OUR TEAM
Lauren Breit
Racial Equity Program Coordinator
Lauren was a Pro Bono volunteer, project manager and subject matter expert before joining the PBN staff. She served as a holistic criminal defense attorney at Lawndale Christian Legal Center. While at Kirkland & Ellis, she was active in the launch of their women’s leadership initiative and their diversity, equity & inclusion committee. Lauren volunteers in the North Lawndale Restorative Justice Community Court and in the Wisconsin Department of Corrections. She is passionate about violence prevention, restorative justice and trauma healing. Lauren has a B.A. from Cornell University and a J.D. from Northwestern University.
Molly MacCready
Executive Director
Molly believes strongly that equitable access to resources has the potential for transformational change– for both individuals and their communities. Molly’s passion for social justice and resource equity led her to start a nonprofit organization (CROSO) in 2007 that provides street children in Uganda access to higher education. She volunteered on CROSO’s board of directors for eight years, while also completing her Master’s in Public Health, and working as a health educator and fundraiser. She then worked as the Executive Director of CROSO for eight years. Molly has deep respect for fellow nonprofit founders (especially the incredible women responsible for starting Pro Bono Network) and is grateful for the opportunity to use her 15+ years of nonprofit leadership experience to increase access to justice in her own community. Molly has a B.A. from the University of Dayton and a M.P.H. from University of Illinois - Chicago.
NaBeela Washington
Volunteer Manager
NaBeela holds a Bachelor's degree in Visual Advertising from The University of Alabama at Birmingham and a Master's in English & Creative Writing from Southern New Hampshire University. When she's not immersed in community initiatives, you can find her managing Lucky Jefferson (a 501(c)(3) social change publisher), tending to her garden, cooking Southern staples, composing poetry, or traveling. She looks forward to delving deeper into the field of law through Paralegal Studies.
Sheila Winkelman Pont
Director of Programming / Co-Founder
With leadership roles in the organization from its beginnings, Sheila has been crucial to PBN’s growth from its initial 10 volunteers to the hundreds engaged today, earning numerous awards for achievements in this work. Prior to her time at PBN, Sheila was the director of victim advocacy for Mothers Against Drunk Driving-Illinois. She has served on the board of directors for Housing Forward and numerous other local nonprofits. She has a B.A. from the University of Michigan and a J.D./M.S.W. from Washington University in St. Louis.