I build systems for people changing systems.
I am a founder, systems architect, strategist and advocate working at the intersection of justice, technology, nonprofit leadership, governance and public policy.
Speaking at the Milken Institute Global ConferenceWhat I bring to the work.
I give clients advice I have already had to carry out myself: raising the money, hiring the team, keeping the filings current, answering to the board.
My work is shaped by lived experience, legal advocacy, executive leadership and the practical work of building organizations that can survive contact with real systems.
Built it
I built Unlocked Labs from an original concept into a 27-person national nonprofit with partnerships or contracts with seven government entities.
Raised it
I built the fundraising and business-development systems, and personally cultivated and closed gifts ranging from $50K to $5M.
Shipped it
I prototyped a six-product secure technology portfolio and kept architecture and release governance through production deployment across five states.
Governed it
As Board President I led an organizational turnaround from roughly three weeks of runway to at least 18 months, restoring good standing and professionalizing the board.
Advised on it
I have reviewed a national legal organization's five-year strategic plan, co-led a city advisory board's bylaws reform and served on a mayoral transition committee.
Argued it
Self-taught in the law, I have litigated and advocated on policy for more than 20 years. I brought a case to the Missouri Supreme Court without a lawyer, and took counsel only because I could not attend oral argument. In federal court I won a permanent injunction against a state corrections policy and a consent judgment on a state birth-certificate policy.
Roles, boards and advisory service.
Leadership and advisory work that informs how I approach client engagements.
| Role | Organization | Dates | Contribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Founder and Co-Executive Director | Unlocked Labs | 2022 to 2026 | Built the organization, its fundraising, operations, governance, compliance and technology. |
| Board President | Metro Trans Umbrella Group | 2023 to 2026 | Led a turnaround: good standing restored, board professionalized, staffing rebuilt and every program sustained. |
| Board Member | Keyway | 2023 to present | Executive Director development, board-director relationship and fundraising training. |
| National Leadership Council | Lambda Legal | 2025 to present | Oversight and substantive review of the five-year strategic plan; material revisions adopted. |
| Advisor to the Mayor | City of St. Louis LGBTQIA Advisory Board | 2023 to present | Co-led an ordinance-compliance review and bylaws reform. |
| Committee member | CHANGEforSTL Public Safety & Justice | 2025 | Collaborative recommendations for the incoming mayoral administration. |
| President | NAACP Branch 4010 | 2020 to 2021 | Membership growth, legislative policy work and paralegal training. |