About Barbara

Barbara Raymond is a sought-after strategist, communications and social change specialist in narrative shift and community relations. She shares the philosophy that thoughtful, committed citizens are the foundation of the public good.

Raymond collaborated with the Obama White House, U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder, California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Office, and California Attorney General Kamala Harris on public school discipline reform. This work led to a 25% increase in test scores and a 13% decrease in suspensions—keeping millions of students in school through graduation.

Barbara partnered with entertainers such as John Legend and Common to develop a major criminal justice campaign that reshaped public narrative and policy around prison and sentencing reform nationwide. As a result, thousands of incarcerated individuals were released, reunited with their families, reintegrated into society, and returned to school and work. She also collaborated with RZA to advance trauma resilience education.

Raymond and her team led national public messaging initiatives and organized roundtables to influence funding and policy shifts in police reform. She has helped develop community-centered solutions with the LAPD, Seattle PD, Long Beach PD, and the U.S. Department of Justice.. Her work with high-profile police chiefs across the country has supported constructive dialogue between law enforcement and historically underserved communities.

She studied psychology at the University of Pennsylvania, organizational development at UCLA, and futurism and strategic foresight at Stanford. She also holds a master’s degree in education and public administration.

Raymond consults for organizations, causes and campaigns dedicated to bridging differences, 

A driving undercurrent—from her master’s studies to her research with elite military units at RAND to her work in grassroots community building—has been a deep focus on how people grow stronger. She now brings a future-forward lens to civic resilience, collective hardiness, and the overlooked power of Group Grit, which sits at the center of her current work.