Prior to starting CJ, he co-Directed the Justice Lab’s Youth Justice Initiatives team, consulted with the Annie E. Casey Foundation, and was the Associate Commissioner for the NYC Administration for Children’s Services – Division for Youth and Family Justice, where he helped implement the Close to Home Initiative. Earlier in his career, he served as Associate Director of the Vera Institute of Justice’s Center on Youth Justice, a Senior Project Director at the Center for Community Problem Solving at NYU School of Law, and was a defense attorney for the Legal Aid Society’s Juvenile Rights Division.

Vidhya Ananthakrishnan is the Co-Founder and Managing Director of Catalyze Justice. In this role, she oversees CJ’s partnerships with different organizations across the field, guides CJ’s narrative change and communications work, and helps lead development and finance, and operations. Prior to starting CJ, she directed the Columbia Justice Lab’s youth justice portfolio for 5 ½ years and supported the establishment of Youth Correctional Leaders for Justice (YCLJ). Earlier in her career, she led youth justice reform efforts at the Vera Institute of Justice, conducted program evaluations at the US Government Accountability Office (GAO), and worked as a youth advocate and organizer in NYC.

Most recently, Gladys served as a Senior Fellow at the Justice Lab. Prior to that, she led the NYS Office of Children and Family Services and the NYC Administration for Children Services. In these roles, she successfully closed 21 state-run facilities and helped oversee the implementation of Close to Home in New York City.

Before joining CJ, Mahsa was at the Vera Institute of Justice, leading national, state, and local strategies to end the incarceration of girls and gender expansive young people. Earlier in her career, she worked on broader youth justice initiatives at the Vera Institute and decarcerating adult jails while at the New Orleans Mayor’s Office. She came to systems change work after years of serving young people in schools and facilities.

Most recently, Vincent was a Senior Manager at the Columbia Justice Lab. Previously, he worked at the Vera Institute and the NYC Administration for Children’s Services (ACS) Division of Youth and Family Justice where he identified areas of reform in policy and practice for youth detention, Close to Home placement, and contracted community-based alternatives. He also co-led a division-wide equity workgroup to identify racial/ethnic disparities and develop equity goals, metrics, and action plans while there. Vincent graduated from the Howard University School of Social Work.

Most recently, Alex was a Senior Manager at the Columbia Justice Lab. Prior to that heworked for multiple direct service nonprofits in New York City, volunteered as a teacher at the women’s jail on Riker’s Island, and was a Peace Corps Volunteer in Ukraine. He has a Master’s Degree in Nonprofit Management from The New School, and a BA from the University of Toronto.

Prior to joining CJ, Lane led organizational transformation engagements with state and local governments at Guidehouse, Inc. Earlier, Lane was the Executive Director of Planning and Policy for the NYC Administration for Children’s Services – Division for Youth and Family Justice, where he oversaw policy and program development for the Close to Home and Raise the Age initiatives. Lane’s commitment to system change is rooted in his lengthy experience as a social worker, community organizer, and advocate for workers, families, and currently and formerly incarcerated people.