Lindsay Gilchrist

Lindsay has worked for over a decade in the government and non-profit sectors advocating for positive public policy change both here in the United States and around the world. In fact, Lindsay consulted with Step Up to help organize our first DC legislative advocacy trip in 2016.  After graduating from the University of San Diego in 2005, she traveled to Swaziland, Africa to volunteer with an organization working to address the HIV/AIDS epidemic. During her time in Swaziland, she saw firsthand the incredible impact US foreign assistance can have on other countries. Her time in Swaziland shaped her view of US foreign policy and still informs her work today.

Upon returning from Africa, Lindsay sought out a career in public service. As a Special Assistant to Senator Edward M. Kennedy, she provided recommendations on legislative and communications issues. While working for Senator Kennedy, she played a role in several critical pieces of legislation: the Iraqi Refugee Bill, the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act and healthcare reform.

In 2009, Lindsay was hired as a Professional Staff Member for the U.S. House of Representatives’ Subcommittee on Africa and Global Health. In this role, she advised Subcommittee Chairman Donald Payne on global health, security and humanitarian issues in Africa. In addition, she collaborated with the Foreign Affairs Committee staff on the successful passage of the Conflict Minerals Bill. She also organized congressional hearings and served as the staff person on the Congressional Sudan Caucus. In 2010, Lindsay moved back to southern California to pursue a Masters in Public Policy from UCLA. While in school, Lindsay worked for mothers2mothers (m2m), an international non-profit that partners with mothers and pregnant women to prevent mother-to-child transmission of HIV. As the Senior Advocacy Officer, she led m2m’s efforts to improve knowledge about maternal and child health throughout the continent. Lindsay represented mothers2mothers with members of Congress, the Executive branch and other NGOs. She also organized advocacy events, including Congressional briefings and press conferences.

Lindsay founded Gilchrist & Company in 2012 with the vision to work alongside organizations, foundations, and policy-makers to improve public policies in the United States and around the world. The company’s mission is to advance clients’ agendas through advocacy, policy research and analysis, strategic planning, communications support and political strategy. Gilchrist & Company works with domestic organizations like Fair and Just Prosecution to help train and equip newly elected District Attorneys from around the country to improve policies around criminal justice reform.  In collaboration with partners at The Sheridan Group, Gilchrist & Company works with Nuru International on developing a whole-of-government initiative to prevent and combat violent extremism in fragile states. This work has required working with multiple stakeholders on the introduction and passage of the Global Fragility and Violence Reduction Act. In addition to the advocacy work, Gilchrist & Company also assists organizations in conducting landscape analyses and developing recommendations for policy-makers, including the CIRCLE project and the Global Health Bureau at USAID to develop the Bureau’s Global Health Research and Development Strategy (2017-2022). Gilchrist & Company has also worked with international non-profits such as PATH and Management Sciences for Health; domestic organizations such as the Annie E. Casey Foundation and the Center for Policy Research on Aging at UCLA; and political campaigns in education, law enforcement and local government.

Lindsay was born and raised in Denver, Colorado and moved back to Denver in 2016 with her family. She also volunteers as a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) working with youth in foster care. She holds a Bachelor of the Arts in Political Science and Spanish from the University of San Diego and a Masters in Public Policy from UCLA.