Alexa Kasdan Email & Phone Number

New York City Metropolitan Area

Greater New York City Area

Strategic consultant with 20 years of experience, offering policy, research, community engagement and capacity building services to non-profit organizations, philanthropic institutions, and the public sector. Services include:Primary and field research: Design, conduct and analyze surveys, interviews,focus groups and other field research methods;Landscape analysis and needs assessment: Conduct analysis of stakeholders,policies and politics for various social justice issues and develop tools to assessneeds and priorities; Community Engagement and Public Policy development: Design and facilitateprocesses to convene stakeholders, identify and document issues, brainstorm and developsolutions and prioritize and operationalize solutions into policy campaigns;Evaluation: Design tools and methods to evaluate social justice programs and policies;Reports and other policy writing: Synthesize information, develop succinct findings andrecommendations for diverse audiences. Create various types of products includingreports, white papers, policy platforms, info-graphics and maps;Capacity Building and Training: Design curriculum and conduct training and staffdevelopment to build organizational research and policy capacity.

New York, United States

Led Demos policy development and research efforts aimed at creating a democracy and economy rooted in racial equity and centering movement building.-Oversaw the execution of all policy and research projects.-Cultivated partnerships and represented Demos with national, state and local movement, political and policy stakeholders.-Led, managed and mentored a team of researchers and policy analysts.-Part of leadership team that oversaw fundraising, budgeting, team building and organizational work planning and strategy.

Greater New York City Area

Teaching a graduate level course called Leadership and Social Transformation

Greater New York City Area

Design, implement and direct qualitative and quantitative research and policy projects to strengthen organizing campaigns and create policy and program change that improves the lives of low-income New Yorkers.-Publication of over 70 reports and proposals during tenure;-Examples include community-driven research about housing court that led to coalition-building and passage of NYC legislation guaranteeing a right to counsel for low-income tenants and a report about the experience of immigrants at employment agencies that led to the Justice for Job Seekers legislation in New York State;-Organized and produced 300-person conference focusing on building effective community partnerships for social change;-Directly supervise multiple staff, interns and consultants and part of management team overseeing 60 plus staff;-Convene stakeholders via multiple forums to engage with data, identify issues and develop solutions to complex problems;-Engage in regular public speaking to a variety of audiences including conferences, policy briefings, testimony and presentations;-Design and facilitate research and policy trainings for organizations, foundations, students and other stakeholders;-Cultivate and sustain partnerships and strategic alliances with various stakeholders across New York City, including grassroots organizations, academics, government and elected officials, labor unions, community activists, pro-bono attorneys and donors;-Coordination and execution of fundraising, grant management and donor relations including grant writing and reporting and donor cultivation and research.

Designed and implemented grassroots-driven research and policy development focusing on programs and policies impacting low-income New Yorkers. Crafted reports and proposals to support organizing and advocacy work.-Examples include evaluation and monitoring projects focusing on the NYC Human Resource Administration employment programs and tenant participation in the NYC Housing Authority;-Coordinated community members and organizational staff to develop campaign strategy to win policy proposals at the city, state and national levels.

San Francisco Bay Area

Conducted research, analysis and community outreach focusing on HIV/AIDS and related public policy issues.

Greater New York City Area

Conducted on going advocacy, crisis-management, counseling and housing placement for HIV positive, homeless clients.

Master Of Public Policy, Public Policy Analysis

Course work included: economics, statistics, negotiations, non-profit management, research methods and design

Bachelor Of Arts (B.A.), Political Science And African American Studies