Internship Description
Halle Martin ’25 and Leah Toler ’25 interned with Justice Through Code (JTC), an organization that provides AI education and career support to formerly incarcerated individuals, and is jointly offered by the Center for Justice and the Tamer Institute for Social Enterprise and Climate Change. Martin focused on strategic communications and led the development of the organization’s communications strategy as it transitioned to a new name, focusing on brand positioning, messaging, and scalable content systems. Her work included conducting a full communications audit, defining audience strategies, and creating implementation toolkits to support long-term growth and awareness. Toler focused on widening the program applicant pipeline by optimizing the recruitment and application process and helping JTC expand its reach.
At Justice Through Code (JTC) I developed and implemented a strategic communications framework to support the organisation’s next stage of growth. JTC provides AI‑focused education for justice‑impacted individuals and seeks to transform hiring practices in the tech sector. Although its programs were expanding, JTC lacked a cohesive messaging strategy. I built a foundational messaging architecture, authored a clear mission statement, created audience‑specific messaging matrices, and established brand positioning guidelines that can be used across communications and marketing materials. By enabling JTC to tell its story consistently and compellingly to participants, partners, funders, and employers, the framework will help mobilise the broader ecosystem needed for systemic change.
My Columbia MBA coursework in brand strategy and marketing provided essential tools for this project. I used frameworks for value propositions, competitive differentiation, and audience segmentation to shape JTC’s messaging. Strategic marketing principles guided a comprehensive brand audit that uncovered inconsistencies and shifted the focus from program processes to stakeholder benefits. Experience from social‑impact extracurriculars informed how to quantify and communicate social outcomes.
Starting from a blank slate was challenging. There was no prior framework to build upon, so I conducted extensive stakeholder research and competitive analysis before crafting the messaging. Balancing diverse perspectives meant iterating through multiple drafts to ensure resonance across audiences while maintaining strategic focus. Another challenge was reconciling JTC’s dual identity as a Columbia program and an independent initiative preparing for national expansion; the messaging needed to leverage institutional credibility while establishing standalone brand equity.
This engagement deepened my passion for social impact and reinforced the importance of strategic communications in scaling mission‑driven organisations. It gave me confidence in my ability to tackle complex consulting projects independently and demonstrated how business skills can catalyse nonprofit growth. I am grateful for the opportunity and excited to continue leveraging communications to drive systemic change.