History
Headquartered in Northern Virginia just outside of the nation's capital, Bridge Strategies LLC represents clients on and between coasts. Our firm specializes in public policy, strategic partnerships, and risk management. Whether you’re a foundation, nonprofit, or corporation, we can work with you to build sustainable partnerships across the country and achieve your policy goals. We bring extensive experience and professionalism to every client and customize our support to your individual needs and concerns.
Bridge Strategies LLC opened its doors in 2017. Since inception, the firm has facilitated over one million in strategic grant making through several foundations, represented nonprofit organizations at philanthropic convenings, as well as built leadership retreats, convenings, Hill briefings, and speaking engagements across the globe.
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Leadership
President
Brenda Abdelall
Brenda F. Abdelall is the Founder and President of Bridge Strategies LLC, a public policy and philanthropic consulting firm. The firm builds upon her deep experience in legislative and executive branch advocacy, as well as her experiences with the nonprofit sector. She currently represents a wide array of nonprofit and corporate clients.
She recently was the Assistant Secretary for Partnerships and Engagement at the Department of Homeland Security. She led a team of over 40 individuals and a $13M budget as a political appointee of the Biden Administration, managing relationships across every sector on a wide range of issues: national security, immigration, disaster response, civil rights, as well as combatting all forms of hate-fueled violence. She previously served as the charities director at a national legal advocacy organization. Prior to that role, she was the Senior Director at a healthcare legislative and executive branch advocacy firm in Washington D.C., Kimbell and Associates. Brenda also spent three years teaching U.S. constitutional law at New York University in Abu Dhabi. She also served as a compliance officer, where she developed the first social responsibility program in the UAE for New York University Abu Dhabi on migrant labor rights.
Brenda started her career practicing law at the renowned international law firm Sidley LLP, where she was a member of the healthcare regulatory and public policy group. She gained extensive experience in compliance programs, as well as in legislative and executive branch advocacy during the passage of the Affordable Care Act. She also maintained a robust pro bono practice while at Sidley LLP, representing clients such as the Tahirih Justice Center, the National Law Center for Homelessness and Poverty, and the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers.
She graduated with distinction from the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor in December 2002. She earned her law degree from the University of Michigan Law School in December 2005, where she was an editor of the Michigan Journal of Law Reform and a founding board member of the Middle Eastern and North African Law Student Association (MENALSA). After graduating law school, Brenda was a D.C. Bar Pro Bono Graduate Fellow with the American Civil Liberties Union’s Legislative Office.
Education
UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN LAW SCHOOL Juris Doctor, 2005
UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN
B.A., Political Science and Arabic/Islamic Studies, 2002
Activities & Affiliations
U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, Virginia Advisory Committee Member (2020)
National Association of Muslim Lawyers, At-Large Board Member (2018-2020)
Center for Arab American Philanthropy, Advisory Board (2020-current)
Bar Admissions
District of Columbia (active)
Michigan. (inactive)