There’s a better way to create meaningful social change.
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Services
Built for Change:
Policy Design for Impact
Crafted by Leaders, Guided by Values, Built for Community Change
Our team brings firsthand governance experience to help you
build what your community believes in.
Impact Launch partners with cities, counties, organizations and community coalitions to design and implement policies that align community values with equitable and sustainable outcomes. This includes outcomes such as development and passing of dedicated children’s fund ballot measures, passing of a sugar sweetened beverage tax, tobacco product waste ordinance, and others. Led by civic leaders and strategists Shebreh Kalantari-Johnson and Martine Watkins (see bios below), our Values to Action Policy Design framework integrates public engagement, data, and fiscal strategy to institutionalize health, equity, and sustainability across local governance.
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This approach is grounded in Health in All Policies (HiAP) principles and best practices in participatory governance—ensuring policies not only solve immediate problems but create long-term, community-driven systems change.
Why Value-Based Policy Design
Our consultants bring a public policy lens rooted in long-term systems change, helping jurisdictions align values with operational decision-making, municipal structures, and sustainable local revenues. Our model shifts policymaking from transactional to transformational- grounding public decisions in shared values that advance collective well-being. We support leaders and teams who serve their communities by offering frameworks that translate public priorities into actionable policy, budgeting, and governance tools.
Each engagement emphasizes:
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Health: Policies that promote physical, mental, and social well-being.
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Equity: Centering those most impacted by structural inequities.
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Sustainability: Ensuring ecological and fiscal responsibility for future generations.
Who would benefit from our services?
A variety of entities who are interested in shaping policy seeking to advance equity, prevention, and community well-being through policy and systems change.
Including but not limited to:
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Local government entities (i.e. Cities, Counties, School Districts)
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Non profit organizations
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Coalitions
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Campaign committees
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Philanthropic partners
Our Policy
Team Leads
Shebreh Kalantari-Johnson, MSW
Co-Founder, Impact Launch
Vice Mayor, City of Santa Cruz
shebreh@impactlaunch.org
Martine Watkins, MPP
Practitioner, Impact Launch
Former Mayor, City of Santa Cruz
martinewatkins831@gmail.com
Examples of Ways We Work with Clients
Policy Platform Design
(6-12 months)
Co-creation of values-based advisory or funding structures.
Community Coalition Development
(6+ months)
Build and sustain multi-sector collaborations aligned with
policy goals.
Leadership & Facilitation Training
(Custom)
Tailored capacity-building intensives for government and nonprofit teams.
What our partners are saying...
“I was most impressed by Shebreh and Martine’s leadership in the 2024 Santa Cruz soda tax campaign. They championed a visionary public policy effort and became the first city in America to defeat Big Soda at the ballot box (without the support of Michael Bloomberg) despite being massively outspent 37 to 1. Their dedication, tenacity and courage to fight for what they believe in is unparalleled."
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-Dr. John Maa, UCSF Surgeon
I worked closely with Martine and Shebreh as they led the successful effort to develop, pass, and implement the Santa Cruz sugar-sweetened beverage tax. I was impressed by their ability to engage community partners, build new leaders, thoughtfully design the policy, and ensure implementation stayed true to its health-equity commitments. Having led many major public health initiatives myself, I know what excellence looks like—and Shebreh and Martine have it."
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-Jim Krieger, Founding Executive Director, Healthy Food America
Over the past decade, I’ve worked with Martine Watkins and Shebreh Kalantari-Johnson on transformative policy initiatives, including the Santa Cruz Children’s Fund and the city’s sugar-sweetened beverage tax. What sets them apart is their ability to translate community values into actionable policy and sustainable revenue for children and families. Their leadership has strengthened our community’s long-term capacity to invest in child and youth well-being.
- David Brody, Chief Executive Officer, First 5 Santa Cruz County
Shebreh and Martine brought a deep understanding of how to build trust across diverse communities. What stood out to me was their commitment to listening, with humility and intention, to voices often left out of policy conversations. They didn’t just lead a campaign; they elevated community leaders and created a movement rooted in health equity. Their approach reflected the values of our clinic: culturally responsive, people-centered, and focused on long-term impact.
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-Laura Marcus, Chief Executive Officer, Dientes Community Dental Care
