Liz Frederick
Elizabeth "Liz" Frederick: Nonprofit leader and youth justice reform advocate, Liz Frederick became the Executive Director of Avenues for Justice (AFJ) in the summer of 2024, after 18 years of service to the historic organization. Starting her journey with AFJ in 2006 as a graduate student at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, Liz was initially curious about the gap between theory and lived experience. What began as a 30-minute meeting with Co-Founder Angel Rodriguez, quickly turned into a two-hour mission-defining moment, revealing not only a career path, but a purpose.
Nearly two decades later, Liz now leads the very movement that first inspired her.
Liz’s rise through AFJ, from operations staffer to Chief Operating Officer to unanimously appointed Executive Director in 2024, is not just a story of institutional knowledge or professional growth. It is a story of vision, of leadership shaped by experience, and of a woman who chose to define success in her own terms.
With unwavering commitment to advancing justice reform, especially within New York City, Liz has been a driving force and advocate for community-driven alternatives to incarceration. With a full grasp of the weight and responsibility of being a Black woman leading a justice-focused nonprofit, her leadership is rooted in clarity, empathy, and conviction. From Operations to Executive Leadership, Liz has touched nearly every part of the organization. From building operational infrastructure, to securing major grants and doubling the organization’s financial capacity, Liz has helped scale AFJ’s presence across all five boroughs of New York City while keeping its identity deeply local. Helping shape policy conversations, mentoring staff, or building cross-sector coalitions, Liz brings authenticity, courage, and a deep belief in the power of community to drive meaningful change.
Beyond her work at AFJ, Liz is a respected voice in the broader nonprofit and philanthropic landscape, recently joining the Board of IMPACT 100 NYC, a women-led collective supporting nonprofits through transformational grantmaking. She is also a Nation Swell Council Member – a community for leading senior thought leaders, change makers, and social impact amplifiers committed to scaling change through cross-sector collaboration, inspiration, and connection. In addition to being acknowledged as a 2024-2025 Robin Hood Foundation New ED/CEO Peer Leadership Group, Liz is also an alumna of Columbia Business School’s Social Enterprise Program for Nonprofit Professionals, and a Cause Effective Fellow for advancing Leaders of Color in Fundraising. In Spring 2025, Liz was selected for the Greater NY Partnership—a two-year leadership initiative —where she is part of the class of 2027. In celebration of Black History Month and in recognition of her leadership in the communities we represent, Liz was honored in February 2026 by Congressman Daniel Goldman (10) with a Congressional Proclamation.
A frequent guest on justice reform and nonprofit leadership podcasts like You’re In Black Women’s Business, Unshackled Leadership: A Lantern for Black Women, Pursuing Justice, Breaking the Bias and more, Liz Frederick has been a powerful voice for young people navigating the justice system and a relentless advocate for policy and change that shifts the narrative from incarceration to empowerment.
For Liz, justice work is personal, it’s generational, and is rooted in the belief that everyone deserves the chance not only to live, but to thrive.
• • GREATER NY LEADERSHIP INITIATIVE - 2025-2027
• • ROBIN HOOD FOUNDATION - 2024-2025 Cohort Member New, ED/CEO Peer Learning Group
• • CAUSE EFFECTIVE - 2024 Cohort Member Focus on Fundraising: A Blueprint for Executive Leaders of Color to Achieve Mission Impact
• • IMPACT 100 NYC - 2025 Board Member
• • NATIONAL SWELL - 2025 Council Member
• • CAUSE EFFECTIVE - 2022 Fellow, Advancing Leaders of Color in Fundraising and WNET Community Convenings
• • COLUMBIA BUSINESS SCHOOL - 2021 Social Enterprise Program: Developing Leaders program for Nonprofit Professionals
• • PACE UNIVERSITY - 2020 Board Member, Lubin School of Business Design Thinking Certificate Program Advisory Board
• • CENTER FOR AN URBAN FUTURE (CUF) / WPTI
• John Jay College (CUNY) - MA, Criminal Justice
• Ithaca College - BS, Organizational Communication, Learning and Design
• • April 2026- Marquis “Who’s Who” Feature
• • March 2026- Influential Women’s “Influential Women of the Month Feature”
• • March 2026 - City & State’s “Above & Beyond: Women” Award
• • February 2026 - Congressional Proclamation - Congressman Dan Goldman (NY-10)
• NationSwell
• Impact 100 NYC Board Member
• Youth INC. Organizational Member
• Greenwich Village Chelsea Chamber of Commerce Board Member
• Volunteering and Philanthropic Initiatives through board membership of IMPACT 100 NYC
What do you attribute your success to?
