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 Our Fight, Our Future 

Featured Speakers

We've got a great line up of elected officials, experts, and leaders lined up for the 2025 National Convening. Check them out here!

Michael Robinson

Collaborations Director

Bridging Divides Initiative

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Sarah Anderson directs the Global Economy Project at the Institute for Policy Studies and is a co-editor of the IPS website Inequality.org. Her research covers a wide range of international and domestic economic issues, including inequality, CEO pay, taxes, labor, and Wall Street reform. Sarah is a well-known expert on executive compensation, as the lead author of more than 20 annual “Executive Excess” reports that have received extensive media coverage. Her op-eds on CEO pay and other issues have appeared in the New York Times, CNN.com, and numerous other outlets.

Sarah Anderson

Global Economy Director and Inequality.org co-editor

Institute for Policy Studies

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DeJuana Thompson is Partner at Think Rubix, LLC, and the creator of Woke Vote. Thompson has over 15 years’ worth of diverse experience serving as a fierce community activist, political strategist and consultant. Prior to joining Think Rubix, Thompson served as National Deputy Director for Community Engagement and the National African American Engagement Director for the Democratic National Committee (DNC), where she managed relationships with national allied organizations on key strategies to engage various constituency groups. Before working at the DNC, Thompson was appointed by the White House to serve as a Senior Advisor in the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) managing the agencies' national allied programming and outreach strategy particularly focused on increasing opportunities for minority-owned small businesses. Thompson also has significant experience working in Democratic politics, holding director level positions with Senator Cory Booker’s Senate Campaign; the 2013 Presidential Inauguration; serving on senior level staff for both of the Obama Presidential campaigns. The Birmingham, Alabama native is a proud graduate of Berea College and is dangerously good in the kitchen.

DeJuana Thompson

Founder

Woke Vote

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With a deep personal commitment, a wealth of experience, and a proven record of leadership, Jones started her career as a public servant in 2002 when she was appointed as Democratic Committeewoman of the 8th Ward in the City of St. Louis. A history-maker on a mission, she served two terms in the Missouri House of Representatives, and was selected as the first African American woman in Missouri history to hold the position of Assistant Minority Floor Leader. She was also the first African American woman to be elected to serve as Treasurer of St. Louis from 2013-2021. Mayor Jones has served St. Louis as Mayor since 2021. From financial empowerment to the modernizing of services, Jones has helped make city government easier to navigate, easier to participate in, and easier to understand. She is also the proud mother of Aden.

Tishaura Jones

47th Mayor of St. Louis, MO

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As Lieutenant Governor, Austin serves as President of the Pennsylvania Senate. He chairs the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency, the Governor’s Local Government Advisory Committee, the Pennsylvania Board of Pardons, the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Council, the Pennsylvania Advisory Council for Inclusive Procurement, and the Pennsylvania Chapter of the Aerospace States Association. Lt. Gov. Davis currently resides in the Mon Valley with his wife, Blayre Holmes Davis, an executive with the Pittsburgh Steelers, and his daughter, Harper.

Austin Davis

Lieutenant Governor

Pennsylvania

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Raised in our community, Joshua Cole served as a state Delegate representing the Fredericksburg area in the General Assembly. He is a local pastor, husband and father of two. Josh’s faith and commitment to service guided him as a delegate in bringing back historic investments in our schools, public safety, transportation infrastructure and better access to quality affordable healthcare. Now, he is running in HD-65 to fight for abortion rights and build an economy that works for all Virginians.

Joshua Cole

State Delegate

Virginia

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Ankit Jain was elected D.C.’s U.S. Senator in 2024. He advocates before the U.S. Senate to advance D.C. statehood and protect D.C. Home Rule. Since getting elected, he has been hard at work protecting D.C.’s rights from attack by the federal government. Jain is a resident of Ward 2. He is a voting rights attorney who currently works as an independent legal contractor for the organization FairVote, advocating for everyone to have the right to cast a meaningful vote through ranked choice voting.

Ankit Jain

U.S. Senator

Washington, D.C.

