Meet Our Team!
We make decisions based on consent and collective leadership.
Avi Rudnick
Director of Legal Services
(He/They)
avi@tjlp.org
Carolyn Wahlskog
Director of Programs (She/They)
carolyn@tjlp.org
Director of Admin & Court Support (She/Her)
alexis@tjlp.org
Chef Fresh Roberson
Director of Finance and Development (They/She)
financesteward@tjlp.org
We love our Board of Stewards!
Ash Stephens
Ash (they/them, he/him) is a Bridge to Faculty (B2F) Postdoctoral Research Scholar at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) in the Department of Criminology, Law and Justice (CLJ). They are deeply connected to TJLP's core values of prison abolition, self-determination, and transformative justice, and have been a member of several other organizations who share the same values: including Love and Protect, the Chicago Community Bond Fund, the NYC chapter of Survived and Punished, and most recently as an instructor of students who are currently incarcerated through the Prison Neighborhood Arts Project (PNAP). Prior to his B2F position, he wasManager of Policy and Strategy for the Transgender Law Center and also Director of Bail Operations for the Brooklyn Community Bail Fund. He's a Southern Trans boi from Georgia, and considers Chicago also home. They enjoy books/comics, sports, and blueberry waffles.
Chef Fresh Roberson
Chef Fresh (they/them, she/her) was born and raised in eastern North Carolina, Fresh is a transplant to the midwest now calling Chicago home. An engineering and physics nerd turned farming chef, she has professionally studied cooking in Thailand and the US. They strive to make nutritious food accessible to all and gets really excited about building operational structures and systems that add capacity and sustainability to projects and organizations. Chef Fresh is the Co-director of Chicago Bread Club and the founder of Fresher Together LLC. Fresher Together is a collaborative food project for healing, economic development, training and retreat.
Ehsan Rahravan
Ehsan (they/them) has been an active volunteer with TJLP's name change mobilization efforts since 2018. Their work is motivated by social justice, collaboration, and adaptive leadership. Currently, Ehsan works as Deputy Director at Northwest Side Housing Center in Chicago's Belmont-Cragin neighborhood. Since 2013, Ehsan's work in the nonprofit sector has focused on direct service and program management in areas of workforce development and financial coaching.
Ehsan is originally from South Florida and has been in Chicago since 2011. Aside from TJLP, Ehsan also volunteers with other Chicago-based orgs, Libration Library, and Chicago Childcare Collective. They have two cats and a dog at home.
Channyn Parker
Channyn (she, her, hers) is a Human Rights advocate, public speaker, community-centric leader and is the CEO of Brave Space Alliance. In conjunction to her role at Brave Space Alliance, Channyn is a member of the Executive Leadership Team and serves on the board, at Equality Illinois. Prior to her current role, Channyn was the Director of Strategic Partnerships at Howard Brown Health, manager of The Broadway Youth Center’s, Youth Development Program, and manager at Chicago House and Social Service Agency’s, TransLife Project (2017). Channyn is quoted as saying, “Equality is the firmest pillar upon which human value stands. If I am named amongst those who are ambitious, and maybe even crazy enough to believe that we, somehow through our actions can leave this world a place. If I have played some small part in reducing the burden of injustice, then I have lived a life well served.”
Avi Rudnick
Avi (they/them, he/him) has been an attorney with the Transformative Justice Law Project of Illinois (TJLP) since 2010 and has been in a coordinator role with the monthly Name Change Mobilization at TJLP since 2012. Avi was Director of Scattered-Site Housing at Chicago House and Social Service Agency for 6 years and worked as a manager and case manager at Chicago House prior to his Director role. Avi also provides training, consultation, and education on topics impacting marginalized communities. Avi is also an LCSW and has a small private therapy practice. Prior to working at Chicago House and his involvement with TJLP, Avi worked as a public defender in Portland, Oregon. Avi is a non-binary, trans, and queer harm reductionist who believes strongly in the values of prison abolition, self-determination, and transformative justice.