Defendant Data Solutions, LLC and President Erica Marshall won the annual Great Dames Remarkable Ideas competition. [Not a valid template]
The announcement was made at an event on Monday night.
Defendant Data Solutions works to reduce disparities in federal sentencing, one case at a time, by providing expert reports containing data and analysis to defense attorneys as an advocacy tool at sentencing.
“In other words,” Great Dames CEO Sharon Kelly Hake, says, “Erica is leveling the playing field. Imagine how impactful her work will be in the criminal justice system. She is fighting for fairness, sometimes against seemingly impossible odds, and we are privileged to support her cause.”
The company ’s expert reports are designed to flag the disparities at play in each case and highlight for the judge the sentence that was received by other defendants around the country with similar criminal histories and criminal cases.
Marshall formed the company after completing a Fellowship at the Office of the Federal Public Defender where she learned for the first time about the disparities in federal criminal case outcomes due to race, gender, location, or other factors.
Marshall joined the ACLU of Delaware in 2018 as the Campaign for Smart Justice Manager. Prior to joining the ACLU, Erica worked as a litigation attorney with a nonprofit in Washington, D.C. advocating for federal criminal justice reform and government accountability.
She has also served on the board of a local diversion program for first-time juvenile offenders. She is a resident of Wilmington. She is married and has a daughter.
As the winner of the Remarkable Ideas Competition Marshall will receive a prize package valued at $25,000 in cash and services.
Last year’s Remarkable Ideas winner Dr. Kimberly Nalda said that winning the competition changed the course of her medical practice which offers an alternative to insurance-driven medicine.
Nalda said she now has nearly full roster of patients and is making plans to have another physician join the practice known as Rekindle. She said she will continue to give back by serving as a mentor and advisor to Great Dames.
Finalists were:
- Catherine Lindroth, co-founder of Social Contract.
- Meghan Wallace, co-founder of Social Contract.
- Angelica Jackson, founder of Journey Beyond.
- Kimberly McGlonn, rounder of Grant Blvd.
- Thianda Manzara, founder of Healthy Foods for Healthy Kids.
- Suzanne Jackson, founder of Foster the Arts.
All finalists will receive coaching sessions and membership in Great Dames.
Also a part of the evening was the Youth Pitch event that featured one-minute “elevator pitches by teens.
Great Dames holds programs, mentoring and other events. The organization is marking its 10thanniversary.
