Neli Sepulveda is a passionate advocate for enhancing public systems that make a positive difference in the lives of children and families. As a lifelong resident of Philadelphia, often marginalized by gender, race, education, and economics, she is keenly aware of the challenges faced by disadvantaged neighborhoods plagued by violence. Her personal experiences have fueled her 30-year commitment to transformative public policy initiatives, leading to improved public workforce delivery systems and increased funding for K-12 education and early childhood development.

At CeaseFirePA, Neli spearheads strategic initiatives, oversees senior program staff, develops systems to ensure organizational effectiveness, and provides guidance on key projects aimed to accelerate our work to end gun violence.  Prior to her role at CeaseFirePA, she worked with Children First to establish a statewide coalition focused on reforming underfunding and state policies for a high-quality career-related learning education system. She also served at Impact Services, where she launched Pennsylvania’s first EARN center to assist TANF recipients with job-search support, and at Esperanza, where she managed the workforce development division.

Neli resides in Northeast Philadelphia, where she cherishes time spent with her children and grandchildren, enjoys reading and cooking, and loves exploring new restaurants with friends.