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Marcelia Nicholson is the first Black Latina elected Chairwoman of the Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors, where she’s now serving her third term. A former MPS teacher, Marcelia ran for office in 2016 to tackle systemic barriers like food insecurity, housing instability, and violence. She quickly rose to vice chair in 2018 and made history in 2020 as chairwoman. Marcelia has championed racial equity and led Milwaukee County to become the first in the nation to declare racism a public health crisis. She co-authored legislation to revitalize the Youth Commission and led generational reforms that expanded revenue, created a budget surplus, and preserved essential services. Marcelia is the daughter of a Puerto Rican mother and a Black Southern father, both lifelong educators. She holds a bachelor’s degree from UW-Milwaukee and completed Harvard Business School’s Young American Leaders Program in 2024. Nationally, she co-chairs Local Progress, helps train new leaders through the Progressive Governance Academy, and is a 2023 NewDEAL Leader, part of a network of rising progressive elected officials.

Marcelia Nicholson

Chairwoman

Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors

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Delegate Elizabeth Bennett-Parker represents Virginia’s Fifth District, located in Alexandria, in the state legislature. She is only the fifth member of the House of Delegates to give birth while in office during its 405-year history. Delegate Bennett-Parker is committed to supporting children and families. She has championed early childhood education, school meals for all, and measures to help families remain housed.

Elizabeth Bennett-Parker

Delegate

Virginia House of Delegates

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The Hon. Kevin Killer (Oglala Lakota/Kiowa) is the former president of the Oglala Sioux Tribe (2020–2022) and past chairman of the Coalition of Large Land-based Tribes (COLT). He served in the South Dakota Legislature from 2008–2018, representing District 27, which includes Pine Ridge Reservation. As president, he helped secure over $400 million for broadband, infrastructure, 3D-printed housing, and direct economic support for tribal members. In 2024, Killer was part of the team behind the Emmy Award-winning documentary Lakota Nation vs. United States, which won Best Documentary Film. He co-founded Advance Native Political Leadership to support emerging Indigenous leaders and completed a 2019 Open Society Foundations fellowship focused on Truth, Healing, and Justice in Native communities. A graduate of Oglala Lakota College, he also founded the Native Youth Leadership Alliance (NYLA) and serves on boards including People for the American Way Foundation and the Indian Gaming Association. He is a 2015 Bush Fellow.

Kevin Killer

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Indigenous Impact Fund/True Builds

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Genevieve Kessler

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International Rescue Committee

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Driven human rights lawyer and advocate for asylum seekers and refugees. Passion for empowering the next generation of social justice advocates.

Robyn Barnard

Senior Director

Refugee Advocacy

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Taif Jany is the founder and CEO of Zigura, a refugee-owned consulting firm focused on addressing today’s most complex immigration challenges. Born and raised in Baghdad, Iraq, Taif’s work is deeply shaped by his lived experience as a war survivor and former refugee. Most recently, he was the Director of Policy and Practice at Refugee Council USA, a coalition of more than 40 organizations working together to strengthen U.S. refugee resettlement and asylum services. Taif is proud to join the YEO Network’s 20th National Convening, where he previously served as Policy Coordinator.

Taif Jany

Founder and CEO

Zigura

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Tyrell Holcomb

Advisory Neighborhood Commission

Washington, D.C.

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Dr. Sophia Yen

Board certified in Adolescent Medicine

Co-founder of Pandia Health

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Born into a family that firmly believed in exercising their civic duty and spirit of volunteerism, Marita Garrett’s drive and commitment to serving underinvested communities is palpable. As an undergraduate, she became immersed in the community and public sectors as an outreach coordinator with University of Pittsburgh’s Alzheimer Disease Research Center. In 2017, Garrett launched Civically, Inc, a social enterprise that focuses on community development by promoting civic and social literacy to instill self-reliance. Advocating for women in leadership, Garrett was the co-host of Shattered Glass, highlighting stories of extraordinary women shattering the glass ceiling. She was featured in Pittsburgh Magazine’s Women & Business. Recognized for leadership and diligence in civic and community engagement by numerous organizations and media outlets, she is a sought-after speaker and has delivered keynote addresses at various events. In 2021, she was the keynote speaker at the Chatham University Spring Commencement, where she received an Honorary Doctorate in Public Service.

