Yolanda Perkins is a Co-Executive Director of Free Movement, bringing more than a decade of experience in organizing, data collection, and leadership development. Her work has focused on advancing democracy, justice, and equity through voter engagement, election protection, and amplifying the voices of families impacted by systems of harm. In leadership roles with organizations such as NextGen America, WISDOM Inc., Wisconsin Voices, and Wellstone Action, Yolanda has led statewide training programs, large-scale canvassing efforts, and organizer development initiatives. Guided by the belief that resilience is not just about surviving systems but reshaping them, she centers directly impacted people in building community-led solutions and collective power.

Sarah Ferber is a Co-Executive Director and co-founder of Free Movement, where she provides organizational stewardship and helps lead the organization’s housing campaign. Her lived experience shapes her commitment to justice reform, particularly expanding housing access for people with conviction histories. Sarah began organizing in 2015 with EXPO, where she played a key role in developing the Chippewa Valley Chapter.

She earned a Journalism Certificate in Social Advocacy and Change while organizing with EXPO, alongside academic training in social work at the University of Wisconsin–Eau Claire. Sarah believes there is a place for every person in the movement and that meaningful change requires a wide range of lived experiences. She believes people are valuable exactly as they are, that lived experience makes people the experts on how systems cause harm, and that those most impacted must be centered in shaping what works better. Sarah works remotely from Eau Claire and is also engaged in building a Free Movement chapter in Northwestern Wisconsin.

Juliann Bliefnick grew up on a dairy farm near Waupun, Wisconsin, a community surrounded by multiple state prisons. After experiencing significant trauma and substance use disorder, Juli was incarcerated in the same system she had lived alongside for much of her life. That experience shaped her path toward personal and professional growth and led her to her role as Free Movement’s Northeastern Wisconsin Community Organizer.

While incarcerated, she became pro-literacy certified, tutored women earning their GEDs and HSEDs, supported others using her Spanish language skills, wrote two books, and completed college coursework through correspondence. She later graduated with honors from UW–Oshkosh with a BA in Organizational Administration and a Certificate in Leadership Development. Juli is committed to decarceration, dismantling systems of oppression, and improving the lives of women impacted by trauma, addiction, and incarceration.

Ivory Roberts is the Resource Development Coordinator for Free Movement, where she leads grant writing efforts to secure resources and support the organization’s growth. Born and raised in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Ivory is indirectly impacted by the justice system, with both of her parents and other immediate family members having experienced incarceration.

She brings a background in finance and law to her work, earning a bachelor’s degree in finance from the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee and a Juris Doctor from Syracuse University College of Law. Ivory is driven by a commitment to justice and a desire to challenge systems that disproportionately harm Black communities, using her skills, access, and resources to help create meaningful change.

Molly Clark-Barol has worked with Free Movement since 2017 in various capacities, providing leadership and support on research, evaluation, and strategic planning. She holds a PhD in Sociology from the University of Wisconsin–Madison and brings nearly 15 years of experience in participatory and community-engaged research. Molly believes in the power of the sociological imagination—the ability to connect personal experiences to broader social structures—and sees research as a collaborative tool for shared understanding and meaningful change, always centering the lived experiences of those most impacted.

Ray Mendoza is a Marine Corps veteran who has been involved in community youth work since the mid-1990s. He has served as a peer facilitator trainer and as an elementary and middle school speaker focused on preventing youth gang involvement and violence. After serving 17 years of a 20-year federal sentence, Ray returned home to work as a violence interrupter and mentor within Milwaukee’s street community. He is a nationally trained and certified Credible Messenger through PCITI and is also a trained Circle of Support facilitator and trainer.