Founded in August of 2016, The Collective has raised over $45 million from 100,000+ individual contributions, helped 300 Black leaders win elected office, and in 2020, organized one of the largest Black voter engagement campaigns in the country -- registering over 114,000 voters, garnering 29 million digital impressions on voter education messaging and providing 100,000 free rides to the polls.

A native of Cleveland, Ohio, Stefanie previously worked at EMILY’s List, the nation’s largest resource for women in politics, where she served as the organization’s Vice President of Training and Community Engagement. In 2012, Stefanie served as the National African American Vote Director for the Obama for America Campaign and created the national strategy to
engage Black leaders and voters to re-elect President Barack Obama, helping to lead to the highest Black voter turnout in history. Formerly the National Field Director and Youth & College Division Director for the NAACP, Stefanie developed and administered the national field organizing strategy for the NAACP’s 2,200+ units.

Stefanie is a former member of the Board of Trustees at her alma mater, Howard University, and a member of the National Social Action Commission for Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. Her greatest accomplishment, however, is marrying her business partner Quentin James and being the mother of two amazing toddlers, Carter and Elijah.