About Us

Let's move America forward

About Us

Let's move America forward

FWD.us is a bipartisan political organization that believes America’s families, communities, and economy thrive when more individuals are able to achieve their full potential. For too long, our harmful immigration and criminal justice systems have locked too many people out from the American dream.

FWD.us is a bipartisan political organization that believes America’s families, communities, and economy thrive when more individuals are able to achieve their full potential. For too long, our harmful immigration and criminal justice systems have locked too many people out from the American dream.

Our Mission

It’s time to create a country that works for all of us.

FWD.us is a bipartisan team of political campaigners spanning the fields of policy, advocacy, and technology working to create a stronger America. From whom we hire to whom we work with, we bring together people from a variety of backgrounds, ideologies, and lived experiences—and it makes us better at what we do.

Together, we are committed to improving people’s lives today, while working toward the big, transformative change of tomorrow. We believe that when every person has the opportunity to achieve their full potential, our families, communities, and economy thrive.

For too long, our harmful immigration and criminal justice systems have locked too many people out of the American dream. And it’s holding us all back.

But solving big, complicated problems is in our DNA. We understand the flaws, we have solutions and we have broad support for reform on our side. What stands in our way is a lack of political will and urgency.

At FWD.us, we seek to grow and galvanize political support to break through partisan gridlock to achieve meaningful reforms. With roots in the technology and business communities, our entrepreneurial approach to solving problems has always infused us with big, aspirational goals and a results-based approach to reform.

We turn the undecided into supporters, supporters into advocates, and advocates into champions. Press and media. Business and industry. Partners and coalitions. Grasstops and grassroots. We help those impacted by these systems tell their stories with dignity. We seize the moment and use every tool at our disposal to educate, persuade, and mobilize.

Our goal is to influence policymakers and those around them to make the policy changes that create opportunity and unlock America’s potential.

When we work together, we can build a stronger, safer, and more prosperous future. Let’s move America forward.

Our History
Our History

Our History

FWD.us founded by tech and business leaders

FWD.us was launched in the spring of 2013 because leaders in the tech and business communities saw an important window of opportunity to help fix our country’s harmful immigration system.

Our History

Senate passes the Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act

A bipartisan group of Senators pass the Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act, which later fails in the House.

Our History

Inaugural Immigrant Heritage Month

Since June of 2014, Immigrant Heritage Month has given people across the United States an opportunity to explore their own heritage and celebrate the shared diversity that forms the unique story of America.

Our History

FWD.us joins larger immigration coalition

FWD.us joins the larger national immigration coalition to collect amicus brief signatures from the business, non-profit, and education communities.

Our History

Launch of "I Am An Immigrant Campaign"

The "I Am An Immigrant" campaign encourages all Americans to celebrate the monumental contributions that immigrants have made — and continue to make every day.

Our History

New York criminal justice campaign launched

FWD.us launches efforts in New York, focusing on reducing unnecessary pretrial sentencing, safely fixing the state's harmful criminal justice system that causes job loss and punishes families.

Our History

Passage of key justice reform bills in Oklahoma

The Oklahoma Legislature passed key legislation from the Oklahoma Justice Reform Task Force. These bills will reduce prison beds by 4,851 over the next ten years and ensure a better public safety return on taxpayer dollars.

Apr 2013
Jun 2013
Jun 2014
Jan 2016
Jun 2016
Mar 2018
Apr 2018
Leadership
& Staff

Meet the people of FWD.us

Our team is dedicated to reforming America's immigration and criminal justice systems.

Josie Halpern-Finnerty
Manager, National Programming
Zaira Garcia
Regional Government Relations Director
Kenzi Laceste
Senior Product Manager
Ama Akoto
Senior Program Associate
Andrew Bartolome
Staff Accountant
Bina Surgeon
VP, Chief Operating Officer
Alison Silveira
Policy and Research Manager, Criminal Justice Reform
Chantel Scott
Office and Facilities Administrator
Maria Praeli
Deputy Director Government Relations & Coalitions
Phillip Connor
Senior Demographer and Immigration Fellows Director
Felicity Rose
VP, Criminal Justice Research & Policy
Precious Edmonds
Director of Project Management, Criminal Justice Reform
Work With Us

I have a passion for reform
Come join the team!

FWD.us works on the cutting edge of politics, policy, and technology. We’re looking for passionate people who share our commitment to change. Interested?