Policy architecture, organizational transformation, and strategic consulting — built by someone who has been on both sides of every system he advises on.
Talib Shakir is the founder of Shakir Civic Group and one of the country's foremost experts on reentry policy, systems transformation, and organizational change. As Director of the Mayor's Office on Returning Citizen Affairs — one of the first legislatively mandated municipal reentry offices in the United States — he built the infrastructure that transformed how Washington, DC serves its most underserved residents.
His path to that office is the proof behind his practice. Having navigated systems designed to exclude, Talib understands from the inside what it takes to redesign them from the outside. That lived authority — combined with government leadership, policy expertise, and a practitioner's discipline — is what Shakir Civic Group brings to every engagement.
He has been featured in a VICE News documentary with over one million views, an ABC News primetime special with Diane Sawyer, and has spoken at venues including the Second Chance Business Coalition Forum at Georgetown McDonough. His forthcoming book, From Cell Block to City Hall, is the definitive account of systems change from the inside out.
Policy architecture, systems design, and strategic advisory for government agencies, corporations, and foundations navigating complex organizational challenges. We build frameworks that hold — not just recommendations that sit on shelves.
Talib Shakir brings a rare combination of lived expertise and institutional authority to every stage. From Senate hearings to corporate summits, his talks move audiences to action — not just reflection. Available for keynotes, panels, and executive briefings.
Organizational transformation is not a strategy deck — it's a sustained practice. We partner with leadership teams to design and implement change from the inside, aligning culture, policy, and people toward outcomes that last beyond the engagement.
From Cell Block to City Hall is not a memoir. It is a manual. Talib Shakir's journey — from incarceration to leading one of the country's most consequential municipal reentry offices — is the architecture of every framework he teaches. This book is for leaders, policymakers, and organizations ready to build systems that work for everyone.
Shakir Civic Group works with a select number of clients each year. If you're ready to move from strategy to systems, we're ready to talk.
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