Meet the Founder
Building coordination infrastructure from lived experience
Catherine Sackey, MPAP
Catherine Sackey is a social entrepreneur and systems architect rebuilding trust in public systems through POP LABS, a civic-infrastructure and data framework aligning nonprofits, faith-based partners, workforce providers, and government.
Worked on government coordination and policy with government. Multi-department coordination and synergy initiatives.
Education & Credentials
Terminal M.A. in Political Science
Global Policy Focus
Expected May 2026
Master of Public Affairs and Politics
Administration & Public Policy
Rutgers—Bloustein School, 2024
B.A. in Sociology
Magna Cum Laude, with Distinction
Rutgers University, 2022
Fellowships & Recognition
— Catherine SackeyOver the last 20 years, I've worked in complex environments where the job was always the same: align departments so services actually work together.
I've seen what happens when systems don't connect—especially in communities navigating housing instability, behavioral health needs, and street homelessness. POP LABS is built from that reality: not theory—the lived cost of fragmentation, and the operational know-how to fix it.
Professional Background
20 Years in Hospitality Operations
Coordinated multi-million-dollar operations, building the systems-thinking and operational discipline that now powers POP LABS.
NJ Office of the Secretary of Higher Education
Student Access and Advancement Associate—coordinating pre-college, college, and policy support across New Jersey.
Founder, POP Consulting
Strategic consulting practice focused on systems alignment and coordination infrastructure for public and nonprofit sectors.
Why POP LABS Exists
Government doesn't only lose money because of funding gaps—government loses money because of coordination and accountability gaps.
POP LABS Innovation Hubs create one door into fragmented systems—so people tell their story once, and providers coordinate through shared intake and warm handoffs. Government stops paying for the same intake work over and over again.
This isn't a pop-up program—this is permanent coordination infrastructure.
Let's Build Together
Ready to transform how social services work in your community?