Our Team
At the Possibility Lab, we are data-driven idealists who believe we can make a significant impact through our work.

Amy E. Lerman
Executive Director & Principal Investigator

Ben Bowyer
Senior Data & Research Specialist

Ben Fils
Affiliated Researcher

Cesar Alesi Perez
Research Associate

Dante Angel Miguel
GSR

Edgar Ernesto Ibarra Gutierrez
Research and Public Affairs Assistant

Emily Jacobson
Research Associate

Francesca Vescia
Research Associate

Hannah Jackson
Research Associate

Jacki Kingkade
Operations Manager

Jesse Melgar
Senior Advisor for Strategy & Public Affairs

Kate Sadowsky
Director, Community Outreach

Kathryn McAlindon
Senior Researcher

Koci Hernandez
Senior Multimedia Producer

Laura Brisbane
Postdoctoral Researcher

Lindsay Maple
Director of Projects & Planning

Meredith Sadin
Faculty Affiliate and Senior Researcher

Naomi Levy
Faculty Affiliate and Director, Community Engaged Research

Randy Clopton
Research Associate

Ryan Ripper
Research Associate

Stephanie Hom
Director of Operations

Anita Alur
Graduate Student Researcher

Aparna Stephen
Graduate Student Researcher

Julia Raven
Graduate Student Researcher

Julio Fernando Salas
Graduate Student Researcher

Karla B. Palos Castellanos
Graduate Student Researcher

Rouselinne Gomez
Graduate Student Researcher

Ruth Rodriguez
Graduate Student Researcher

Simran Kaur
Graduate Student Researcher

Sofia Magallon
Graduate Student Researcher
Spencer Bowen
Sam Glaser-Nolan
Maura Liévano
Rohit Naimpally
Madeline Bradshaw
Julian Hayes
Elizabeth Linos
Liliane Niensted
Joaquin Carbonell
Charlotte Hill
Mark Lipkin
Lisa Quan
Sara Castro
Christian Hosam
David Maldonado
Antonio Raphael
Pia Deshpande
Grace Huang
Griselda Melgoza
Audrey Sayer
Kyle Dill
Karalyn Lacey
Alyssa Mooney
Jessica Spero Li
Emily Estus
Bella Lalanne
Ian Mulholland
Casey St. Claire
Alejandra Fajardo
Jessica Lasky-Fink
More than at any time in history, we face a series of complex problems that defy easy solutions.
Now is the moment to get creative, and to think and act in new ways. We know that the path of least resistance is to keep doing the same thing and to maintain the status quo. But we believe there’s a world in which we can do things differently.
Through our work, we are supporting our partners so they can vision boldly, iterate quickly, evaluate objectively, and become a powerful engine for systemic change. Every project we take on provides an opportunity to test new possibilities and to push the boundaries of how public policy is made.

We partner with public-sector and community organizations who are interested in pushing the boundaries of what’s possible to advance innovative solutions in public policy.
We pride ourselves on taking on ambitious projects with the potential to change how problems are solved, particularly in the areas of equity, engagement, and empowerment.
Do you believe data should drive policy? Yup, so do we.
We are a diverse team of scholars and practitioners, faculty, full-time staff, and students who value integrity, rigor, curiosity, and communication. Together, we celebrate our wins, learn from our missteps, and work together to advance a better future.
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