Aqeela Sherrills, co-lead of Scaling Safety and founder and executive director of Community Based Public Safety Collective, is a nationally recognized leader with three decades of experience building community solutions to urban violence. After launching Newark Community Street Team in Newark, New Jersey, Aqeela founded Communty Based Public Safety Collective in 2021 to advise and train grassroots public safety organizations in methodologies to reduce and prevent violence. Previously, Aqeela was the chief architect of a gang truce in Watts, Los Angeles, that lead to the launch of The Reverence Project, which brought together activists, healers and artists in urban “war zones” to shift the culture from violence, shame, guilt and fear into forgiveness, compassion, reverence and truth. Aqeela has also served as a senior advisor and co-architect of The White House’s Community Violence Intervention Collaborative, the first-ever White House initiative on community violence intervention.  For more information on Community Based Public Safety Collective, visit their website at cbpscollective.org/