Venessa Mendenhall, MA
Consultant

Venessa Mendenhall's career as a researcher, journalist, and direct services provider has been dedicated to the needs of at-risk youth and marginalized populations. She has provided crisis intervention services to survivors of domestic and sexual violence, including abused and neglected youth, the homeless, and people with mental and physical disabilities. Venessa has expertise in generational concerns and multi-media outreach strategies, networking, collaborationbuilding, and volunteer engagement and training.

As a consultant at Dare Mighty Things, Venessa is responsible for the execution and delivery of training and technical assistance for numerous faith-based and community organizations across the country. She also plays an instrumental role in the Web site development and e-communication strategies for several contracts.

As the co-founder of a crisis intervention program in Portland, Oregon, Venessa gained experience in developing training curricula, generating and retaining a volunteer base, and professional networking with both state and federal agencies. As a researcher and journalist for a multi-platform television documentary on Generation Y with PBS, NPR, Yahoo!, and USA Today, she established expertise in the unique needs of our nation's up-and-coming generation, as well as a keen sense of the outreach strategies that engage them.

Venessa earned an MA from the University of Chicago and a BA from Pitzer College, studying faith-based social change movements. She has also studied at Oxford University and has traveled extensively throughout Europe and the United States.  Although she loves living in D.C., she takes every opportunity to return to the Rocky Mountains and the California coast, where she skis, hikes, and visits friends and family.