Raydia Martin (she/her) is a Senior Policy Advisor collaborating with Masa Group and the founder of Advocate Impact. She is an experienced public policy professional with expertise in public policy research, legislative analysis, legislative advocacy communications, and bill proposal writing in the fields of child welfare, human trafficking, and women’s rights. Raydia has a Juris Doctorate and a Masters of Social Work from Loyola University Chicago School of Law and School of Social Work, as well as a Bachelor’s degree in English from Emory University.

Before transitioning to public policy, Raydia was a family law and child welfare litigator, achieving permanency and access to clinical services for children in the Illinois child welfare system. She began her public policy career as a legislative research consultant for two national anti-child trafficking organizations, where her research was the basis of successful initiatives to strengthen human trafficking laws, promote criminal justice reform, and protect vulnerable children.

She eventually transitioned to her role as Lead Public Policy Research Advisor at the Drake Institute of Research and Public Policy, where she wrote policy briefs and lobbying communications educating legislators on women’s issues and managed a team of researchers that conducted impact research. Before launching into consulting, she was a legislative attorney for the Illinois Legislative Reference Bureau of the Illinois General Assembly, where she provided legal advice to state legislators and drafted bills for introduction to the Illinois legislature.

In her free time, she enjoys journaling, DIY projects, and road-tripping with her husband and four children. Raydia’s issue areas are child welfare and women’s rights.