Alexsis Rodgers
She/Her
Managing Director of Strategy and Impact
Black Futures Lab
Session: How Communications Powers the Largest Ever Survey of Black People
Alexsis Rodgers (she/her) is Managing Director of Strategy and Impact at Black Futures Lab where she works to ensure that Black people have what all people deserve–dignity, safety, and power. Alexsis has a track record of working at the intersections of economic justice and led passage of the first Southern Domestic Workers Bill of Rights at Care in Action and the National Domestic Workers Alliance. Her work in Virginia contributed to historic elections for Virginia women including Congresswoman Jennifer McClellan and the most women of color elected to the Virginia legislature in 2023. In 2020, Alexsis made history as a candidate for mayor in the city of Richmond earning more votes than any other woman in the city’s history. This year, Governor Abigail Spanberger appointed Alexsis to serve on the Commonwealth’s LGBTQ Advisory Board. She also serves on the boards of Groundwork RVA, Weissberg Foundation, and Planned Parenthood Virginia PAC.
Alissa Barnes
She/Her
Executive Director
ProgressNow New Mexico
Session: How AI is Shaping Today’s Information Environment
Alissa Barnes is Executive Director at ProgessNow New Mexico where she leads a team that works on setting public narrative through message development, issue and voter education, and amplification of progressive messages and values. She leads the organization in strategy development, fundraising, and organizational growth and sustainability. Alissa started with ProgressNow New Mexico in March 2020.
Alissa’s background includes nearly 20 years in the non-profit sector. That includes 12 years at Roadrunner Food Bank where Alissa led the development and creation of multiple programs that are now national models, invested in community building and collaborations, and worked closely with elected officials, educating about hunger policies. She currently serves at the Board President for ProgressNow Education National and has various non-profit certifications and graduated from the Emerge New Mexico program in 2019.
Amanda Brink
She/Her
Executive Director
Empower Project
Sessions: How Influence Actually Works
Amanda Brink is the Executive Director of Empower Project with a background in political operations and campaign management. Amanda began her professional journey in politics in 2007 with the Obama presidential campaign. She continued at Organizing for America, the nonprofit dedicated to continuing the legacy of the Obama administration’s policy initiatives through grassroots organizing. She worked for the Democratic Party of Wisconsin for six years. Amanda then worked for the Democratic National Convention and served as GOTV Director for Hilary Clinton’s 2016 campaign. Prior to joining Empower Project, Amanda served as campaign manager for two statewide campaigns, including Tony Evers for Wisconsin. Outside of work, she enjoys traveling (especially by train) and spending time with her husband and two maltese puppies, Blue & Gizmo.
Anna Scholl
She/Her
President
ProgressNow
Sessions: Welcome Remarks; What the *$#( is Happening: What We’re Facing and How We Win in the Long Term; Lines of Power: Communicating the Stakes of Mid-Decade Redistricting
Anna Scholl is the President of ProgressNow, a national network of 28 state-based digital and communications hubs providing vital progressive infrastructure. Since taking the reins at ProgressNow in 2021, Anna has grown the state network, expanded partnerships, and launched groundbreaking new programs to keep the organization on the leading edge of communications and digital innovation. Previously, Anna founded and led Progress Virginia, ProgressNow’s Virginia affiliate, through a decade of growth and success. Her message strategy was instrumental to winning Medicaid expansion, voting rights, student loan borrower protections, and the only Democratic trifecta in the South. In 2020, she oversaw over $50M in digital investments that delivered state victories for President Joe Biden. Anna has worked and consulted on numerous campaigns and is a graduate of the University of Virginia. She lives in Charlottesville, Virginia with her family where she can be found cheering for the UVA basketball team (Go Hoos!)
