Youth well-being and health equity expert leading national research, and translating it into policy and strategic recommendations.
AS SEEN IN:
Dr. Ashley M. Stewart is a developmental scientist, policy strategist, and advisor who helps institutions design systems, products, and policies that serve young people's well-being through the lens of health equity. With over a decade of research on youth development, mental health, and digital environments, she translates rigorous evidence into strategies organizations can execute, working across nonprofit, government, philanthropy, tech, and corporate sectors.
Her work is rooted in the understanding that health and wellbeing are shaped by social and structural forces, and that closing equity gaps requires research, policy, and practice that work together. She brings this orientation to every engagement, whether leading health equity research at the federal policy level, contributing to CDC-funded community-based research, or advising institutions and corporations on how to design for the young people they claim to serve.
“My mission is to advance equity and well-being for young people and vulnerable communities, addressing the structural determinants of health embedded in technology, learning environments, and policy through research that helps institutions design systems built for those they are meant to serve.”
PHILOSOPHY + VALUES
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My work examines the conditions that allow young people and vulnerable communities to truly thrive, with close attention to how policy, technology, and learning environments shape their health. I start from what people need to flourish, then ask why our institutions so often fall short of providing it.
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Young people are the experts on their own lives, yet they're too often spoken about rather than spoken with. For more than a decade, I've studied what young people need to thrive and held institutions accountable to that standard. Their realities anchor my research, my policy recommendations, and the conversations I bring into the public sphere.
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I work to translate research on structural inequity into recommendations that move decision-makers, from congressional stakeholders to national audiences, and into public discourse that reframes who gets to thrive and why. Equity is the outcome my work is built to advance.
PAST CLIENTS INCLUDE →
Dr. Stewart has consulted and partnered with national nonprofit and mission-driven organizations, government agencies and public sector bodies, philanthropy and foundations, as well as tech platforms and EdTech companies.
LET’S WORK TOGETHER.
Research, Evaluation & Needs Assessment
Whether leading the research or advising your team, I help organizations understand where they stand today and translate complex findings into clear, actionable strategy for the future.
Policy Strategy & Analysis
I bridge research and policy for congressional offices, nonprofit leaders, and corporate decision-makers, turning evidence into recommendations your team can act on with confidence.
Advisory & Strategy
I bring research, community perspective, and candor to leadership teams ready to close the gap between their stated values and how they actually operate.
Program & Curriculum Design
I design equity-centered programs and curricula grounded in developmental science, structured around the empirical needs of young people’s growth and development.
Workshops, Speaking & Training
Through keynotes, workshops, and leadership briefings, I help cross-sector teams build the knowledge and frameworks to design and advocate for systems that truly serve young people.