Meet the Team
Somjen Frazer
they/them
Founder and Principal ConsultantSomjen Frazer has over twenty years of experience conducting research, evaluation and strategy. They lead the quantitative and methodological work at Strength in Numbers as well as serving as the chief executive. Their passion for participatory research is substantively influenced by marginalized communities and in service of social justice led them to start Strength in Numbers and continues to sustain their work to this day. They received a Ph.D. from Columbia’s Mailman School of Public Health in Sociomedical Sciences (with Sociology), an MLitt from Oxford University’s Nuffield College in Sociology, where they were a Rhodes Scholar, and a Bachelor of Arts from Cornell University. Somjen also serves on the board of directors for the Center for Evaluation Innovation.
Shannon Stagman
she/her
Vice PresidentShannon Stagman has more than fifteen years of experience in program and strategy evaluation across the nonprofit and philanthropic sectors. As a Vice President at Strength in Numbers, she leads program evaluations, designs inclusive research processes, and works with clients to make meaning of data to inform decision-making. Her passion for evaluation is rooted in a desire to support social justice movements to use their resources effectively in their efforts to uplift marginalized communities.
Before joining Strength in Numbers, Shannon spent five years at Arabella Advisors, where she supported philanthropic funders across various social justice causes to understand their learning goals, center equity in learning approaches, and help them use data to guide strategy and investment decisions. Prior to her work at Arabella, Shannon held positions at ExpandED Schools and the National Center for Children in Poverty at Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health, where her work focused on overseeing external evaluation work for publicly funded community programs, managing data-related technical assistance for community-based organizations, and conducting policy research.
Shannon graduated from the University of Michigan with a BA in political science and psychology and an MA in political science from Stony Brook University. She has also been a long-time activist and community organizer, co-leading Empire State Indivisible, a volunteer civic engagement organization, and working in coalition across diverse communities to achieve fair and equitable policy outcomes in NYC.
Ravali Mukthineni
she/her
Associate DirectorRavali Mukthineni has five years of experience working in community-based academic research. As an Associate Director at Strength in Numbers, she primarily supports quantitative research projects, specifically focusing on quantitative data cleaning, analysis, checking, and visualization. Ravali strives to understand how research and evaluation tools can be leveraged to amplify marginalized communities’ voices and promote social justice.
Before joining Strength in Numbers, Ravali worked at Massachusetts General Hospital for three years. She coordinated a participatory social justice mixed methods research project using Photovoice to explore youths’ perceived neighborhood assets and challenges impacting their mental health and well-being. During her time there, Ravali also contributed to developing and evaluating a pilot youth engagement and leadership program that aimed to increase civic activation. Ravali has a Master of Public Health from the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health and a Bachelor of Arts in Community Health from Tufts University. She is also a Certified Health Education Specialist. Ravali’s areas of interest include youth mental health, participatory approaches in research and health equity.
Gabriela Da Silva
she/her
Research AssociateGabriela Da Silva is a Research Associate at Strength in Numbers, where she cleans and analyzes quantitative data to deliver high-quality, accurate insights. Her work is driven by a passion for advancing equitable access to education and improving health outcomes for marginalized communities.
Previously, Gabriela monitored HIV incidence in the LGBTQ+ community, enhanced chronic disease management in rural Peru, and identified barriers to sexual and reproductive health for Venezuelan migrants. She also worked as a Special Education Teacher, supporting English language learners and students with learning disabilities.
Gabriela holds an MPH in Sociomedical Sciences from Columbia University, an MA in Education from Loyola Marymount University, and a BA from the University of California, Berkeley. Her commitment to social justice shapes her approach to creating meaningful, inclusive change.