Our Story
Many organizations work tirelessly to improve lives but still face challenges understanding where their efforts create the most lasting impact. At Play for Change, we partner with public, private, and non-profit organizations to strengthen their ability to learn, adapt, and grow.
Our work brings together play-based engagement, systems thinking, and capacity building with rigorous and adaptive evaluation. These approaches help organizations capture what’s working, respond to what’s changing, and build the foundations for meaningful, long-term results. We believe real impact happens when learning is shared, trust is built, and people are part of shaping the solutions that affect their lives.
Our experience includes longitudinal, mixed-methods, non-experimental, and quasi-experimental studies supporting initiatives that reach hundreds of thousands across multiple regions, with a consistent focus on learning, use, and practical decision-making.
Where We Make an Impact
SAFETY AND WELLBEING
Using trauma-informed evaluation to understand how programs build safety, resilience, and agency among survivors, students, and communities.
YOUTH EMPOWERMENT
Building youth leadership through research and participation.
Experience facilitating Youth Advisory Councils and engaging near-peer evaluators in data collection and community learning.
AGRICULTURE
Strengthening agricultural value chains through evidence and learning.
Experience with USDA-funded programs focused on improving the value, volume, and price of agricultural products over time.
PUBLIC HEALTH
Strengthening community health through data and evaluation.
Experience in infectious disease surveillance, behavioral health assessments, and water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) interventions.
Who We Are
MISION:
Play for Change strengthens mission-driven organizations through data, design and strategy for lasting change.
OUR VALUES:
Courage
We believe in stretching beyond what’s familiar. As a team, we learn from each experience and hold each other to the highest standards of honesty and care.
P4C Powerhouse
The Powerhouse represents Play for Change’s core team, four leaders who guide our strategy, partnerships, and quality across every project.
Meet
Kamala
The
Impact Alchemist!
Trusted Consultants
Play for Change, headquartered in Austin, Texas, collaborates with a trusted network of consultants across the U.S. and internationally. Each consultant has been carefully vetted and trained in Play for Change’s approach. Many have partnered with us for years, bringing deep expertise in evaluation, research, facilitation, and design. This network allows us to scale our efforts, assembling tailored project teams based on location, cultural insight, and technical specialization.
Karelys Parada
Mrs. Karelys Parada is an epidemiologist with a deep commitment to health equity, community empowerment, and data-driven storytelling. She brings over a decade of experience in public health research across topics like infectious disease surveillance, mental health, substance use, and environmental health. Her academic background includes a Master of Public Health from Emory University and a bachelor’s in Psychology from NYU, where she began her research journey exploring HIV prevention and behavioral health. As a first-generation Latina and former co-president of the Latino Medical Student Association at Emory, Karelys centers the voices of underserved communities—particularly women and the Latino population—in her work. She approaches public health as a tool for justice, blending analytical rigor with empathy, lived experience, and cultural fluency.
Based in: Atlanta, GA