Virginia Douglas is the Founder and Executive Director of Step Beyond Women & Girls, a Harlem-based community organization dedicated to supporting women, girls, justice-impacted individuals, and families navigating systemic barriers. A lifelong advocate, community leader, and trusted voice in Harlem, Virginia has spent decades working to ensure that individuals and families impacted by incarceration, poverty, and social inequities have access to the resources, support, and opportunities necessary to thrive.

Drawing from both lived experience and years of grassroots leadership, Virginia has built Step Beyond into a community anchor organization grounded in healing, advocacy, empowerment, and collective care. Under her leadership, the organization has expanded its work to include participatory defense, healing justice initiatives, youth leadership development, reentry support, systems navigation, and community-based advocacy.

Virginia is deeply committed to creating safe, affirming spaces where individuals and families can heal, rebuild, and realize their full potential. Her leadership is rooted in the belief that those closest to the challenges are also closest to the solutions, and that lasting change is achieved through community, compassion, and collective action.

Latrisha S. Jones serves as Co-Director and Chief Strategy and Partnerships Officer for Step Beyond Women & Girls, where she provides executive leadership and oversees the organization's strategic growth, institutional partnerships, and systems change initiatives. Working closely with the Founder and Executive Director, Latrisha helps shape the organization's vision, strengthen its infrastructure, and expand its impact throughout Harlem and beyond.

An Executive Strategist, Legacy Portfolio Steward, and Community Architect, Latrisha works at the intersection of business, real estate, social justice, and community transformation. She leads the development of strategic partnerships with universities, philanthropic institutions, government agencies, corporate partners, and community stakeholders to advance Step Beyond's mission and long-term sustainability.

Latrisha oversees organizational strategy, partnership development, public policy initiatives, resource development, external relations, and special projects. She also spearheads innovative initiatives that bridge grassroots advocacy, legal empowerment, healing justice, economic mobility, and community-centered systems change.

Through her leadership, Step Beyond continues to deepen institutional collaborations, expand community-based programming, and develop sustainable solutions that create lasting, intergenerational impact. Grounded in both lived experience and executive expertise, Latrisha is committed to ensuring that women, girls, justice-impacted individuals, and families have access to the support, resources, and opportunities necessary to thrive.

Tali Douglas serves as the Chief Operating & Finance Officer (COFO) for Step Beyond Women & Girls and is a member of the organization's Leadership Team. She provides executive leadership for the organization's financial management, operations, administration, communications, branding, and organizational infrastructure, ensuring the systems and resources necessary to support the organization's mission, strategic growth, and long-term sustainability.

Tali oversees the organization's financial operations, including budgeting, cash management, financial reporting, grant expenditure tracking, payroll administration, and coordination with external CPAs and auditors. She also leads key operational functions, including human resources, compliance, technology and systems, vendor management, board governance support, and office administration, helping to ensure operational excellence and responsible stewardship of organizational resources.

In addition, Tali directs Step Beyond's brand management, marketing strategy, communications, website oversight, and creative direction, ensuring the organization's visual identity and messaging consistently reflect its mission and values.

Working collaboratively with the Executive Director and Co-Executive Director, Tali helps strengthen Step Beyond's organizational capacity through sound financial stewardship, efficient operations, and strategic leadership, positioning the organization for sustainable growth and greater community impact.

Brandi Peterson serves as the Community Justice Program Manager at Step Beyond Women & Girls, where she leads the organization's Participatory Defense initiative and community justice efforts. In this role, Brandi works directly with justice-impacted individuals, families, and community partners to advance advocacy, legal empowerment, and community-centered solutions.

Brandi oversees the coordination and implementation of Step Beyond's Participatory Defense model, supporting families as they navigate the criminal legal system and helping them access critical resources, advocacy, and support services. Through a trauma-informed and family-centered approach, she empowers individuals and families to become active participants in advocating for themselves and their loved ones.

In addition to leading Participatory Defense efforts, Brandi plays a key role in community engagement, grassroots organizing, and partnership building. She works to strengthen connections between residents, service providers, volunteers, and community stakeholders while ensuring that the voices and experiences of directly impacted individuals remain at the center of Step Beyond's work.

Through her leadership, Brandi advances Step Beyond's mission of empowering women, strengthening families, and building stronger, more equitable communities.