Meet the Team

Community Organizer

Shamara Kelly is a community organizer and expert in domestic violence policy reform who is dedicated to galvanizing survivors to drive social change and collective empowerment. Her work centers on advancing survivor leadership and challenging systems that have historically failed to protect abused women and their children.

Shamara has played a key role in advocating for systemic reforms in child welfare, police response to domestic violence, and the restructuring of emergency shelter systems for survivors. Through organizing, policy advocacy, and survivor-led initiatives, she works to ensure that systems respond with greater accountability, equity, and effectiveness.

In addition to her advocacy work, Shamara has conducted trainings for both public and private sector institutions on domestic violence and best practices for engaging survivors in meaningful and respectful ways. Her work emphasizes the importance of centering lived experience in policy and program development.

Most recently, Shamara has focused on developing community-based support models in the New York City metropolitan area that provide safety and resources for survivors without relying on government intervention, helping to expand pathways to healing, autonomy, and community care.