Before joining Demos, Shawnee worked with several non-profits in the US including A Territory Resource, a regional grants foundation; World Corps, an international youth business development program; and CASA Latina, a migrant worker resources organization.

In the UK, Shawnee worked with the National Audit Office and interned for Involve.  She has conducted in-country research into third sector public service delivery in El Salvador, Mexico, and India, and also studied sustainable development in Cuba. 

Shawnee has an MPA in Public and Economic Policy from LSE, a Postgraduate Diploma in Economics from the University of Sussex, and a BA in Gender and International Development.