Michael Brown, Principal

One of the nation’s leading social entrepreneurs, Michael brings 30 years of experience in nonprofit leadership, social entrepreneurship, and policy development to his leadership of Public Purpose Strategies. In 1988, Michael co-founded City Year, a leading national service organization that served as an inspiration for AmeriCorps, the federal initiative through which more than one million Americans have served their country. Michael dedicated three decades to building City Year into one of the most successful nonprofits in the country, with programs in 29 U.S. cities, affiliates in South Africa and the United Kingdom and a budget of more than $175 million, including support from more than 40% of The Fortune 100 companies.

Named one of America’s Best Leaders by U.S News & World Report and Executive of the Year by The Nonprofit Times, Michael is a recipient of the Reebok Human Rights Award and Independent Sector’s John W. Gardner Leadership Award, presented annually “to an individual whose leadership has been transformative and who has mobilized and unified people, institutions or causes that improve the quality of life on our planet.”  Michael is a recent past president of the Harvard Board of Overseers and co-chaired Harvard’s National Advisory Board on Public Service. In 2020, the Center for Public Leadership at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government named Michael to its Hauser Leaders Program. Prior to co-founding City Year, Michael served as legislative assistant to then Congressman Leon Panetta and law clerk for federal Judge Stephen Breyer. Michael is a graduate of Harvard College and Harvard Law School, where he was a member of the Harvard Law Review.  

Carolyn Sonnier is Senior Associate at Public Purpose Strategies, a strategic advisory firm dedicated to helping social entrepreneurs, nonprofits, philanthropies, corporations and universities design, execute and maximize their social sector initiatives. In this role, Carolyn brings her 15 years of experience in nonprofit management, program design and evaluation, board operations, people management, and fundraising to client services. In addition, Carolyn serves as the firm’s administrative officer. Carolyn began her career with two terms as a City Year AmeriCorps member serving in Baton Rouge, LA, the beginning of 11 years at City Year in roles that included Senior Program Manager, Special Projects Director to the CEO and Co-Founder, and Chief of Staff for the AmeriCorps Member Experience department. Carolyn holds a B.A. in Philosophy from Boston College and lives in Milwaukee, WI.