Sixto Cancel
Founder and CEO, Think of Us
THE INTEGRATOR AWARD
Bridging sectors, ideologies, or geographies to forge unlikely coalitions that can address challenges in ambitious and durable ways
Areas of focus: Foster Care / YouthAbout
think of us
Think of Us (TOU) is a national nonprofit working to transform the U.S. foster care system into a child and family well-being system through data, research, policy advocacy, and the expertise of people with lived experience. TOU focuses on preventing unnecessary entries into foster care, strengthening kinship and family connections, and preparing young people for adulthood. Its work has contributed to changes in federal law and state policy, shifts in public funding, improvements to kinship licensing, and a stronger role for lived experts in government decision-making.
Learn moreget to know sixto
What inspired you to do this work? Was there a particular moment or person or incident that sparked a new level of commitment?
I was adopted into an abusive home and, as a teenager, had to tape a recorder to my chest to document what was happening so I could be removed. That experience made me realize this was not just happening to me, but to children everywhere in a system where decisions are too often made without centering the child’s voice. As a teenager, I decided that changing that system would become my life’s work. I was fortunate to have the support and resources that made that path possible, and I want to help ensure others have access to the same.
What drives you to keep questioning the status quo and building new ways to overcome tough challenges?
It's the stories and data from the tens of thousands of young people we stay connected to. Every challenge gets us closer to understanding their needs, which makes the work worth it. And I’m also seeing real progress. We’re living in a unique moment where, across administrations, we’ve seen sustained momentum toward improving the lives of young people and families.
What solutions are you working on that make you excited and hopeful for the future?
ConnectMe makes me hopeful because it started as a direct service, helping young people and families meet immediate needs like housing, benefits, and financial support. Now, we’re using what we learned from those thousands of interactions to identify where the system is breaking down and change the policies, services, and resources that create those barriers in the first place.
What are the "unlocks" — approaches, practices, or principles — that have helped you be effective in building this innovative approach to place-based opportunity development?
Putting people with lived experience in charge of the redesign and not just making them storytellers.
Treating data as leverage, turning youth voices into numbers that guide policy decisions.
Understanding that we must be willing to rebuild the system's DNA. We can't just patch it, but we must pivot when the moment demands it.
Expert advisor
Lisa Lawson
President and CEO, Annie E. Casey Foundation
I’ve known Sixto since he was 16, and I’ve watched him channel his lived experience in foster care into founding a national nonprofit working to transform child welfare. Sixto and his team build a big tent and bring people together. The people closest to a problem often have the clearest view of what needs to change — when we listen to them, we transform systems.
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