Marita Garrett

Former Mayor of Wilkinsburg, PA

CEO, Civically

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Channel Powe is a dedicated political organizer, former school board member, and consultant based in Arizona. A lifelong advocate for social justice and educational equity, she has worked on numerous local and national campaigns, championing voting rights, women’s rights, and inclusive policies. Born in Detroit and raised in Phoenix, Channel’s activism was sparked by her son’s educational challenges, leading her to serve over seven years on the school board, where she fought for low-income students of color, equitable pay, and cultural competency. As a consultant, she helps organizations develop bold strategies for policy change and coalition-building. Her work has earned honors like Arizona School Boards Association Advocate of the Year and West Valley NAACP Agent of Change Award. Passionate about the arts, wellness, and community, Channel remains committed to building a more just and inclusive America, ensuring that every voice is heard and represented.

Channel Powe

Former President, Balsz ESD Board

CEO, Powe Power

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Stephanie Morales

Commonwealth's Attorney

Portsmouth, Virginia

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Samantha Paige Davis

Founder

Black Swan Academy

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David Hogg is a co-founder of March For Our Lives and the first Gen Z member and youngest person ever elected to DNC leadership as vice chair. After surviving the 2018 Parkland shooting, David and his classmates sparked one of the largest youth-led movements in the world, leading to the passage of hundreds of gun safety laws nationwide. David later found his footing in legislative campaigns by helping elect Maxwell Frost, the first Gen Z member of Congress. He then co-founded Leaders We Deserve, a PAC and SuperPAC dedicated to electing bold, young leaders to office, raising $11 million in its first cycle. In February 2025, David was elected by Democrats nationwide as a vice chair of the Democratic National Committee. He is committed to building a party that goes on the offense, tackling the shift of young voters to the right, and being authentic and relatable to earn the people's trust again.

David Hogg

President

Leaders We Deserve

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Joe Vogel

House of Delegates

Maryland

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Zaynab Mohamed

State Senator

Minnesota

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Rev. Dr. Willie Francois

Associate Professor of Theology

Union Theological Seminary

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Dr. Elijah Nicholas, national director of policy and strategy for the National Trans Visibility March, is a proven visionary leader and scholar. He holds a doctorate in business, three master's degrees, a bachelor's, and a certificate from Harvard Divinity School. With 20+ years of experience in advocacy, leadership, and policy development, his mission is clear: to drive bold, transformative policies that protect and uplift transgender and non-binary individuals nationwide. From serving as a U.S. Air Force Lt. Colonel to founding the Global Trans Equity Project (GTEP), Dr. Nicholas has dedicated his career to advancing trans rights, health equity, and legislative advocacy. His thought leadership has been featured on ABC, NBC, CBS, and Fox News, making him a powerful voice in the fight for justice. Dr. Nicholas lives in Atlanta, Georgia with his Bully-Bull Dog Queen Tillie Zaine.

Dr. Elijah Nicholas

National Director of Policy & Strategy, National Trans Visibility March

Founder and Executive Director, The Global Trans Equity Project

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Josie Caballero is a proud Latina trans woman and the Director of Voting and Elections at Advocates for Trans Equality (A4TE). With six years of service in the U.S. Navy as a nuclear reactor operator and over a decade of political campaign experience, she brings a powerful combination of discipline, strategic vision, and advocacy. She currently serves as the policy committee chair on the Maryland Commission for LGBTQ+ Affairs, vice president of the Transgender American Veterans Association, and a founding member of the DNC Trans Advisory Committee. At A4TE, Josie leads national initiatives like Transform the Vote, advancing trans voter engagement, and built the nation’s first candidate training program tailored exclusively for trans leaders. She also played a pivotal role as the Director of the 2022 U.S. Trans Survey, securing nearly 100,000 trans respondents. Her leadership exemplifies the intersection of grassroots organizing and national policy influence, making her a vital voice in the movement for trans equity and democracy.

