Uniting America one conversation at a time.

We're volunteers uniting America one conversation at a time.

Our Story

Our story begins in 2016 with two groups starting independently of one another — on opposite coasts of the United States. Coincidentally, both founders chose the same name “Crossing Party Lines.” Their shared vision led them to create a volunteer platform to unite Americans through warm and engaging conversations.

Lisa Swallow, an author and educator living in Portland, Oregon, was inspired by political conversations with a cousin to design simple process for engaging in respectful conversations about politics of the day.

Kareem Abdelsadek, a management consultant living in New York City, was driven by a sense of civic duty to apply his skills to uniting America through conversations among people from all walks of life.

Prompted by a time of unprecedented political polarization, these two visionaries, their energetic team of volunteers, and over 3,000 CPLs members are uniting America one conversation at a time.

Our Volunteers

Behind each of our meaningful cross-party-line interactions, there is a team of committed volunteers:

Facilitating conversations
Running Zoom
Researching topics
Designing this website
More!

Our Leadership Team

Crossing Party Lines is led by a small group of individuals who are passionate about exploring our unique and shared values as a national community.

Co-founder, Executive Director

"...doing our part to make democracy work..."

Kareem Abdelsadek

Co-founder, Chairman of the Board

"...open dialogue that allows for disagreements ..."

Jessica Brazier

Board Member

"...time to listen..."

Mark D. San Marino

Board Member

"...pursuit of truth..."

Ashley Alexandrino

Board Member

"...common tenets..."

We want to hear from you. Let's Chat.

All voices welcome

See Us in the News

244 Fifth Avenue

Suite L208

New York, NY 10001

(929) 266-6078

Jessica Brazier

Board Member

“I fundamentally believe that if we give ourselves enough time to listen to each other and just for a moment open our hearts and understand where the other is coming from, America would be a much more peaceful and joyful place to live.”

At the root of Jessica’s work is her interest in empowering people and organizations to creatively solve complex problems that will impact society in meaningful ways. Her professional and volunteer positions reflect her passion for being a change agent for the public good.

After a 10-year career in management consulting, she was recently presented with an opportunity to serve in a role that exists at the intersection of four things that deeply matter to her – her faith; diversity, equity, and inclusion; wholistic healthcare; and socially responsible business strategy – joining the AdventHealth team as Vice President and Chief Diversity & Inclusion Officer. In this role, she is responsible for leading the execution of the healthcare system’s diversity strategy and providing executive oversight of new and ongoing initiatives that build a more inclusive culture and embrace a widely diverse workforce.

Jessica’s professional experiences span various sectors, including Deloitte Consulting’s Government & Public Services Practice, where she helped leaders of major federal agencies such as the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) navigate bureaucratic barriers through strategic communications, learning, and change management techniques, and the Pittsburgh Board of Education, where she coordinated workforce acquisition and engagement efforts for the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation’s “Empowering Effective Teachers” urban education reform initiative. She has also worked with the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, CBS Network, CARE USA, and various radio stations and newspapers. Jessica earned B.A. degrees in Communications and English from Oakwood University, and M.S. in Public Policy and Management from Carnegie Mellon University.

Jessica’s work at Crossing Party Lines and beyond is founded on an “intellectual curiosity to understand our diverse world” and “empathy to widen her circle of compassion.”