Our Work

At Just Strategies, we work to support people, nonprofits, and philanthropies in making the changes needed to center equity and community-up leadership internally, in policy change work, and in other external work. Our services include diversity, equity, and inclusion trainings, strategic planning, policy analysis, advocacy trainings, facilitation, coaching, and more.

Our Team

  • Arielle Siller

    Consultant

    Arielle Siler is a teaching artist, applied theatre facilitator, and actor. She is devoted to creating inclusive and democratic learning spaces. Arielle works as an ally for oppressed and vulnerable communities by using theatre as a tool for amplifying voices that are often pushed to the margins. Arielle is devoted to supporting, performing in, and facilitating spaces of empowerment through theatre. Her research focuses on the systemic and synergistic forces that have created the school-to-prison pipeline in the United States. Arielle received her Master’s in Applied Theatre from Goldsmiths University of London and her BFA in Acting from California Institute of the Arts (CalArts).

  • Arlo Bush

    Consultant

    Arlo is a passionate Black entrepreneur, life-partner and cat-father. They possess a deep love for people, the land, our spiritual selves and the connections that weave us all together. Arlo’s professional experience incorporates nearly 2 decades of sales, marketing and development work. That experience has ignited his passion to disrupt the white supremacy culture and uplift as many communities as possible. His values are truth and love and his guiding principles include deep equity, appreciative inquiry and moving at the speed of trust. He currently works in the Central Texas food system and enjoys spending time with his family and friends, tending to their many house plants, planting and growing vegetables, and traveling to understand and experience different cultures and ways of being.

  • Dwayne Wharton

    Founder & Principal

    Dwayne is a health and equity advocate who has held leadership positions in prominent non-profit organizations, the City of Philadelphia Mayor’s Commission on African-American Males, Philadelphia Food Policy Advisory Council, Greater Philadelphia Philanthropy Network, the American Heart Association, and the Alliance for Agriculture in San Juan, Puerto Rico. He is also a co-founder of the Philadelphia Black Giving Circle, is a former Peace Corps volunteer, and is a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Culture of Health Leader.

  • Josh Odam

    Consultant

    Josh Odam (he, him) is the Founder & Curator of Healing While Black LLC, an online platform dedicated to the mental health and wellness of Black queer, transgender, and gender non-conforming people with 65,000 social media followers and one million annual impressions.

    He understands his mental health is inextricably linked to antiblackness and queer antagonism. A DEI professional with over nine years of experience, he most recently served as Chief of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion for the Defender Association of Philadelphia. During his tenure, he trained new attorneys and social workers on gender equity, microaggressions, and systemic racism. He is a Google & Squarespace Black Creator Fellow and operates a Black art & literature studio in West Philadelphia

    His work has been featured on the Human Rights Campaign, My Brother’s Keeper, Refinery29, the Los Angeles Times, Black Mental Wellness, Vera Institute for Justice, & ACE Space.

    He is from Brooklyn, New York.

  • Kathleen Furin

    Consultant

    Kathleen blends her passion for equity and justice with practical experience across a wide range of disciplines. Kathleen began her career working at an alternative high school for young people in Brooklyn, NY, co-founded the Maternal Wellness Center , created and managed the Sister Study Circle and Scholarship Program, which provided funding and support to women of color who were pursuing careers as birth professionals, and also supported the development of a breastfeeding video featuring Black women. Most recently she developed and facilitated the Manifest program, a parenting program for men who are incarcerated, through Turning Points for Children. She is a certified CFG coach with the National School Reform Faculty Harmony Education Center, and brings a high level of expertise at both facilitating “protocols” and processes for faculty development and supporting stakeholders in modifying, identifying and developing new processes to meet their goals. She has taught a variety of writing courses at several universities and has extensive experience providing clinical and student services through a trauma-informed lens. She holds an MSW from Temple University and an MFA in Fiction from New York University and is committed to exploring the use of narratives as a healing modality.

  • Kelli McIntyre

    Consultant

    Kelli is a vocal champion for health, safety, and justice. With a background in exercise and sport science, health and wellness program design and management, she holds a B.S. in Athletic Training from Boston University and a M.A. in Exercise and Sport Science from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She is a a 2016 Walking College fellow, a 2020 graduate of the Master of Public Health Program at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health where she was a member of the inaugural class of Bloomberg Fellows. Kelli has worked for the City of Philadelphia Department of Public Health in the Division of Chronic Disease and Injury Prevention and is a former Planner with the Thrivance Group. She is also trained in Dignity-Infused Community Engagement. Kelli would serve as a co-project lead, serve as a facilitator, and support assessment efforts for this engagement.

