Natashia Townsend is a mission-driven strategist with 15 years of experience in policy advocacy, cross-sector coalition building, and community-centered program design. She has built her career at the intersection of community, policy, and systems change, partnering with nonprofits, government agencies, and healthcare organizations to advance health equity.
As Consulting Practice Director of Policy & Power Building at HealthBegins, Natashia leads a national portfolio equipping healthcare professionals to address social determinants of health. Since September 2025, she has built 14+ academic partnerships and engaged 200+ health equity champions across 35 states.
Previously, she directed advocacy campaigns that defeated anti-DEI legislation in Arizona and expanded a national intergenerational mental health program to 39 chapters in under one year.
Natashia holds a B.S. in Sociology from UC Riverside, serves on the Governor’s Office of African American Affairs Health Pillar Roundtable, chairs Economic Opportunity at the Arizona East Valley NAACP, and is a registered lobbyist for social change.