About Us

Colorful Unlock NYC PSA that reads "Do brokers and landlords keep saying no to your voucher?" displayed in front of a concert crowd at Summerstage in NYC

Created with and led by tenants who have been there.

Everyone deserves to be treated fairly in their search for a home. At Unlock NYC, we equip voucher holders with the paper trail, voice, and connections to create accountability when they’re facing housing discrimination. Through our direct services, data analysis, and advocacy, we’re creating a power shift where landlords and brokers fear the social and financial costs of discriminating against voucher holders.

Individual justice

Systems change

Leadership development

Our Team

Unlock NYC’s team is at our strongest when we reflect the diversity of our city. We built a unique team culture, governance model, and leadership development program to enable a wide range of skills, experiences, and contributions to our movement.

50+

years navigating the voucher system

70%

of our team identify as women of color

5

boroughs represented

Staff

Ashley Eberhart

Head of Product

Jessica Valencia

Head of Communications

Leslie Meadows

Head of Outreach

Manon Vergerio

Head of Data & Advocacy

Team

Dianne Thomas

Individual Justice Senior Consultant

Elizabeth Byrd

Founding Leadership Collective Member

Kamilah Newton

Activist-in-Residence

Kristina Abajace

Virtual Assistant, Double

Madeline Blount

Founding Engineer, Technical Advisor

Leadership Collective

Members of the Unlock NYC Leadership Collective are nominated each fall for a 6-month advisory board term followed by an optional capstone project. As engaged users of our tools and emerging leaders in their communities, the Leadership Collective meets monthly to help our programs team shape the direction of our organization and make key decisions.

Enilda Castillo

2023-2024 cohort

Juleah Anjel Felice Jorge

2023-2024 cohort

Nycole-Lanyse Jacques

2023-2024 cohort

Soelys Marrero

2023-2024 cohort

Sterling Cash Jr.

2023-2024 cohort

Susan Alexandra Negron

2023-2024 cohort

Advisors

Reed Jordan

Director, Community Scholarships, NYC Kids RISE

Rob Robinson

Senior Advisor, Partners for Dignity and Rights

Velvet A. Johnson-Ross

Historian, Activist, Writer, and 2022 David Prize Finalist

Special thanks

As a group of lifelong learners, we’re grateful for the community of collaborators who have built up our team’s capacity to design a sustainable organization and workplace where we can thrive creatively, personally, and professionally.