Catherine Sackey
Founder & CEO, Policy Over Politics Consulting LLC and POP LABS
Catherine Sackey is a public affairs strategist, systems thinker, and the Founder and CEO of Policy Over Politics Consulting LLC and POP LABS. Her work sits at the intersection of community development, nonprofit capacity-building, public policy, workforce pathways, and civic infrastructure. Through POP LABS, Catherine is building a shared-space and shared-services model designed to help nonprofits, entrepreneurs, small businesses, creatives, and community partners work from the same playbook.
Catherine holds a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from Rutgers University–New Brunswick, where she graduated magna cum laude with distinction, and a Master's in Public Affairs and Politics from Rutgers University. She is also completing a terminal Master's in United Nations and Global Policy Studies, strengthening her work across local, national, and global policy systems.
Her background includes public-sector experience, nonprofit development, policy research, community engagement, hospitality operations, and organizational strategy. She previously served as a Government Student Success Associate with the New Jersey Office of the Secretary of Higher Education and has held fellowship roles, including New Jersey Policy Fellow, Princeton P3 Fellow, and Lead New Jersey Fellow, Class of 2026.
POP LABS reflects Catherine's belief that strong communities need more than programs; they need coordinated infrastructure, trusted spaces, shared data, practical support, and leadership development that helps people move from survival to sustainability. Her work is guided by the principle behind Policy Over Politics: that systems should be designed around people, purpose, accountability, and measurable community impact.
Work with Catherine — POP ConsultingWhy I Built POP LABS
POP LABS was created from a simple but urgent observation: many people doing meaningful work do not lack vision; they lack infrastructure. Grassroots organizations, small businesses, nonprofits, creatives, and community leaders are often expected to solve complex problems without affordable space, administrative support, strategy, funding guidance, data systems, or coordinated partnerships. I built POP LABS to respond to that gap.
This model brings together shared space, shared services, and shared accountability so that community-based leaders do not have to build in isolation. POP LABS is designed to be a place where people can work, connect, receive support, build capacity, and participate in a larger ecosystem of neighborhood growth.
At its core, POP LABS is about turning fragmented effort into coordinated impact. It is about helping people move from ideas to implementation, from survival to sustainability, and from disconnected programs to stronger community infrastructure.
— Catherine Sackey, Founder & CEO
Build with Catherine and the POP LABS community
Whether you're exploring membership, partnership, or consulting support — there's a place for you in this ecosystem.