Chelsea Cross is Chief of Staff at Data for Black Lives. Ever since she was a child, she knew she wanted to impact the world directly. After studying public health at Brown University, Chelsea went on to serve the indigenous population of Hawai’i as a teacher while earning a master’s degree in education from Johns Hopkins University. Witnessing in her classroom, day after day, the social determinants of health affect her students’ academic performance, Chelsea went back into the medical field and became one of the youngest managers of the largest hospital network in Hawai’i–Kapiolani Medical Center–before moving to Wisconsin frustrated with the policies in both the medical and education sectors.

Motivated, Chelsea shifted her focus to politics, where her background would propel and enable her to continue to make a change in this world. As a Black woman and a Jew, she is no stranger to navigating spaces with conflicting identities. Chelsea managed multiple statewide political campaigns before joining D4BL. Her current passion lies in the conundrum that is establishing transparent messaging and providing robust data in America that creates a seat at the table for everyone. The fight to ensure everyone’s needs in Maslow’s Hierarchy are met is the type of challenge that Chelsea relishes. She brings passion, a desire to learn, and enthusiasm to this world.