Brenda Falk, M.H.R.

Brenda Falk served as a research manager at the Johnson Center from 2025–2026. Her background includes university, foundation, and nonprofit work, and she strives to serve the field through research, writing, and thought leadership.

Prior to this role, Brenda worked as an independent consultant partnering with Davidoff Mission-Driven Business Strategies and ThinkPlace to provide expertise in strategic planning, community engagement, qualitative research design, and data collection and analysis. She held a policy associate position at Steans Family Foundation, managing a portion of their policy advocacy grantmaking portfolio and providing research support for their economic opportunity and housing work. During graduate school, Brenda was a social impact intern at Lever for Change and, through her studies, conducted research on protection networks for human rights defenders, school shootings, and immigration policy. She also held multiple positions at Humboldt Area Foundation, including board and executive liaison, community organizer, and special projects manager.

Brenda holds a Bachelor of Arts, double majoring in interdisciplinary studies: Latin American studies and Spanish from Cal Poly Humboldt, and a Master of Human Rights from the Humphrey School of Public Affairs at the University of Minnesota.