I take what I call negative experiences and I turn them into positive. That Wall Street interview where I was judged by how I looked compared to my name became the deciding factor for going into the nonprofit sector, particularly social justice and criminal justice work. I've learned that where a young person starts off in life does not and should not be the determining factor of where they end up. I've worked in every facet of this organization and earned my position - when people told me I had big shoes to fill after Angel, I looked down at my own shoes and said I like my shoes, and these are the only shoes that I have to fill because I've earned them. I believe in empowering my team and doing extensive professional development, living by the principle that bosses have titles and leaders have people. Even though leadership is lonely for any person, and even more isolating for a Black woman working in criminal justice which is very white male dominated, I'm always reminded that I do this work for our participants, for the young people who deserve not to be judged by the shoes they leave jails and detention centers with.
What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best career advice I've ever received is that bosses have titles and leaders have people. As a leader you want to be authentic in how you show up and accountable to who you show up for.
I believe in mentoring your team so that they are able to leave and advance further professionally, but you want to treat them even better so that they stay. It's all about empowering my team and focusing on professional development so they can grow and succeed.
What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
In my monthly “Tea With the ED” blogs — which focus on balancing motherhood, justice reform, community, and executive leadership — I end with a “Sweetener in my Tea” section. It is an exercise for me, in the words of the Notorious B.I.G. (aka Biggie), to share a “negative to positive” recent experience.
20 years ago, as I walked out of the Manhattan Criminal Courthouse as a graduate student at John Jay College (CUNY), curious about the gap between theory and lived experience, I found purpose. After meeting Avenues for Justice, Inc. Co-Founder, Angel Rodriguez, I found a mission. I did not arrive at Avenues for Justice to take over. I arrived to learn.
My advice to young women entering this field is to find your passion and pursue it relentlessly. Do not allow anyone to define your limits or tell you that you are not capable of achieving your goals. Believe in your talents, work hard to develop your skills, and use any doubt or negativity as motivation to succeed. Stay confident in your abilities, remain resilient in the face of challenges, and prove through your dedication, excellence, and impact that you belong at every table you choose to sit at. "If they don't give you a seat at the table, bring a folding chair." ~ Shirley Chisholm
As a mother to my 14-year-old daughter, Bella, I’m mindful that how I lead shows her what’s possible for her. I want her to see that there’s space for women like us to lead boldly, to be heard, and to be supported. My identity doesn’t just shape my leadership; it fuels my commitment to building pathways for those too often left behind.
What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
Funding is absolutely the biggest challenge right now. Last year, we lost $600,000 in funds, which was a combination of the political climate and the funding landscape - private and public sector scaling back on DEI initiatives, racial justice initiatives, and typically anything that has to do with Black and Brown people. Right now, 98% of my time is consumed with funding. The need for our services has increased - we served 691 participants last year - but the resources are being cut. However, we do have allies who are fighting with us. Congressman Dan Goldman and I have been fighting for federal funding through the Department of Justice for 3 years, and last week he announced that we received a $250,000 federal grant after it had been voted down multiple times. The opportunity is in showing people that organizations like Avenues for Justice are offering real public safety solutions - our recidivism rate is 94% of our young people are not re-convicted within 3 years of enrollment, and it only costs $8,900 to put a young person through our program for one year versus over half a million dollars to incarcerate that same young person.
Being a Black woman at the helm of a criminal justice nonprofit is no small weight to carry. It is isolating at times. It requires resolve. I’m aware of the unspoken expectations placed on Black women leaders to carry everything with strength and grace.
What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
The values that are most important in both my professional and personal life are service to others, passion, integrity, and honesty. I am driven by a commitment to positively impact the lives of those I serve, approaching my work with compassion and purpose. My passion fuels my dedication to advancing meaningful change, while integrity and honesty guide my decision-making, leadership, and relationships. I strive to lead with transparency, accountability, and a deep sense of responsibility to my community and the people I support. I do not need to fill someone else’s shoes. I wear my own. I like my shoes. I have earned them.