Josie Caballero

Director of Voting and Elections

Advocates for Trans Equality

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Liana Friedman

Director of Operations

Christopher Street Project

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Jay Jones

64th President

Howard University Student Association

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Peter Montgomery

Senior Fellow

People For the American Way

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Jamal Holtz

Chief of Staff

LINK Strategic Partners

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Errin Davis serves as the Chief Operations Officer at The Davis System, LLC, where she oversees major contracts and event management initiatives. A 2018 graduate of Salem State University with a BS in business administration, she was recognized as a Katzman’s Entrepreneurship Scholar. Her career spans various roles supporting elected officials, including Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley, Congresswoman Bonnie Watson Coleman, Senator Sonia Chang-Diaz, and State Representative Liz Miranda. Davis's professional journey includes contributions to the Center for Public Leadership at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government, Boston Public Schools Office of Equity, Strategy & Opportunity Gaps, and Emerge Massachusetts. In 2024, she was honored in Salem State's 40 under 40 Alumni and was one of 50 to receive recognition for her contributions to the Massachusetts Caribbean Community.

Errin Davis

COO

The Davis System

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Cameron Trimble has more than 18 years of experience leading communications & digital engagement strategies for Fortune 500 companies, the White House, Congress, and political campaigns, along with the entertainment and healthcare industries. He serves as managing partner at Hued Strategies, a minority-owned integrated communications firm based in Washington, DC. Trimble is the founder of Hip Politics, an organization dedicated to educating, engaging and mobilizing the political power of the Hip-Hop generation. Trimble served as President Biden’s White House director of digital engagement. In 2020, he served as the Biden campaign’s national director of African American paid media. He spearheaded a record investment in African American outreach that contributed to a historic Black voter turnout. Cameron also hosts The Hip-Politics Podcast, facilitating conversations at the intersection of politics and music. Previously, he served as executive vice president at Precision Strategies, where he launched the firm’s multicultural engagement department. He co-founded Men of Color in Communications to further diversity and inclusion. A proud Howard University alumnus from Cleveland, Ohio, Trimble continues to shape the landscape of communication and political engagement.

Cameron Trimble

Founder

HipPolitics

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Shaniqua McClendon has worked in politics for more than a decade and currently serves as the vice president of political strategy for Crooked Media, home to the popular podcast, Pod Save America. In this role, Shaniqua led the creation of their voter engagement program, Vote Save America, and volunteer engagement program, Adopt a State, which has educated millions of voters, recruited hundreds of thousands of volunteers, and raised millions of dollars for progressive causes and candidates. Prior to Crooked Media, Shaniqua worked on Capitol Hill, serving as a policy advisor to Senator Kay R. Hagan and Congresswoman Alma S. Adams. Shaniqua earned a BA in journalism and mass communications and a BS in business administration from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a master in public policy from the Harvard Kennedy School of Government. She serves on the Register Her Board and was a fellow at the USC Center for the Political Future.

Shaniqua McClendon

Vice President of Politics

Crooked Media

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Anthony Davis, Jr., is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of The Davis System, LLC. The Davis System is a proud Black- and woman-owned social impact firm founded in 2021, specializing in project management for political candidates and community organizations nationwide. We equip our clients with the tools, capacity, and expertise needed to engage their target audiences effectively. Rooted in grassroots organizing and strategy, Davis envisioned a firm that would empower the next generation of organizers, activists, and elected officials with the skills and strategies to drive meaningful change. That vision became a reality when he partnered with his now-wife, Errin Davis, whose expertise in business entrepreneurship and political operations helped shape The Davis System into what it is today. Recently named to Boston Magazine’s 150 Most Influential Bostonians, Davis has served as a political strategist and organizer with the NAACP and with a number of political campaigns. Davis previously on campaigns for a number of well-respected politicians, including Elizabeth Warren, Doug Jones, Ayanna Pressley, Joe Kennedy, Maura Healey, Michelle Wu, Ben Jealous, and Mike Espy.

Anthony Davis

CEO

The Davis System

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Michael Akin

President

LINK Strategic Partners

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Sofia Hay

Associate for Policy and Strategy

NWLC

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Andrea Johnson is Senior Director of State Policy and Strategy and Senior Counsel at the National Women’s Law Center. She works with teams across the Center to build out an overarching vision and strategic framework for its state policy and advocacy efforts. Johnson also co-directs the State Gender Policy Collective. Previously, Andrea served as NWLC’s Director of State Policy on the Workplace Justice team where she regularly provided expert legislative testimony on pay discrimination, sexual harassment, and pregnancy discrimination legislation and, alongside state advocates, played a lead role in the passage of such legislation in over a dozen states. Prior to joining the Center, Johnson was a law clerk for the Honorable Colleen Kollar-Kotelly on the United States District Court for the District of Columbia and the Honorable Eric T. Washington, Chief Judge of the District of Columbia Court of Appeals. She received a law degree from Columbia Law School and a bachelor’s degree in political science and French from Macalester College in St. Paul, Minnesota.

