SAMANTHA DEGRASSE
Executive Director & Founder
Samantha DeGrasse is the founder of Build Her a Bridge which she founded in 2018 with her daughter, Sophia. She has a heart for teen girls, mental health, social justice and the incarceration of juveniles in the state of Tennessee. She provides life skills classes, bible study classes, hosts events for teens in these facilities and is always an advocate and huge supporter of them.
She has since been a part of major nonprofits such as NAMI Tennessee, AFSPTN and others. She enjoys traveling, coffee shops and hanging with her friends and family.
SOPHIA DEGRASSE
Co-founder + Social Media intern
Sophia DeGrasse is not only a mental health advocate but also a talented volleyball athlete. She is the co-founder of Build Her A Bridge and social media intern. Sophia's role continuing to promote gender equality and empowering girls and young women globally.
MATTHEW MUENZEN
Board Member
Mr. Muenzen established his law firm in April 2019. Mr. Muenzen has practiced law for over thirteen years. Mr. Muenzen previously worked in city government and at a law firm in Nashville where he handled civil and criminal litigation cases involving family law, child welfare law, juvenile law, and landlord/tenant law matters. Before that, Mr. Muenzen worked for the Tennessee Department of Children’s Services for almost nine years. While with the Department, Mr. Muenzen served as Special Advisor to the Deputy Commissioner and Director of Community Partnerships in the Office of Child Safety. He previously served as a Regional General Counsel/Supervising Attorney and as an Assistant General Counsel. While with the Department, Mr. Muenzen litigated child abuse and neglect cases, termination of parental rights cases, and child abuse registry appeal cases.
After graduating from Penn State University with a B.S. in Administration of Justice, Mr. Muenzen was employed as a police officer for a municipal police department in New Jersey for six years. While working as a full-time police officer, Mr. Muenzen received a M.A in Human Resources Management and Training from Seton Hall University in New Jersey and a J.D. from Pace University in New York. Mr. Muenzen is also certified as a Juvenile Law - Child Welfare Law Specialist through the National Association of Counsel for Children. Mr. Muenzen resides in Franklin with his wife, Lesley, and their two daughters.
LAUREN ALBERT
Licensed Therapist
Lauren Albert, MA, BC-DMT, LPC
Lauren is a board-certified dance/movement therapist and licensed professional counselor. She completed her master’s level training at Drexel University and spent years helping individuals with negative body-image and eating disorders as well as working with at-risk youth in residential settings who were coping with family issues, trauma, developmental delays and psychiatric illnesses. In addition to using traditional counseling methods, Lauren is passionate about using movement, music and art to help teens and young women shed light on what’s REALLY going on at the deepest level of their self by using their own greatest tool, the Body itself.