Shimica Gaskins

Shimica Gaskins is the President and CEO of End Child Poverty in California/GRACE. She is a 2024 Aspen Institute Ascend Fellow who has worked in law and public policy specializing in legislative, regulatory, and policy issues associated with criminal justice reform and children’s rights. 

She previously served as executive director of Children’s Defense Fund-California, where she led statewide advocacy, policy, program, and organizing efforts to ensure access to quality affordable health coverage and care for children and low-income families, reform the juvenile justice system, promote educational equity, end child poverty, and improve outcomes for children of color.