Management and Leadership

FACULTY: Adrian Ogle

TEAM: Eddy E., Claire Michel, Alejandra Valverde, Cheryl Wang

The Broadway Advocacy Coalition (BAC) is an arts-based advocacy organization that uses storytelling and theater to drive systemic change in New York City and the State’s criminal legal system. Its Theater of Change (TOC) program is a foundational initiative to advance BAC’s mission through creative advocacy. Aligning TOC with BAC’s new strategic plan is critical to ensuring the program effectively contributes to systemic reform and organizational credibility. The Capstone team evaluated TOC’s effectiveness and alignment with BAC’s advocacy goals. They conducted surveys and interviews with BAC staff, peer organizations, and program participants to assess the program’s impact and operational strengths. The team developed a performance evaluation toolkit to help BAC systematically measure TOC’s outcomes and scale its reach. Final recommendations focused on enhancing measurable impact, improving visibility, and strengthening engagement with funders and participants, ensuring TOC remains a strategic asset in advancing BAC’s criminal justice reform objectives.

FACULTY: Adrian Ogle

TEAM: Maia Beriashvili, Sofia Garcia, Jacob Peña

Coro New York Leadership Center runs the Fellows Program in Public Affairs, a 40-year-old flagship initiative training emerging leaders in public service through experiential learning and civic engagement in New York City. This work matters because the program’s operational, financial, and programmatic challenges threaten its ability to sustain its mission of cultivating diverse, ethical leaders for the public sector. The Capstone team evaluated the Fellows Program’s alignment with Coro NY’s broader goals and identified strategies to enhance its sustainability and impact. The team comprehensively analyzed Coro’s internal operations, competitive landscape, and stakeholder perspectives—gathering insights through staff and board interviews, alumni surveys, and benchmarking against peer leadership programs. Final recommendations focused on four areas: stakeholder engagement, financial sustainability, program design, and evaluation metrics, providing Coro NY with actionable steps to modernize the Fellows Program while preserving its legacy as a transformative force in public service leadership.

FACULTY: Sonia Balaram

TEAM: Sarah Alwasil, Marissa Koh, Demiana Rizkalla

The Los Angeles Regional Collaborative (LARC), in partnership with Environmental Science Associates (ESA), leads the Extreme Heat Campaign to educate LA County residents about heat-related risks and connect them with critical resources through a network of over 75 organizations, collaborating with the LA Department of Public Health to develop science-based messaging. This work matters because extreme heat disproportionately endangers vulnerable communities, necessitating targeted outreach to mitigate health disparities and save lives. The Capstone team evaluated the campaign’s effectiveness in two areas: the strength of LARC’s partnership network and its ability to deliver actionable messaging to high-priority populations. The team analyzed peer heat resilience initiatives and applied behavioral science principles to assess communication strategies and stakeholder engagement. Final recommendations outlined steps to optimize partnerships, refine messaging, and expand equitable access to heat resources—strengthening the campaign’s capacity to protect LA County’s diverse communities.

FACULTY: Sonia Balaram

TEAM: Aurora Brice, Marisa Maurer, Jocelyn Paquette, and Rachel Sarch

The Greenwich Village Chelsea Chamber of Commerce (GVCCC) has supported businesses across Manhattan neighborhoods for over 70 years, offering resources and advocacy to local enterprises. Declining membership due to COVID-19’s impact on small businesses threatens GVCCC’s ability to serve its community effectively. GVCCC sought to adopt a Tiered Benefits Model to revitalize engagement, allowing businesses to select tailored benefits to improve retention. The Capstone team was tasked with designing this model to enhance member value and attract new participants. They conducted an environmental scan of peer Chambers, surveyed GVCCC members and non-members, and reviewed membership model scholarship to inform their approach. The final recommendations propose a tiered structure with flexible benefit options, positioning GVCCC as a relevant, adaptive resource for businesses recovering post-pandemic and fostering long-term growth.

FACULTY: Sonia Balaram

TEAM: Alfi Joseph, Becca Litt,  Enzo Manzano, and Lily Schmidt-Swartz

The Living City Project (LCP) is a New York City-based nonprofit that transforms the city into a classroom, engaging students in urban challenges through experiential education and participatory design. By offering city-based programs for high school graduates, semester-leave students, and young adults starting their professional careers, LCP fosters meaningful learning experiences while addressing community needs. The Capstone team built upon the recommendations of a 2023–2024 Capstone Team through three deliverables: a literature review/environmental scan, summarizing findings on evaluation practices within Gap Year programs based on interviews with industry experts and a literature review; a graduate profile, outlining the design evaluation criteria and key skills LCP aims for graduates to develop by the end of the program; and surveys capturing participants’ expectations, goals, and skill levels in the field, which will be an essential tool for evaluating student outcomes. The team’s final report compiles these deliverables and provides recommendations to enhance LCP’s long-term evaluation methods.