The Aspire Group
Innovative solutions to business issues
Jennifer Ralls, Associate
Dr. Jennifer Janofsky Ralls started her social impact consulting firm, Gray Space, Inc., in 2017, driven by the belief that addressing complex and intersectional social challenges happens in the gray and rich spaces that exist between polarized rhetoric. For 15 years prior to launching Gray Space, Jennifer was developing, managing and evaluating high impact programs for children, families and communities, partnering with elected officials, nonprofits, philanthropists, corporations, school districts, and community residents to align vision and efforts to maximize resources and give voice to people whose voices are traditionally silenced. She has navigated different systems in ways that make her a bridge between established systems that shape public life, and the movements to examine and ensure those systems are more equitable in access and opportunity.
Jennifer has deep and extensive experience working with issues of civil rights, social justice, equity, education, and organizational change. She is committed to optimizing resources and building the capacities of individuals and institutions to address disparities in access to resources and opportunities. She is a trained educator, researcher, evaluator, and facilitator, motivated by fostering connections and inviting diverse perspective into spaces where ideas are shared, and learning occurs.
She combines her academic background – having earned a Ph.D. from UCLA’s School of Urban Education– with her professional experiences to serve as a consultant, advisor, and thought partner to clients who are working to translate good ideas into impactful realities.