Andrea Johnson

Senior Director of State Policy and Strategy

NWLC

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Ariel Amaru (She/Her) is the National Women’s Law Center (NWLC) State Policy Manager on the Strategy and Policy team, where she primarily works on the center’s State Gender Policy Collective. The Collective is a community and resource hub to support state policymakers and advocates working to advance gender justice across states. Previously, she served as the program lead for corporate governance and compliance at the Access to Advanced Health Institute, a research non-profit focused on making vaccine development more equitable and accessible. Prior to that, Ariel was an associate at Crowell & Moring in the health care practice group, where her pro bono practice was centered on women seeking asylum for gender-based violence. Ariel received her JD from the University of Colorado and her BA from George Washington University.

Ariel Amaru

State Policy Manager

NWLC

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Elizabeth Tang (she/her) is a senior counsel at the National Women’s Law Center, where she advocates against sex-based harassment and other discrimination in schools and workplaces through know-your-rights education, policy advocacy, and litigation. She is the former chair of her workplace’s labor union and a community organizer with abolitionist, anti-imperialist, and socialist organizations in Washington, DC. Tang received her JD from the University of Pennsylvania and her BA from Harvard.

Elizabeth Tang

Senior Counsel, Education & Workplace

NWLC

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Hillary Medina-Loveless is the Senior Field Manager for the Education Equity Program at The Leadership Conference Education Fund. Here, she supports local and grassroots advocates across the United States as they work on education resource equity campaigns in their community. She additionally supports field tactics for any of the Education Equity Program’s federal priorities. Medina-Loveless started her career as a second grade teacher in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, where she witnessed the deep inequity embedded within our education system. She left the classroom with a charge to improve the lives of all children and their families across our nation and joined the Education Equity Program in December 2021. Hillary graduated from The University of Oklahoma with a bachelor’s in international and area studies.

Hillary Medina-Loveless

Senior Field Manager, Education Equity

Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights

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Liz King currently serves as Education Equity Senior Program Director for The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, a position she has held since 2015. The Leadership Conference is a coalition charged by its diverse membership of more than 240 national organizations to promote and protect the civil and human rights of all persons in the United States. In this role, King leads the organization’s work to ensure that all students are fully included in welcoming schools from early childhood through postsecondary education that prepare them for college, careers, life, and the full exercise of their social, political, and economic rights. Prior to joining The Leadership Conference, King served as a Senior Policy Associate for Education at the Children’s Defense Fund and Legislative Director for Congressman Chaka Fattah (D-PA). King began her education career as a middle school teacher in South Philadelphia and holds a BA in government and religion from Wesleyan University and an MS in elementary education from St. Joseph’s University.

Liz King

Senior Director, Education Equity Program

Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights

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Hunter Iannucci

MARGARET Fund Counsel, Education and Workplace

NWLC

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Raaheela Ahmed, a former elected member of the Prince George’s County (Maryland) Board of Education, is a national nonprofit executive and grassroots community advocate. She works as national legislative and organizing director at 100% Democracy: An Initiative for Universal Voting, leading efforts to advance universal voting in localities, states, and nationally. Ahmed previously worked at the Fair Elections Center’s Campus Vote Project, institutionalizing voting and civic engagement at 300+ college campuses nationwide. She also worked at New American Leaders, where she cultivated a national network of 500+ first- and second-generation immigrant elected officials. As a young, first-generation American Muslim woman of Indian and Pakistani descent, Ahmed understands and passionately strives for equity and justice for marginalized people and communities. She has been featured by multiple media outlets for her work. For more information, or to contact Ahmed, visit www.raaheela.com.

