & Company for 17 years and leader of the Consumer practice and ran the Washington, DC office before she left McKinsey to join her client, Pandora Jewelry. Tracey currently sits on the public Board of ADT and is a member of the Audit Committee and Chairs the Audit Committee at the Partnership for Healthier America, a non-profit based in Washington, DC. Tracey is a graduate of Georgetown University and the Graduate School of Business at Stanford University.
Sports
LINDON HARRIS | SENIOR ANALYST AT ARCTOS SPORTS PARTNERS
LinDon T. Harris is a Senior Analyst at Arctos Sports Partners. Mr. Harris is responsible for supporting all aspects of transaction evaluation and execution.
Prior to joining Arctos Sports Partners, Mr. Harris was an Analyst at Morgan Stanley on the Structured Products Banking team within Global Capital Markets. At Morgan Stanley, Mr. Harris underwrote a broad suite of structured and securitized assets for clients in the residential real estate and transportation sectors.
Previously a partner to the Morgan Stanley Institutional Nonprofit Collaborative, Mr. Harris is an Executive Board Member with the Make A Play Foundation, a 501(c)3 non-profit that prepares underrepresented student-athletes for corporate leadership in highly competitive industries.
Originally from Prince George’s County, Maryland, Mr. Harris graduated from Columbia University where he was a John W. Kluge Scholar and starting defensive end on the varsity football team, earning a B.A. in Financial Economics with a Special Concentration in Sustainable Development.
SUSTAINABILITY
JONAH GOLDMAN | CO-FOUNDER & DIRECTOR OF STRATEGIC MARKETING, PLNT BURGER
Jonah Goldman is a marketing specialist, social entrepreneur, and environmental activist with a background in the natural food industry, regenerative agriculture, compostable packaging and fighting food waste.
Jonah studied political science, food policy and international food security at Colorado College before embarking on a journey to repair what he saw to be a broken food system. He worked with politicians, startups, farmers and a range of companies in the natural food industry to create food resiliency on local and industrial levels.
He helped to launch PLNT Burger, a fast-casual restaurant concept that celebrates America’s favorite foods-Burgers, hot dogs, fries and shakes reimagined and reconstructed using only plants.
TRACYE MCQUIRTER | WRITER/SPEAKER, BY ANY GREENS NECESSARY
JEFFREY NEAL | FOUNDER, LOOP CLOSING
Jeffrey H. Neal is the founder of Loop Closing, creating on-site composting systems, including in urban environments and with underrepresented community members. Before founding Loop Closing, Commander Neal served a career in United States Navy as a Civil Engineer Corps Officer solving our most complex operations and facilities problems by leading innovation and change for our nation’s Navy and Marine Corps facilities worldwide. Troubled by our food waste problem the devastating consequences this is having on our communities, planet and wealth, he committed to applying his skills, experience, and passion to solving this problem and realizing the tremendous potential benefits. He earned his BS in Mechanical Engineering from Stanford and MS in Civil Engineering and Management from UC Berkeley and is a Licensed Professional Engineer and Contracting Officer.
TECHNOLOGY
BRIANA EVANS | GLOBAL ACCOUNT BASED MARKETING LEAD, SLACK
Briana Evans is currently the Global Account Based Marketing Lead for Slack, in Seattle, WA. Previously, she was a senior marketing manager at Tableau Software and has a deep background in growth marketing, particularly focused on start up and technology marketing.
Evans attended the University of Virginia where she majored in Foreign Affairs and Anthropology. Upon graduation she worked for Cvent, the meetings and events technology company.
Briana graduated from American University’s Kogod School of Business with her MBA.
LATOYA GRAHAM | VP, HUMAN RESOURCES / BUSINESS OWNER, GRAHAM TECHNOLOGIES
WILLIAM GRAHAM | ENTREPRENEUR / BUSINESS-OWNER, GRAHAM TECHNOLOGIES
William Graham, a native Washingtonian, is founder of Graham Technologies. Graham Technologies provides agile software development, cybersecurity, data analytics, cloud engineering and other professional services to the US government. He is a graduate of H.D. Woodson High School and received his bachelors in Computer Information Systems from Strayer University. William was a software engineer before starting the company in 2007. Under his leadership, the tech company he runs has established a strong reputation and proven track record of delivering innovative and mission-critical systems for government agencies and private industries. William has led his team to the capture of numerous multi-million dollar prime contracts and subcontracts in the Civilian, Healthcare, Department of Defense (DoD), and National Security markets. He was featured in Profiles in Success in 2018. William’s daughter attends National Cathedral School.
LIDDY MANSON | ENTREPRENEUR
Liddy Manson is a seasoned technology, media, and health care entrepreneur and executive, having spent over 20 years leading mission-driven technology, media and information organizations. Currently, she serves as Chief Operating Officer of PreciseTarget, a data science and Artificial Intelligence company focused on transforming retail shopping by understanding customer purchasing tastes and preferences.
Liddy spent nine years as Vice President and General Manager of Commercial Products at Washington Post Digital. She is also an accomplished pianist, having performed three piano concertos in the past ten years, and served on the board of the Baltimore Symphony for eight years. Liddy holds an MBA from Stanford University and a BA in Music from Yale University.
THINK TANK & POLICY
BETHANY YOUNG | POLICY ASSOCIATE IN JUSTICE POLICY CENTER, URBAN INSTITUTE
Bethany Young is a lawyer, researcher, and policy expert with deep experience conducting legal and policy research about social stratification and its adverse effects on individuals in academic, professional, and legal settings. She worked directly with clients and other stakeholders for several years, including federal and state government officials, donors, and community organizers during her time at the Equal Justice Initiative in Alabama and the Center for Death Penalty Litigation in North Carolina. In these roles, Bethany provided representation in capital appeals and pushed policymakers to reconsider the breadth and administration of the death penalty. She also led community discussions about racial and economic inequality, worked on a team to create resources to educate the public about racial injustice’s history, and participated in efforts to remove confederate monuments in southern cities.
Along with Bethany’s legal background, her social science research experience gives her a unique lens on criminal legal systems and policies. Her doctoral studies and independent research centered on intersectional experiences of structural inequity. She used qualitative methods to gather firsthand accounts of these experiences. This training prepared Bethany for her community-centered research and advocacy work as Project Director for the Prison Research and Innovation Initiative and the DC Police Reform Commission and Deputy Director for DC Justice Lab.
Bethany received a B.A. from Spelman College, a J.D. from The George Washington University Law Schol, and an M.A. and Ph.D. in Sociology from Duke University.