Cheyanne Deopersaud is a first-generation American who grew up in foster care and found her calling early: transforming lived experience into policy change. As a Policy Entrepreneur at Next100, she led a citywide map of supportive housing placements for youth aging out of care, exposing inequities in building conditions, neighborhood safety, and access to opportunity. Her research helped shape and pass City Council legislation to increase transparency and accountability in housing placements, and she shared her findings on NY1. Cheyanne also organized the Youth in Focus mayoral forum, which brought candidates face-to-face with youth priorities. A graduate of John Jay College of Criminal Justice (B.A., Human Services & Community Justice; minor in Sociology), she is skilled at translating complex data into actionable recommendations and building coalitions that center youth voice. At NYU Wagner, Cheyanne is deepening her focus on housing equity, zoning, and youth-centered policy to ensure dignified, stable homes for every young person leaving care.