J.B. Branch hails from Pennsylvania and takes pride in his Appalachian roots. He is half Black and half Puerto Rican. His hometown as well as his cultural and racial identities help inform his leadership as he pursues policies that can help benefit the most vulnerable in society. J.B. has worked in social justice over the last decade. He began his career as a teacher where he taught middle and high school special education. As a teacher, he saw his students arrested by school resource officers. This inspired him to pursue a law degree to better understand the school-to-prison pipeline. After receiving his law degree, he initially focused on juvenile justice and education issues. This later expanded to include adult criminal justice issues, expungement reform, fines and fees, collateral consequences, policy implementation, education, health care, employment, technology implementation, and using technology to improve efficiency and outcomes. He views the criminal justice system through a holistic lens that is impacted by a variety of socioeconomic factors and in which system contact can have long term consequences in various sectors of a person’s life. He has helped pass legislation in Michigan, Nebraska, Louisiana, Pennsylvania, and Maryland. He has advised governors, Congress, federal and state agencies, and the executive branch. J.B. is pursuing his MC/MPA degree. He is enrolled in the Data and Research Methods track to better quantify the impact of policies and their effect on the American economy. Specifically, he is interested in studying Artificial Intelligence, Security, and Technology Policy as he plans to expand his policy portfolio.
Harvard Kennedy School
Mid-career Master in Public Administration Candidate, 2025