  • Sara Zimmerman

    Co-Founder & Senior Advisor

    Sara Zimmerman is a lawyer and public policy expert who specializes in strategy and advocacy approaches that advance healthy, just, thriving communities. Sara works with community groups, national nonprofits, philanthropic institutions, and government agencies to analyze barriers, develop strategies, and identify innovative policy approaches that support health, equity, and opportunity. Sara’s experience includes two decades of work with nonprofits in nonprofit management, legal, and community organizing capacities. Over the course of her career, Sara has worked for and advised labor unions, community organizing groups, disability rights initiatives, employment rights organizations, and nonprofits providing access to legal services. She is the author of many publications and written tools, including model policies, policy scans, nonprofit support tools, reports, plans, state report cards, journal articles, factsheets, toolkits, blogs, and more.

  • Stefanie Rhodes

    Consultant

    Stefanie is a Masters level public health professional with public speaking, policy, and program planning expertise. Over her career she has displayed a personal commitment to the needs of underserved populations and since graduating from Drexel University with a master’s degree in public health, she has devoted her time and energy to studying the impact of systemic racism on the public health workforce. Stefanie has utilized her years of experience as a Community Planning and Development Specialist at U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to help organizations. As a former Senior Consultant with Booz Allen Hamilton, she collaborated across functions and with external stakeholders of varying levels; oversaw engagement, business, and client relationship; tracked project milestones, deliverables, risks, dependencies, and timelines. She also developed executive level communications (e.g., briefing materials) for clients and senior leadership on a variety of topics and collected, evaluated, and analyzed data to report on project performance; developed and implemented strategic plans to ensure project-related goals were met; applied expertise of healthcare operations to assist clients with the process of continuous assessment and systematic improvement of care.

Our Partners

  • Alisa Orduna

    Consulting Partner

    Dr. Alisa Orduña has been a practitioner, policy analyst, collaborator and thought leader in the urban community development field for the past 25 years. It is her life mission to re-imagine neighborhoods as beloved communities where residents of all diversity have a sense of belonging and resources to thrive. During her career, she has worked on the cutting edge of policy formation and change management in neighborhood development and homelessness services in both the public and nonprofit sectors in major cities including Philadelphia, Los Angeles, and Santa Monica, CA.

  • Cicely Peterson-Mangum

    Consulting Partner

    Cicely is a passionate connector, insightful strategist, and empathetic facilitator with over two decades of experience in nonprofit management, law, government relations, and education. She helps organizations, teams, and individuals drive effectiveness through strategic and tactical approaches rooted in equity and inclusion. Cicely draws on the power of deep collaboration in all of her work, leveraging years of experience in community development where she cultivated relationships with complex arrays of stakeholders. She inspires clients to boost their performance and increase their impact through self-assessment and reflection, deep dialogue, and vision-driven thinking. Cicely serves on the executive committee of the board of trustees of the Seybert Foundation. She previously served on the University of Virginia's IDEA Fund (inclusion, diversity, equity, and access) and on the board of the Philadelphia Association of Community Development Corporations.

  • Judy Lubin

    Dr. Judy Lubin is the founder and president of the Center for Urban and Racial Equity (CURE), whose mission is to partner with people and organizations to advance equity through policy, systems, institutional, and community change. Dr. Lubin previously served as health equity strategist for the New Orleans Health Department, director for Allies for Reaching Community Health Equity, and as communications director for national organizations including the Black Women’s Health Imperative and WomenHeart: The National Coalition for Women with Heart Disease. Committed to promoting women’s heart health and wellness, Dr. Lubin is also the author of The Heart of Living Well: Six Principles for a Life of Health, Beauty and Balance and recipient of the General Mills Foundation’s Cheerios Sisters Saving Hearts award for her Heart and Style initiative to prevent heart disease among Black women. She is also a former Congressional Black Caucus Foundation public health fellow.

    Since 2015, she has served as an adjunct professor for Howard University’s Department of Sociology, where she’s led community-centered urban research initiatives funded by the National Park Service. Prior to that, she served as a professorial lecturer at American University for a one-year appointment. She is frequently called upon by media for her expertise on race, politics, health and social policy and was a regular contributor to the Huffington Post. Dr. Lubin has been featured in national media outlets such as CNN, Ebony, Essence, The Hill, The Wall Street Journal, NPR, The New York Times, CityLab and MarketWatch. As a sought-after speaker, she presented at TEDx Mid Atlantic and has spoken at the White House, in addition to many other nationwide appearances.

  • Melissa Bosworth

    Consulting Partner

    Melissa is the Principal of Vertical Strategies, Executive Director of the Eastern Plains Healthcare Consortium, and Assistant Professor at Regis University. She is committed to creating nonprofit sustainability through navigating uncertainty, and inspiring students who have a similar passion. She has spent the last 20 years working in human service and healthcare related nonprofits. As a pianist and previous music therapist turned administrator and teacher, Melissa brings a unique perspective when it comes to creating solutions for social justice. Influenced by her son, students, and nonprofit professionals, she aspires to never stop working for a more just world. Melissa is a former fellow of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s Culture of Health Leaders program and the Aspen Institute.