Raaheela Ahmed

National Legislative and Organizing Director

100% Democracy

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Alana Byrd

National Field Director

People For the American Way

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Janeese Lewis-George

Councilmember

Washington, DC

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Elizabeth Beavers is a public interest policy advocate and legal scholar serving as the director of Congress Watch at Public Citizen. Her analysis has been featured in numerous media outlets including The New York Times, USA Today, Politico, Reuters, and The Guardian. She has also published several original works of scholarship in prominent law journals.

Elizabeth Beavers

Congress Watch Director

Public Citizen

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Kristen Crowell, executive director of Fair Share America, comes to this role with over twenty-five years of experience in the progressive movement. Most recently she was the founding executive director of the State Revenue Alliance where she led a team to support state campaign infrastructure across over thirty states and with over 280 state based partners. Crowell was the general consultant that won the Massachusetts Millionaire’s Tax on the November 2022 ballot, resulting in over $2B annually in new investments. She has worked as the state campaign director for CBPP, worked alongside the labor movement as executive director of United Working Families and We Are Wisconsin. Crowell has deep expertise in developing legislative, electoral, and ballot campaign strategies, all originating from the perspective of a state based leader. Before Kristen began her organizing career, she was a single mom and leader who organized for school funding reform. Her public and professional journey is a testament to building effective campaigns that center the everyday people who drive our economy and our democracy.

Kristen Crowell

Executive Director

Fair Share America

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John Foti leads Americans for Tax Fairness’s legislative program and lobbying efforts in the U.S. Congress and the White House. Growing up, Foti’s personal economic struggles as well as his family’s Sicilian immigrant heritage instilled in him a deep commitment to justice and creating new opportunities for everyone to live and thrive with dignity. Prior to joining ATF, Foti worked for the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), where he led the union’s public sector legislative work and PAC program. In that role he contributed to the union’s legislative victories, which included historic federal funding increases for child care, tangible student debt relief for dedicated public servants and working people, and reshaping the federal judiciary through working on the confirmation of dozens of judicial nominees including Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson and Judge Nicole Berner. Foti is a graduate of American University and currently resides in Washington, DC.

John Foti

Deputy Executive Director & Legislative Director

Americans for Tax Fairness

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Marge Baker is Executive Vice President at People For the American Way, where she oversees the organization’s government affairs and advocacy portfolio. She serves as spokesperson and chief strategist for People For’s ongoing work to confirm fair-minded judges to the federal judiciary and has led the organization’s voting rights advocacy campaigns, including the ongoing fight to pass the Freedom to Vote Act and the John Lewis Voting Rights Act, as well as our efforts to reduce the undue influence of money in politics through a constitutional amendment to overturn Citizens United. In her work at People For she brings a deep understanding of the issues, strong legislative know how, and the ability to build diverse progressive coalitions to win meaningful victories on key progressive issues. Baker’s expertise and insight is frequently drawn upon by TV, radio, and print outlets such as MSNBC, Fox News, New York Times, Washington Post, USA Today, and Politico. She has served for more than 45 years in various public service roles. Prior to her current position, she was the staff director for the late Senator Paul Wellstone on the Senate’s Employment, Safety and Training Subcommittee. She also clerked for the U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware, served as Chief Counsel to Senator Howard Metzenbaum on the Senate Judiciary Committee, and directed the Consumer Services Division of the New York Department of Public Service. Baker is a graduate of Yale Law School.

Marge Baker

Senior Vice President

People For the American Way

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Nicol Turner Lee is a senior fellow in Governance Studies, the director of the Center for Technology Innovation (CTI), and serves as co-editor-in-chief of the TechTank blog and The TechTank Podcast. Her research focuses on the intersection between technology and social justice in areas that range from universal access to communications to the design and application of artificial intelligence models. In 2023, Turner Lee developed and launched the AI Equity Lab, which is focused on advancing inclusive, ethical, nondiscriminatory, and democratized AI models and systems throughout the United States, and the Global South, including the African Union, India, Southeast Asia, the Caribbean, and Latin America.