Ashley Cleaves
She/Her
Legal Content Editor
Democracy Docket
Session: Fighting MAGA’s Anti-Voter Agenda
Ashley Cleaves is the Legal Content Editor at Democracy Docket, a leading digital news platform founded by Marc Elias that focuses on information, analysis, and opinion regarding voting rights and elections in the courts. In her role, she drives the litigation-related content strategy and oversees the research team. A core part of her responsibility is translating complex legal developments into accessible and engaging information for the public. She is also a recurring guest on the Democracy Docket podcast alongside Elias.
Bringing nearly six years of experience in voting rights and campaign research, Ashley offers a deeply informed perspective, particularly on barriers to ballot access. This expertise is rooted in both her professional background and her lived experience growing up in the South. She is committed to making complex legal issues clear, relevant, and actionable, especially for voters of color.
A graduate of Howard University and Emory University School of Law, Ashley’s prior experience includes serving as a Senior Manager of Policy and Research at Fair Fight Action. She also played a critical role in voter protection efforts, notably as the Deputy Voter Protection Director for both Stacey Abrams’ 2022 gubernatorial campaign and the Democratic Party of Georgia.
Aubrey Wieber
He/Him
Executive Director
907 Initiative
Session: What the *$#( is Happening: What We’re Facing and How We Win in the Long Term
Aubrey Wieber is the founder and Executive Director of the 907 Initiative, Alaska’s communications hub. A former newspaper reporter with more than a decade of experience in journalism and political communications, Aubrey leads statewide multi-modal communications campaigns.
Camille Galles
She/Her
Founder
Quintet Creative
Session: COMMSTalk: Construction Workers as Creators? Simple Tactics for Sustained, Worker-Centered Storytelling
Camille is the owner of Quintet Creative, where she helps mission-driven organizations turn disengaged audiences into active advocates by closing the gap between what organizations build and what communities trust. By combining community organizing with digital marketing, she builds engagement strategies that advance work alongside members, constituents, and communities – instead of just advertising to them. Her work has led to sizable increases in mental health resource use, program application rates, and paid memberships.
Before founding Quintet Creative, Camille led outreach teams for boundary-breaking political candidates in the Midwest and worked with public media organizations, including American Public Media, Minnesota Public Radio, and the Center for Investigative Journalism. She currently serves as Publicity Chair on the board of the DC Aquatic Club, an LGBTQ+ swim team based in the Nation’s Capitol. She holds an M.S.J in Media, Innovation, and Entrepreneurship from Northwestern University.
Claire Cook-Callen
She/Her
Executive Director
Progress MO
Session: Lines of Power: Communicating the Stakes of Mid-Decade Redistricting
Claire Cook-Callen is the Executive Director at Progress MO. Claire has been organizing and advocating for working families for over 17 years. Originally from St. Louis, Claire came to the Kansas City area to serve as the KC and Mid-Missouri Field Organizer with PROMO, Missouri’s LGBT advocacy organization. After PROMO, Claire began organizing and coordinating for labor unions across the state – creating strong, sustaining relationships between union leaders, their local communities, and the Missouri Legislature. Before joining Progress MO, Claire was a Senior Strategist at GPS Impact assisting nonprofit and advocacy organizations with strategic communications and public affairs priorities.
Damiana Merryweather
She/Her
Interim Co-Executive Director
Fuse Washington
Session: Reverse Coattails: When Local Races Drive Turnout
Originally from Oregon and being based in Seattle, Washington since 2006, Damiana Merryweather is proud of her status as a Best Coast native and longtime resident of The Better Washington. Her political career has spanned legislative policy advocacy, campaign management and statewide political leadership of a large private sector union. In addition, she was the cofounder and financial director of an independent restaurant group. Her unique blend of political and business experience are brought to bear in her role as Deputy Director at Fuse Washington. For the last two years she has been aligning internal systems, building external partnerships and leading legislative advocacy and in April stepped up to the role of Interim Co-Executive Director. In her personal time she is an avid gardener, maintains way too many parasocial relationships with podcasters and is working on making stand up paddleboarding her whole (seasonal) personality.
