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About POLIS Institute

More Than a Think Tank.
A Think Well.

POLIS Institute is building a new kind of participatory think tank, one rooted in dignity.
Like a community well, our Think Well is a place where research and relationships meet.
We support people, families and neighborhoods by discovering insights, sharing best practices and championing the dignity of everyone involved.
A speaker addressing participants at a community meeting.
Our Story

It Began With a Question.

In 2009, POLIS Institute began with a single research question:
“What impact are nonprofits having on solving root problems?”
Mission, Vision & Beliefs

What We Are Working Toward, and Why?

Our Vision

People enjoying the fruit of their labor in long and healthy lives.

Our Mission

To champion human dignity by designing solutions to the social problems that infringe upon it.

Our Belief

POLIS is a civic organization with faith-based roots. We affirm the inherent dignity and value of all people, and that conviction shapes how we listen, who we work alongside and what we choose to build.
Our Values

Commitments That Shape the Work

Dignity

Every person carries inherent worth. We begin by recognising what people and neighborhoods already hold, not what they lack.

Collaboration

No single organization transforms a community alone. We convene residents, institutions and funders around shared goals.

Innovation

We test, learn and refine. Practical frameworks are built, tried in real communities and improved from what we observe.

Trust

Relationships come before recommendations. We move at the pace of trust so that what gets built can be sustained.
Leadership & Team
The staff and board guiding POLIS Institute’s mission to champion human dignity.

Board of Directors

Phil Hissom

Phil Hissom

Chairperson
Chris Busey, Ph.D.

Chris Busey, Ph.D.

Vice-Chairperson
J.B. Boonstra

J.B. Boonstra

Treasurer
Chris Ramos

Chris Ramos

Secretary
Ryan Norman

Ryan Norman

Board Member

Staff

Nat C. Jones

Nat C. Jones

Chief Executive Officer

Nat C. Jones is a strategic leader and facilitator with over 15 years of experience working alongside nonprofits, government agencies, and mission-driven organizations to strengthen leadership, operations, and community impact. As CEO of Polis Institute, Nat oversees program execution, partner engagement, and organizational strategy, helping translate vision into measurable outcomes that serve families and communities across Central Florida.

Outside of her role at Polis, Nat is the founder of Nat C. Company LLC, where she designs leadership development programs and team-building frameworks rooted in clarity, accountability, and sustainability. She is known for her ability to connect people, align systems, and build momentum around meaningful work.

Leanne Yonkman

Leanne Yonkman

Director of Communications & Community Engagement

Leanne Yonkman has been a resident of Orlando for over 30 years and brings deep local knowledge and relational insight to her work at the Polis Institute. As Director of Communication & Community Engagement, she plays a key role in building meaningful connections between Polis and the communities it serves. Through strategic outreach, partnerships, and thoughtful programming, Leanne helps ensure Polis initiatives are inclusive, accessible, and responsive to diverse audiences.

Leanne works closely with partners and stakeholders to support event coordination, logistics, and community engagement efforts that strengthen trust and participation. She lives in the Orlando area with her husband, Steve, and their three children.

Nicole Robles

Nicole Robles

Director of GIS & Data Analysis

Nicole Robles is a detail-oriented GIS and Data Analyst with four years of experience supporting data-driven decision-making through spatial analysis, data management, and visualization. At the Polis Institute, Nicole supports projects by collecting, processing, and maintaining complex datasets, assisting with map creation, and ensuring data accuracy across systems used by internal teams and partners.

With a background in GIS technology, administrative coordination, and process improvement, Nicole brings both technical skill and operational support to her role. She is proficient in tools such as ArcGIS, Excel, Word, and Google Workspace, and is known for her analytical mindset, strong communication skills, and commitment to organized, reliable data practices.

The POLIS Ecosystem

Our Divisions

POLIS operates through interconnected divisions that allow us to develop knowledge, engage communities, amplify insight and turn learning into resources.
Develops Thinkers & Knowledge

POLIS Fellowship

Builds a network of thinkers who explore important questions and produce research and insight that can guide community action and philanthropic investment.
Explore the Fellowship
Engages Communities & Partners

POLIS Collective

Works alongside communities, organizations and institutions to listen, facilitate, build partnerships, develop strategy and move ideas toward action.
See the Collective at Work
Amplifies Stories & Insights

POLIS Media

Captures and communicates community voices, research, data, ideas and stories through multimedia platforms.
See POLIS Media Work
Turns Knowledge Into Resources

POLIS Publishing

Transforms POLIS research, experience and ideas into books, reports, curricula, frameworks, playbooks and other resources that can travel, teach and scale.
Explore Publications
Data & Insights

Powering the Entire Ecosystem

All areas sit above a shared engine. Data & Insights strengthens every part of the Think Well process and every area of the POLIS ecosystem, with GIS analysis and mapping as one of its major cross-functional tools.
The Data and Insights process in five stages: Collect, gather data from communities through surveys, feedback, research and partner reporting; Map, use GIS mapping to visualize where opportunities, resources and disparities exist; Analyze, turn data into insights that help us understand community needs and inform strategy; Measure, track progress and evaluate outcomes to understand what is changing for families and neighborhoods; Report, share findings, create visualizations and publish reports to inform partners and guide investments.
Capabilities Include:
Data Collection
Surveys
Research
GIS Analysis
GIS Mapping
Asset Mapping
Data Visualization
Qualitative Analysis
Quantitative Analysis
Impact Measurement
Evaluation
Dashboards
Reporting
Work With POLIS

Bring This Work to Your Community.

Engage POLIS for professional services, commission Fellowship research, or partner with us on an initiative.