Brishonne Tollie

Operations Associate

Brishonne (“Bri”) Tollie is the Operations Associate at Democracy Forward.

She brings extensive experience in nonprofit operations, logistics, and advocacy rooted in a commitment to racial justice and community-led solutions. Prior to joining Democracy Forward, Bri served as a Program Associate at Brady United, where she provided programmatic and logistical support for gun violence prevention initiatives, including event logistics for regional summits, and worked across teams to ensure the smooth execution of key projects. Bri also served as the Operations Coordinator at Black Swan Academy, a D.C.-based nonprofit focused on cultivating Black youth leadership, where she oversaw internal operations and supported youth-led civic engagement programs.

Earlier in her career, Bri worked with the Friends Committee on National Legislation as a Program Assistant for Justice Reform, where she helped lead federal advocacy efforts to protect and increase federal funding for community violence intervention and prevention programs. In addition to her professional work, Bri is also engaged in grassroots organizing with the Dream Defenders supporting community safety initiatives within the DMV area.

Bri holds an Masters of Public Administration degree from Delaware State University and a Bachelors of Arts degree in Human Rights and Political Science from Southern Methodist University (SMU). Originally from Bartow, Florida, she is now based in Washington, D.C.