Dr. Cass Bowers
She/Her
Executive Director
All in Wisconsin
Session: COMMSTalk: Joy Isn’t Narrative Distraction; It’s the Strategy that Builds Civic Power
Dr. Cass Bowers serves as Executive Director of All in Wisconsin, where she is advancing a bold, statewide initiative to strengthen narrative power and deepen community relationships across Wisconsin. She holds a Ph.D. in Business from Northcentral University, with research centered on the intersectional experiences of Black women leaders in the nonprofit sector. With more than 20 years of experience in human resources, training, and communications, Dr. Bowers brings a unique blend of organizational leadership and equity-focused strategy to her work. As a former educator with over a decade of teaching experience, Dr. Bowers is committed to developing leaders, amplifying underrepresented voices, and building resilient communities throughout Wisconsin as pieces of a civic engagement framework rooted in joy.
Elisabeth Greenleaf
She/Her
Executive Director
Progress North Carolina
Session: How Influence Actually Works
Elisabeth Greenleaf is the Executive Director at Progress North Carolina and Progress North Carolina Action. Elisabeth leads a team of research, communications and digital experts who provide data-driven messaging, innovative research, and communication strategies to partners. Progress NC works in coalition with organizations across the state to ensure that our elected officials and public institutions are accountable, transparent and responsive to North Carolinians. Elisabeth previously worked for Governor Roy Cooper and the North Carolina Democratic Party. Elisabeth is a native North Carolinian from Wilmington, a North Carolina State University alumnus, and a devoted Philadelphia Eagles fan by marriage.
Ellie Artone
She/Her
Chief Creative Officer
Social Currant
Session: How Influence Actually Works
Ellie Artone is the Chief Creator Officer at Social Currant, where she leads groundbreaking strategies that connect mission-driven organizations with Gen Z audiences through authentic, impactful creator partnerships. Recognized on the Forbes 30 Under 30 List in 2025 for her leadership in marketing and social impact, Ellie has become a trusted voice in bridging the gap between content creation and cause-driven campaigns.
At the heart of her work is a passion for amplifying voices that matter—especially within the nonprofit and social good sectors. Whether helping organizations scale their digital storytelling or guiding them through the evolving creator economy, Ellie brings a unique blend of creativity, data-driven insight, and purpose-led strategy.
At the 2026 Commference in Pittsburgh, Ellie is excited to connect with nonprofits and impact organizations looking to elevate their message in partnership with creators and engage the next generation of changemakers.
Eunic Epstein-Ortiz
She/Her
Founder
EO&Co
Session: Online to Offline Action
Eunic Epstein-Ortiz (she/her) is a nationally recognized communications strategist and founder of eo&co, a strategic communications and campaigns firm that advises national organizations, movement coalitions, and senior leaders. Through eo&co, Eunic has led high-impact communications and digital strategies powering major efforts across the country, from securing a statewide $15 minimum wage in Florida to leading all communications and narrative efforts for “No Kings” since its beginning. She has also played a key role in coordinating national coalition responses to major political moments, winning consequential elections up and down the ballot for nearly twenty years. She partners with organizations and leaders to translate complex issues into clear, compelling narratives, build culturally resonant campaigns, and mobilize communities to action. Prior to starting eo&co, Eunic served as the Executive Vice Preisdent of Communications at the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, led national and state political communications efforts for the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), and served as a Spokesperson at New York’s City Hall.
Gabi Juns
She/Her
Executive Director
Instituto Lampira
Session: What the *$#( is Happening: What We’re Facing and How We Win in the Long Term
Gabi Juns specializes in collaborative communication strategies. As the head of Lamparina, she develops narrative infrastructures designed to strengthen democratic values and challenge authoritarianism.
Irene Kao
She/Her
Executive Director
Courage California
Session: Lines of Power: Communicating the Stakes of Mid-Decade Redistricting
Irene Kao is the Executive Director of Courage California. She has worked for community-based nonprofits for over 20 years, including in public housing, early childhood education, philanthropy, and politics.