Dr. Nicol Turner Lee

Director of the Center for Technology Innovation

Brookings

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Lili Gangas is the Chief Technology Community Officer at the Kapor Center, an operating foundation at the intersection of technology and racial justice, providing research and thought leadership, operating programs, supporting strategic partnerships and investments to increase diversity across the tech ecosystem–from K-12 education through entrepreneurship and venture capital. She co-leads the Kapor Center’s Equitable Tech Policy Initiative with a focus on inclusive technology policy with special interests in closing digital divide, scaling new tech workforce models, advocating for responsible emerging technology as well as providing foundational support across civic engagement issues and tech enablement of civic organizations.

Lili Gangas

Chief Technology Community Officer

Kapor Foundation

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Kaitlyn Henderson is a senior researcher and staff elected board member at Oxfam America. Dr. Henderson’s work focuses on labor policies and workers’ rights within the United States. She is the lead researcher and author of Oxfam’s Best States to Work Index, a look at how states treat workers and working families in the US. This index captures 27 policies across three themes – wages, worker protections, and rights to organize – and includes all 50 states plus Washington, DC and Puerto Rico. There were special editions of the index released in 2020 focused on COVID and starting in 2021 a supplemental index focused on working women. Dr. Henderson has led research on low wage workers, including a 2024 report and interactive map providing a demographic picture of low wage earners in the US, as well as a global index comparing US labor policies to economic peer nations. Beyond labor, her work focuses on building a care economy and ways to tackle widening economic inequality. Dr. Henderson writes regularly for Oxfam America’s Politics of Poverty Blog.

Dr. Kaitlyn Henderson

Senior Researcher

Oxfam

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DeJuana Thompson

Creator

Woke Vote

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Brea Baker is a freedom fighter and writer (in that order) who has been working on the frontlines for over a decade, first as a student activist and now as a movement journalist and national organizer. Brea contributes reported op-eds and personal essays to Refinery 29 Unbothered, ELLE, Harper’s BAZAAR, and more. As a sought-after speaker and anti-racism consultant, Brea believes deeply in political imagination and the need for nuanced storytelling. Her book, Rooted: The American Legacy of Land Theft & The Modern Movement for Black Land Ownership, is about her family’s experiences across the South and why reparations is a critical economic, racial, and environmental justice policy that we need to embrace. Over the last several years, she has contributed to dozens of electoral and advocacy campaigns, including the #NextYale movement to address the legacy of white supremacy on our campus, the 2017 Women’s March (where she served as the youngest national organizer), the 2018 student walkouts against gun violence, Jumaane Williams’ successful bid for NYC Public Advocate, and many more on behalf of police brutality victims and their families. For her work in coalition with other activists and organizers, Brea has been recognized as a 2023 Creative Capital awardee, a 2017 Glamour Woman of the Year and 2019 i-D Up and Rising. She has a B.A. in Political Science from Yale University where she held internships with the U.S. Department of State and Public Defender Service DC, as well as having served as President of Yale’s NAACP Chapter and Co-Director of AIDS Walk New Haven. Brea is on the board of Black Farmers’ Market, and is a cohort member of The Highland Project and the BLIS Collective.

Brea Baker

Author, Activist

FLLA '19 Alum

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Anderson Clayton serves as the current chair of the North Carolina Democratic Party. Elected at 25 years old, Clayton is the youngest chair of a state Democratic Party. Chair Clayton grew up in Roxboro, North Carolina and graduated from Appalachian State University. She worked on Congresswoman Kathy Manning’s congressional campaign, in Iowa as a field organizer for the presidential campaigns of Kamala Harris and Elizabeth Warren, and then for the Senate campaign of Amy McGrath. Prior to her election as Chair of North Carolina Democratic Party, Chair Clayton served as a chair of the Person County Democratic Party, her hometown county. Chair Clayton resides in Roxboro, North Carolina.

Anderson Clayton

Chair

North Carolina Democratic Party

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Senator Sarah Anthony has always fought for equity and opportunity for all Michiganders, including the most vulnerable among us. Throughout her 20 year career in public service, Sarah has made history multiple times, serving as mid-Michigan’s first African American woman to be elected to the Michigan House of Representatives and the Michigan Senate. In 2023, she became the first Black woman to chair the powerful Senate Appropriations Committee.

