A cross-disciplinary, mixed-methods collaborative working at the intersection of social welfare, public health, and organizational development.
The Research Partnership (TRP) is a cross-disciplinary, mixed-methods research, evaluation, and capacity-building collaborative with extensive experience in social welfare, public health, and organizational development — focusing on community wellness, violence prevention, leadership development, and strengthening organizational foundations.
Founded in 2016, TRP has produced comprehensive program evaluations, case studies, research briefs, documentary narratives, and applied studies. Our Co-Leads, Stephanie Benson, PhD, and Karrah Lompa, MSW, have worked together for over a decade — building a proven track record of accessible program evaluation and community-based research alongside a dynamic array of community-based institutions.
TRP's work is grounded in respect for the people and organizations we partner with. We bring rigor without imposing burden, and we center cultural sensitivity in every design.
TRP is led by two Co-Leads with more than a decade of collaborative work behind them — pairing deep research expertise with seasoned nonprofit leadership.
Dr. Benson brings extensive experience across a continuum of research and evaluation — from single-program studies to systems-level inquiry — using participatory, mixed-methods designs. Over more than a decade with Leap & Associates and the UCLA Social Justice Research Partnership, she has led program and policy evaluation across criminal justice reform, juvenile justice, reentry programming, youth engagement, child welfare, and educational outcomes.
Her work has cultivated collaborations with academic partners (UCLA, CSULA, USC), public agencies (LA District Attorney's Office, DCFS, LA County Probation), nonprofits (Anti-Recidivism Coalition, A New Way of Life, Homeboy Industries), and philanthropic funders (The California Endowment, The Ford Foundation, The Conrad Hilton Foundation, Liberty Hill Foundation).
Karrah is a community-based, mission-driven executive whose work focuses on building organizations that can sustain meaningful change. Her skills span executive and operational leadership, comprehensive project management, program administration, and financial oversight — with a track record of translating mission, vision, and values into measurable execution across teams, systems, and partnerships.
She is Co-Founder and Executive Director of the UCLA Watts Leadership Institute, a ten-year initiative that builds nonprofit-sector knowledge, capacity, and sustainability for community-based leaders in Watts, California. She also serves as Partner and Chief of Staff at Leap & Associates, where she co-designs and operates an entrepreneurial research and evaluation practice.
Our advisors bring expertise across research, social work, education, and community leadership — offering guidance that strengthens our work and keeps it accountable to the communities we serve.
We work with community-based organizations, public agencies, and philanthropic partners on research, evaluation, and capacity-building engagements. If our work sounds like a fit for yours, we'd love to hear from you.