Jamaa Bickley-King
He/Him
Chief Solutions Officer
TargetSmart
Session: Data Without Delusion
Jamaa Bickley-King, has worked in progressive political data and technology for over 2 decades and currently works at TargetSmart as the Chief Solutions Officer. He got his start working for Mark Warner’s 2001 gubernatorial campaign and then was appointed to his Administration. His clients after leaving the Warner Administration include the NAACP, the DNC, the Prime Minister of Trinidad Tobago. In 2012 for the NAACP, he was chief technology architect for their 2012 voter registration program that yielded 800,000 registration cards submitted, with 600,000 completed. He developed a gap closing political data and technology training in 2017 targeted towards people of color. The training had an internal goal of having 50% or more of those trained be women, and we ended up with over 70% of the attendees being women with all involved employed. He is also the Co-Founder, President, and Chairman of the Board of New Virginia Majority, and thanks to its talented staff and leaders it is one of the premier community centric organizations in the country.
Jamaa holds a degree in Electrical Engineering from Virginia Tech. He is a huge science fiction, fantasy, and comic books fan, and in his spare time he bakes pies.
Jennifer Rafanan Kennedy
She/Her
Executive Director
PA Alliance Foundation
Session: Changing the Weather: Long-Term Building in New States
Jennifer Rafanan Kennedy joined the PA Alliance Foundation as its Executive Director in 2024, bringing more than 20 years of experience on progressive political and issues campaigns and a proven track record of organizational and fund development. Jennifer previously served as the Executive Director of Pittsburgh United and its affiliated organizations PA United and PA United PAC. Under her leadership, the organizations won campaigns to organize thousands of low wage workers, dedicate more than $1.5 billion dollars to affordable housing, green infrastructure investment, and community benefits, expanded from Pittsburgh and Allegheny County to a footprint that serves Western Pennsylvania, and elected more than a dozen of its members to local office. In 2023, Jennifer chaired Sara Innamorato’s successful campaign for Allegheny County Executive, as well as co-chaired the talent side of her Transition Team. Jennifer brings to this work a deep commitment to building sustainable, multi-racial, multi-generational movement and permanent progressive infrastructure that places people over profits and builds power to create equitable communities and government that benefits all of us.
Jess Britvich
She/Her
Content Creator
Session: Hiding the Broccoli in the Rice: Onramps to Online Political Content
Jess is a content creator who explores the intersection of internet trends, politics, and social systems. As a former social worker, she applies a systems-level perspective to her content, presenting complex cultural and political topics in an accessible, entertainment-forward way.
Jess has built an audience of more than 150,000 followers across platforms, with viral videos featured by BuzzFeed, Entertainment Weekly, and NBC News. She has been interviewed by Teen Vogue, Huffington Post, and Business Insider, and her content has sparked broader discussions about the politics within digital spaces.
She holds a Bachelor’s of Arts in Journalism and Media Studies as well as Political Science from Rutgers University. She earned her Master’s in Social Work from Fordham University. She is passionate about creative expression and finds empowerment through burlesque and heels dancing. Jess lives in Pittsburgh with her husband and two cats.
Joel Edman
He/Him
Strategic Initiatives Director
Progress Arizona
Session: Fighting MAGA’s Anti-Voter Agenda
Joel Edman is the Strategic Initiatives Director at Progress Arizona, where he leads the Will of the People Unified “No” Table to defeat harmful legislative referrals on the ballot this fall.
Before joining Progress Arizona, Joel led the Arizona Advocacy Network, co-founded the Arizona Democracy Resource Center, and served as the Arizona State University Indian Legal Clinic’s first Democracy Director. Joel received his law degree from Harvard Law School, clerked on the Arizona Supreme Court and District of Arizona.