Sarah Anthony

State Senator

Michigan

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Barnes served as Lieutenant Governor from 2019 through 2023, Wisconsin’s first Black Lieutenant Governor. Most recently, he was Wisconsin’s Democratic nominee for the U.S. Senate. Prior to statewide office, he served as a representative in the Wisconsin State Assembly. As Lt. Gov., he served as the chair of the Governor’s Task Force on Climate Change. Now, he is working to support other changemaking candidates with The Long Run PAC and has returned to his organizing roots as President of Power to the Polls Wisconsin. He is a fierce advocate for reproductive freedom, health care for all, and common-sense gun safety measures. He is also a longtime member of People For’s Young Elected Officials network.

Mandela Barnes

Former Lt. Governor

Wisconsin

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State Senator Dwight M. Bullard is senior political advisor of the newly formed Florida Rising. In this capacity, he works to bring political education and awareness to underserved and often marginalized communities. He also works to push policy to positively impact those same communities. His work now much like his previous roles looks to uplift people in a way that makes them the masters of their own destiny. He continues to amplify the voice of those often unheard. In 2008, Bullard was sworn into office as a Florida state representative. Elected to the state senate in 2012, he served as vice chair of the Transportation and Agriculture committees and maintained membership on Education and several other committees. In the Senate, he worked to stop online bullying, bring tuition equity to aspiring citizens, and raise the minimum wage. he served in the Florida Senate until 2016. In 2017, Bullard was hired as the political director of the New Florida Majority. In 2019, he became president of the South Dade NAACP.

Dwight Bullard

Former State Senator

Florida

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Dr. Wes Bellamy

Former Vice-Mayor

Charlottesville, VA

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Congresswoman Lateefah Simon proudly represents California’s 12th Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives. California’s 12th District is home to numerous diverse communities and encompasses parts of Alameda, Albany, Berkeley, Emeryville, Oakland, Piedmont, and San Leandro. With over three decades of experience in organizing, advocacy, and philanthropy, Congresswoman Simon has deep roots as a Bay Area leader and activist. Congresswoman Simon started her career at the Young Women's Freedom Center and later partnered with then-San Francisco District Attorney Kamala Harris to head the Back on Track program. In Congress, Congresswoman Simon is focused on addressing the housing affordability crisis, tackling the mental health and homelessness epidemic, lowering everyday costs for working families from groceries to prescription drugs, building climate resilience, protecting women’s rights, standing up for immigrant communities, and more.

Lateefah Simon

U.S. Representative

California

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Jane Kim serves as the California Director for the Working Families Party and on the board of Close the Gap California – a statewide initiative to achieve gender balance in the California Legislature. She is recruiting and training the next generation of leaders who will fight for working families, and organizing voters to secure governing power for the many, not just the few. Kim served on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors from 2011-2019. Her progressive track record is evident in groundbreaking initiatives including making community college tuition-free for all residents, enacting the nation’s strongest minimum wage law, securing full-time nurses for homeless shelters, and establishing a medical respite shelter for aging and sick homeless residents. Kim then served as the California political director for Bernie Sanders 2020 and senior advisor for the Sanders Institute. She has also been a community organizer at Chinatown Community Development Center and an attorney at Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights. She received her JD from the UC Berkeley School of Law.

Jane Kim

Former Supervisor

San Francisco, CA

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Melvin Carter

Mayor

St. Paul, Minnesota

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René Spellman

Board Member

People For the American Way

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Svante Myrick

President

People For the American Way

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Danielle Adams is a Senior Advocacy Advisor at Oxfam America, where she leads the Sisters on the Planet Ambassador program and works at the intersection of gender justice and inequality. With over a decade of public service, she served 12 years as an elected Soil and Water Conservation Supervisor in Durham, North Carolina, earning recognition including Outstanding District Supervisor of the Year and the Gantt-Watt Emerging Leader Award. In 2019, Adams was selected as an inaugural All for NC Fellow by the Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation for her work advancing equity in agriculture. She also brings expertise as a diversity, equity, and inclusion consultant in environmental and justice-focused spaces. She currently serves on the Executive Committee of the Adams County Democratic Party, the Colorado Chapter of the Sierra Club Steering Committee, and multiple advisory boards. She is committed to advancing systems change through community power, coalition building, and transformative policy.

Danielle Adams

Senior Advocacy Advisor

Oxfam America

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