Professional Profile

Dr. Pierre R. Berastaín is a transformative executive leader and systems strategist with nearly two decades of experience strengthening equity-centered organizations across the nonprofit, philanthropic, public health, and higher education sectors. He has led multidisciplinary teams, stewarded more than $50M in philanthropic investments supporting 100+ organizations worldwide, and built durable, community-rooted solutions for survivors of violence, families in crisis, and marginalized communities. His work bridges public health, social impact, and systems reform and is grounded in the belief that safety, dignity, and stability are the foundation of thriving communities.

He currently serves as the Chief Executive Officer of The SAFE Alliance in Austin, TX, the largest organization in the South and third largest in the United States serving survivors of domestic and sexual violence, sex trafficking, and child abuse. At SAFE, he leads a team of 300 staff who deliver a fully integrated continuum of care to over 1,000 people a day, including emergency shelter, long-term housing, counseling, legal advocacy, prevention, medical care, and 24/7 crisis response.

Prior to SAFE, Pierre served as the Regional Director of North America and Interim Global Executive Director for the Centre for Public Impact, a global organization founded by the Boston Consulting Group to transform how governments serve communities. He is also the Co-Founder and former Chief Strategy & Operations Officer of Caminar Latino – Latinos United for Peace and Equity, a nationally recognized, culturally specific organization supporting Latino families affected by domestic violence and home to the federally designated National Center to Advance Peace for Children, Youth, and Families (NCAP).

Previously, Pierre served as the Deputy CEO and Chief Strategy & Operations Officer for the District Alliance for Safe Housing, the largest housing provider for survivors of domestic and sexual violence in Washington, D.C., where he led major expansions in housing, operations, and survivor-centered support systems. Before DASH, he directed Harvard University's Office of Sexual Assault Prevention and Response (OSAPR), overseeing advocacy, education, prevention, and institution-wide coordination for those impacted by interpersonal harm.

Earlier in his career, Pierre served as Assistant Director of Innovation and Engagement at Esperanza United, the federally funded, Latino-specific resource center for gender-based violence in the United States. He led multi-year federal grant programs under the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the U.S. Department of Justice, contributed to federal policy initiatives, oversaw national strategic communications, and trained practitioners across the country and internationally in culturally responsive violence intervention and prevention. He also worked with federal agencies, universities, domestic and sexual violence coalitions, shelters, and community programs to deepen cultural responsiveness in survivor services.

In previous roles, Pierre worked for Renewal House, a domestic violence shelter in Roxbury, Massachusetts, and served as Director of Media Relations for the Hispanic Black Gay Coalition. He co-founded the Massachusetts Restorative Justice Collaborative and served as Co-Chair of the Massachusetts GLBT Domestic Violence Coalition. From 2012–2013, he was a Fellow at GLAAD's National People of Color Media Institute. His writing has appeared in national and international publications and books, including the Huffington Post.

Pierre currently serves on the board of ImmSchools, a national organization working to make schools safer and more supportive for immigrant students. He previously served on the boards of MERGE for Equality and Transition House, and in 2019 was named one of Boston's Top 25 Most Influential LGBTQ People of Color.

He holds a B.A. in Social Anthropology and an M.Div. from Harvard University as well as a Doctor of Public Health (DrPH) from the Gillings School of Global Public Health at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He is the author of more than 40 articles and a contributor to multiple books.

Originally from Peru, Pierre immigrated to the United States in 1998 and remained undocumented for 14 years before receiving DACA in 2012. He is now a U.S. citizen and lives with his husband in Austin, TX.