KELLI DILLON
Founder and Executive Director
Back to the Basics, Los Angeles
Through the organization she founded, Back to the Basics, Kelli Dillon intervenes in active conflicts between intimate partners, as well as in the community. Dillon consistently uplifts the field of intervention, taking particular care to train, encourage, unify and uplift women in the male-dominated field. advocates for reproductive justice and educates against gender based violence. In 2022, the LA Board of Supervisors recognized Dillon as the Woman of the Year in Public Safety, an award previously received only by judges, lawyers, and law enforcement officers. The award recognized Dillon’s innovative, female-centered approach to intervention work.
As the founder of Back ot the Basics, Dillon applies insights from her lived experience as a survivor of intimate partner violence, gang and carceral system involvement, as wel as academics and formal training. Dillon understands intimate violence as a root cause of community violence and intertwined with our social mores and public systems. She uplifts women experiencing intimate partner violence and unifies them with resources and support. She counsels batters hoping -or court mandated -to reform.
Dillon’s powerful voice and story open the male-dominated field of community intervention work to women. Dillon carved space for herself by sharing salient insights into the intersections between gender-based, gang and state violence. Prior to founding Back to the Basics, she trained community violence interventionists on these connections, elevating their skills and confidence in addressing community conflicts that start with family relationships. Dillon actively recruits other women to the field, and many have been trained by Dillon herself or in her approach.