Josh Berezin
He/Him
Vice President, AI Strategy
Grow Progress
Session: Data Without Delusion
Josh’s career in campaigns began in Oregon in 2004, where, among his presidential, gubernatorial, legislative, and ballot measure campaign work, he became obsessed with experimentally testing voter contact programs. At Analyst Institute, he designed and conducted experiments, synthesized learnings shared throughout the community, and developed and delivered trainings on evidence-based campaigning. Josh co-founded Grow Progress in 2017 to develop tools to enable more effective persuasion for the progressive movement. Josh lives in Portland, Oregon.
Kate Gage
She/Her
Executive Director
Higher Ground Institute
Session: How AI is Shaping Today’s Information Environment
Kate is the Executive Director of Higher Ground Institute, which partners with non-profit and political organizations to test and adopt emerging technologies and approaches, with a focus on AI and digital experimentation. She was a Co-Founder and Partner at The Movement Cooperative (TMC), which supports hundreds of political and civic engagement organizations with data & technology. In 2018, she was the Chief of Staff for the Parkland Students leading the March for Our Lives and supported them in organizing their mass mobilization. Before her move into progressive technology, she spent 8 years working in the Obama Administration on the intersection between technology and global challenges, with a focus on innovation, global development, and the maker movement at USAID and the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. She started her work in politics on the Obama Campaign in Iowa in 2007.
Katie Sanchez
She/Her
Digital Organizer
Battle Born Progress
Session: How Influence Actually Works
Katie is a Reno local with a degree in International Affairs from UNR and currently works as a Digital Organizer for Battle Born Progress & Institute for a Progressive Nevada. She spends her time making information more accessible, more engaging, and slightly less boring. Off the clock, she’s regularly terrorized by her niece and nephew or hanging out with her cat, who is very angry that she is gone for this trip.
Marissa Luna
She/Her
Executive Director
A Better Minnesota Together
Session: Online to Offline Action
Marissa Luna is the Executive Director of Alliance for a Better Minnesota (ABM). She has worked in non-profit progressive advocacy and political communications for over a decade. She has managed teams and overseen strategy and content creation for multi-million-dollar statewide paid, digital, and earned media programs, resulting in consistent victories for Minnesota’s progressive candidates up and down the ballot.
Maryann Cousens
She/Her
Senior Manager of Polling and Analytics
Navigator Research
Session: Data Without Delusion
Maryann Cousens is the senior manager of polling and analytics at the Hub Project supporting Navigator Research. She leads day-to-day polling processes on the Navigator team and conducts data analysis across the various survey projects. Maryann’s originally from Sunapee, New Hampshire, and previously worked on the Hill.
McKenzie Wilson
She/Her
Director of External Affairs and Message Strategy
Blue Rose Research
Session: How AI is Shaping Today’s Information Environment
McKenzie Wilson is a strategic communications strategist specializing in data-driven messaging for Democratic campaigns and progressive causes. As Director of External Affairs and Message Strategy at Blue Rose Research, she collaborates with political leaders and organizations to craft persuasive, research-backed messages that resonate with voters. Previously, she was the National Press Secretary for the Biden Administration’s Department of Health and Human Services, and has also worked on political campaigns and on the Hill.
Megan Irving Tyler
She/Her
Deputy Executive Director of Networks and Partnerships
America Votes
Session: Changing the Weather: Long-Term Building in New States
Megan Irving Tyler is Deputy Executive Director of Networks & Partnerships at America Votes, where she leads national strategy to expand progressive infrastructure, strengthen state networks, and build durable political power across the electoral map.
A campaign strategist and organizational leader, Megan brings 15 years of experience scaling multi-state programs, aligning complex coalitions, and driving voter engagement at national scale. She leads America Votes’ partnerships and network strategy, designing and building frameworks to guide long-term investment, state engagement, and map expansion through 2032 and beyond.
