MISSION STATEMENT

The Intersect is on a mission to catalyze a more just world. We do this by spurring collaboration, driving change, and fostering a more courageous, inclusive, and equitable future.

We don’t solve problems alone.

We believe that making the world more just starts with how we do business and how we work alongside our partners and team members. We are continuously evolving our business practices to align and reflect our values.  We work alongside activists, artists, teachers, business owners, story tellers, scholars, advocates, and changemakers at the intersection of multiple disciplines.

VALUES

Centering Authentic Voices:
At the foundation of our work lies a profound respect for the voices and expertise of constituents and community members directly impacted by systemic inequity and the program, policy, and systemic solutions we champion. We skillfully partner with your constituents and communities as experts in the change-making process. Their insights, experiences, and aspirations guide our actions, ensuring that the transformations we work toward are reflective of the needs and dreams of the communities and organizations we work alongside.
Unified in Partnership:
We believe in the power of networks. At the heart of our approach is a commitment to collaboration and the collective power of diverse minds and talents converging for a shared purpose. 
Evidence-Driven:
We believe in the power of data and evidence. We build qualitative and quantitative data collection and analysis processes into every project. Grounding our work in evidence ensures that our work together is not just well-intentioned but also effective, robust, and results-driven.
Tailored Excellence:

We believe every challenge and every client is unique. No two organizations are the same, and neither are our solutions. We work alongside you to develop customized and personalized solutions that meet your specific needs and evolve alongside your organization, campaign, or movement over time.

Co-creation:
Our approaches are rooted in the principle of co-creation. We co-create solutions with our clients and partners while balancing vision, strategy, what is practical, possible, and transformational. We value the perspectives of our partners, clients, and communities, ensuring that we craft vision and solutions collaboratively.
Balanced Disruption:
At the dynamic crossroads of collaboration and innovation, we embrace both harmony and disruption. With a deep appreciation for teamwork and the subtlety of incremental evolution, we’re equally bold in challenging the status quo. Navigating between tradition and transformation, we skillfully maneuver through the intricacies of established systems. Our objective? To ignite transformative changes that shatter barriers and usher in a brighter, more equitable future for organizations and the broader community.
Navigators of Change:
In the intricate maze of organizational evolution and policy transformation, we shine as your guiding compass. With an unparalleled ability to listen and guide, we steer your organization with precision and insight, ensuring that every turn leads to growth and innovation. Our expertise lies not just in recognizing the need for change, but in charting the best course through it. As your trusted navigators, we’re committed to directing your organization’s journey, ensuring that every step is a leap towards a more prosperous, just, and adaptable future.
Idea Mindsets:

Understanding structural inequity requires acknowledging overlapping and intersecting social identities. We leverage ever-evolving IDEA Frameworks – Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Antiracism. In a world that often sprints toward solutions, we apply intersectional frameworks to understand challenges and identify solutions.

WHO WE ARE

Melissa Young, Founder and CEO:

Melissa is the founder and CEO at The Intersect. A visionary leader – Melissa has worked professionally in social impact, justice, and human rights spaces for over 20 years and has a national track record of catalyzing and advancing state and national justice initiatives alongside a myriad of partners.

Grounded in the perspective that solutions to social and economic inequity should be driven by impacted people and communities, the initiatives Melissa has pioneered are intentionally rooted in communities.

Melissa’s visionary work has sparked national discussion and action around economic justice as a key element of realizing racial justice and human rights. She has stewarded teams of experts focused on health justice and criminal legal reform. And she’s cultivated and led multiple state and national coalitions and initiatives including the only national hub in the country working at the intersection of economic and housing justice.

Melissa holds cross-discipline expertise across a range of justice, human rights, and anti-poverty issues. She has resourced and led field development, capacity building, and technical assistance teams. She has advised on multiple federal agency research demonstrations, worked extensively with federal, state, and local governments and agency 

partners, and alongside members of Congress.

Melissa is a founding board member of BAMAH Arts, an advisor to the Illinois Coalition to End Permanent Punishments, and sits on the Advisory Board of REALITY a Schusterman Family Foundation Initiative. She has served as a content expert with several philanthropic funding collaboratives and an advisor to the Biden-Harris transition teams.

Melissa received her B.A. from the University of Michigan and her M.A. from the University of Chicago.

Catalyzing A More Just World