  • Nimaako Brown

    Consulting Partner

    Nimaako Brown is the founder and principal strategist of Nimaako Brown Consulting, a boutique consulting firm founded in 2019. For over a decade, she has worked with private and public institutions at varying levels to create holistic, sustainable and multidisciplinary solutions to complex public health challenges. Nimaako has extensive experience in integrating public health approaches into non-traditional health spaces; conducting qualitative research that informs best practices and supports capital acquisition; leading strategic organizational development to maximize efficiency and effectiveness; translating ideas into actionable plans that produce high quality programs and create meaningful spaces, and curating meetings, conferences and convenings to elevate historically underrepresented voices on wide-reaching and ranging platforms. In addition to her public health expertise, Nimaako brings her cultural groundedness, passion and commitment to improving the quality of life of people of African descent into all of her work.

Equity Interns

  • Dakota Carter

    Intern

    Dakota Carter, Junior Political Science and Economics double major from Philadelphia, PA, studying at Spelman College with hopes of working within the finance industry. At Spelman, Dakota is a member of the Ethel Waddell Githii Honors Program, and she also sits on the executive board of the economics club. She has a background in DEI Consulting, General Business Consulting, Real Estate Valuation, and Equity Analysis. This past summer, Dakota interned at Fidelity Investments within the Asset Management space in Boston, MA. She is also passionate about the mergers and acquisitions (m&a) space, as she finds that it drives innovation and unique creativity within the world of business. Currently, she is interning with Top Tier Capital Partners, a Venture Capital company based in San Francisco. This upcoming summer Dakota will be interning at Goldman Sachs within the Investment Banking division in New York City.

  • Maya Wharton

    Intern

    Maya Wharton is a Junior at Howard University with a passion for community empowerment and change. As a Sociology major and Political Science minor on a Pre-Law track, she aspires to attend law school and practice public policy advocacy within her hometown of Philadelphia, PA. Maya is an active member of the Howard University chapter of "My Sisters Keeper”, an organization that is dedicated to working with a diverse group of women in order to help them reach their full potential, both professionally and personally. Within her chapter she focuses on improving the health and wellness of Black women on campus and in the community. Maya is a graduate of the Philadelphia High School for Creative and Performing Arts where she majored in visual arts.

 Testimonials

 

“The Spruce Foundation hosted a session with Dwayne Wharton from Just Strategies on diversity, equity, inclusion, and organizational change - it was amazing. Dwayne's style is informational, insightful, but approachable. His questions were thought provoking and interesting. Even though the session was virtual, it was totally compelling and collaborative and we're excited to work with him again as we work to become a stronger organization. I would recommend Dwayne and Just Strategies for your organizational training, at any level.”

Cait Stanley, President, The Spruce Foundation

“We’ve repeatedly sought out Dwayne’s insight, expertise and guidance as he has a particular strength in his ability to work across cultures and nations. His humility and commitment makes him an ideal consultant for any initiative seeking to bring justice and equity to the forefront. We are grateful for his contributions to our community and grassroots organizations working around issues of food sovereignty, rural revitalization, education, and health.”

Yanna M. Muriel, Camposofía, VisitRico Boricuá, San Juan, Puerto Rico

“I have consulted with Sara on a variety of substantial legal and policy questions. She is creative, collaborative, and incisive. Sara quickly identifies the heart of an inquiry, acts as a strong partner in resolving challenging issues, and provides research and analysis that is oriented toward developing strategies that advance justice. I welcome the chance to work with her whenever I can.”

Catha Worthman, Partner, Feinberg Jackson Worthman & Wasow

“We partnered with Dwayne to lead a strategic planning effort and appreciated his incredibly unique eye, creativity, and flexibility. His breadth of experience and facilitative demeanor make him an asset to any organization working towards goal-setting, equity and sustainability.”

Melissa Bosworth, Vertical Strategies

“Dwayne was awarded a Reciprocal Exchange award by the Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders Initiative and traveled to Cabo Verde to work with my organization to design a strategic, operational, and financing plan and to help organize a youth summit to create synergies between students, teachers and schools. With his help we grew our efforts to not only include food access but also other factors that influence health and the school environment. We are appreciative of his vision, mentorship, and inspiration.”

Miriam Livramento, Founder, Be-Inspired Be Inspiration, Praia, Cabo Verde

"Over the course of the 15 years that I have known Sara, I have called upon her to answer legal and policy questions on many occasions.  Sara is great at asking the right questions, identifying the crux of an inquiry, delving into research and assessment, and developing answers that inform action.  Sara's work has demonstrated her lifelong commitment to supporting the strength and voice of each community and creating a society that embodies racial and economic justice. Sara is a terrific researcher, analyst, and legal mind."

Julian Gross, Partner, Renne Public Law Group