Previously, Megan served as Executive Vice President for Campaigns & Strategies at All Voting is Local, where she led a 30+ person team across eight states and oversaw programs that expanded voting access to more than 13 million voters in the 2024 cycle. She played a key role in building coordinated election protection and response infrastructure, connecting ten state coalitions to over 1,000 national partners. As Managing Director of Programs & Operations at When We All Vote, she led national programs, including My School Votes and Vote Lab, and directed a voter contact program that delivered nearly 15 million touches across the 2020 general election and Georgia Senate runoff.
Megan began her career as a field organizer on the Obama campaign and has since managed and advised campaigns at every level. She graduated summa cum laude from Loyola University New Orleans and is a member of the Blue Leadership Collaborative’s inaugural cohort. She lives in Maryland with her husband, two children, and their orange cat, Gumbo.
Maya Castillo
She/Her
Managing Director
ProgressNow
Session: Online to Offline Action
Maya Castillo is the Managing Director at ProgressNow and ProgressNow Education. She joined the ProgressNow team after more two decades of experience in various roles throughout the progressive infrastructure, including organized labor, leading large scale field campaigns, in voter protection and as an advocate for public libraries. She is based in Fairfax, VA.
Melinda Wedde
She/Her
Senior Manager of Campaigns
Commonwealth Communications
Sessions: Online to Offline Action
Melinda Wedde is the Senior Manager of Campaigns at Commonwealth Communications in Pennsylvania. Her passion for activism and advocacy was ignited through work in gun violence prevention, alongside efforts to protect the Affordable Care Act and Medicaid, centered in disability justice. She extended her work to local advocacy in her community, organizing for school board campaigns and helping flip her local school board to the first Democratic majority in history in 2023.
Melinda also worked on the PA House Democratic Campaign Committee’s first-of-its-kind dedicated vote by mail organizing campaign in the historic flip to a one-seat Democratic majority in 2022 and on Eugene DePasquale’s successful primary campaign for Attorney General in 2024.
She serves on various local committees, including her county’s Democratic committee and an advisory committee in her children’s school district.
Michael McGovern
He/Him
President
Innovation Ohio
Session: How AI is Shaping Today’s Information Environment
Michael McGovern is the President of Innovation Ohio, the state’s progressive communications and research hub. From statewide campaigns to cross country bus tours, he has spent the last 15 years working in communications and research supporting progressive causes and candidates in Ohio and around the country. Michael was most recently the Senior Director of Messaging and Research at ProgressNow, where he supported 28 state progressive advocacy organizations with their content creation, paid media, and message testing. He lives in Dayton, Ohio with his wife, daughter, and a varying number of cats.
Nilofar Ganjaie
She/Her
Chief Program Officer
The Pipeline Fund
Session: Reverse Coattails: When Local Races Drive Turnout
Nilofar Ganjaie (she/her) is the Chief Program Officer at The Pipeline Fund. Nilofar has focused her career on securing major policy, organizing, and electoral victories for communities of color. She’s an accomplished political strategist, seasoned campaign manager, and lifelong organizer from Seattle, WA. In addition to her work at the Pipeline Fund, she holds Board positions at OneAmerica Votes, The Kennedy Fund, and Progressive Pipeline. Prior to joining the Pipeline Fund team, she worked as the Deputy Director of the nation’s largest Iranian American advocacy organization, ran the political programming for WA Senate Caucus, managed several (winning!) down-ballot campaigns, oversaw hundreds of volunteers as a field organizer at Planned Parenthood, and served in Board leadership at the Northwest Abortion Access Fund.
Roberta Braga
She/Her
Founder and Executive Director
Digital Democracy Institute of the Americas (DDIA)
Session: What the *$#( is Happening: What We’re Facing and How We Win in the Long Term
Roberta Braga is Founder and Executive Director of the Digital Democracy Institute of the Americas (DDIA), a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to strengthening a healthier Internet for Latinos in the U.S. and Latin America through research, capacity-building, and policy. Roberta brings over 13 years of experience working in U.S.-Latin America foreign policy, democracy-building and campaigns and communications. She served as Director for Counter-Disinformation Strategies at Equis, a set of organizations working to better understand the Latino electorate in the United States, and as Deputy Director for Programs and Outreach at the Atlantic Council’s Adrienne Arsht Latin America Center, where she led policy programming across Brazil, Mexico, Colombia, Argentina and Venezuela.
Roberta received the Tech Innovadores Award from HTTP in 2025 for her work in building digital equity online and was named one of 50 Top Women in Cybersecurity Americas in 2023 by Latinas in Cyber and WOMCY.
Roberta earned her MA in Global Communication with a focus on Public Diplomacy from The George Washington University and her BA in Journalism and International Security from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Originally from Brazil, she is a native Portuguese- and English-speaker, and fluent in Spanish.
Rynn Reed
She/Her
Lead Media Strategist
Movement Voter Project
Session: Reverse Coattails: When Local Races Drive Turnout
Rynn Reed is the founder of Creator Congress — a grassroots organizing hub for content creators featured in WIRED and the New York Times — and the lead media strategist at Movement Voter Project.
With over twelve years of organizing across institutions like the Working Families Party and Run for Something, plus freelance consulting on technical program design, she has spent several years building infrastructure for a new kind of progressive power: one rooted in media-led organizing and digital trust.
At MVP, she is architecting a networked digital program designed to outpace and outlast any single election cycle. She has moved over seven figures in investments to projects that link cross-pressure media environments with the scale and durability needed to persuade, mobilize, and win.
She draws inspiration from everywhere — Occupy Wall Street, B-sides, Black Lives Matter — and that blend of technology, media, and movement experience has led her to the belief that winning the information war is paramount to protecting our movements.
Rynn is based in Philadelphia, where you can find her at the Boozy Mutt with her dog, Viola, and her partner, Ravi, watching the Premier League.
Sydney Stock
She/Her
Digital Communications Organizer
Prairie Action ND
Session: Reverse Coattails: When Local Races Drive Turnout
Sydney Stock is the Digital Communications Organizer at Prairie Action North Dakota, where she leads North Dakota Megaphone, a grassroots storytelling project focused on helping everyday North Dakotans share impactful, values-driven messages in their own voices. She is working to equip and support a growing network of volunteers who are engaging their communities both online and offline. Sydney brings a background in civic engagement and student support, focusing on building stronger, more connected communities. She is a graduate of Concordia College, in Moorhead, Minnesota, where she studied Environmental Sustainability, Philosophy, and Communications.
Tara Buss, PHD
She/Her
Senior Director of Research
Research Collaborative
Session: Fighting MAGA’s Anti-Voter Agenda
Dr. Tara P. Buss brings over a decade and a half of experience in public opinion research to her work as the Senior Director of Research for Research Collaborative. She has overseen hundreds of focus groups and surveys, generating insights that equip the progressive movement in the fight to protect our freedoms against authoritarian threats.
Before joining Research Collaborative, she served as Research Director at the Mexico office of a global consulting firm, where she directed public opinion research for presidential, gubernatorial, and senatorial campaigns. She holds a Ph.D. in Political Science from the University of California – Berkeley, with academic expertise in political behavior, perceptions of violence, and Mexican politics.
Tinselyn Simms
She/Her
Co-Founding Co-Executive Director
We Make The Future
Session: Online to Offline Action
Tinselyn Simms is the co-founding Co-Executive Director of We Make the Future Action (WMTFA), launched in early 2021 to advance race-forward narratives that help build a multi-racial democracy where everyone can thrive. She leads national communications and coalition-building efforts and has helped grow WMTF/A into a network of 100+ partner organizations across multiple states. Previously, she was an Assistant Director of Communications at the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) and played a key role in labor’s involvement in the development of the Race Class Narrative messaging framework. Tinselyn holds a bachelor’s degree from Temple University in Communications and African American Studies and a master’s degree from Morgan State University in Telecommunications Management