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Alex Alvarez
He/Him
Executive Director
Progress Arizona
Sessions: Election Sabotage & Where Do We Go From Here?
Alex Alvarez is the oldest son of Mexican immigrants. He is the proud product of public education at Mesa Public Schools and graduated from Arizona State University with a B.S. in Political Science.
Alex got his start in politics as a district staffer for both Congressman Gallego in Phoenix and Congresswoman Kirkpatrick in Tucson. He helped Arizonans across the state navigate complex federal policies to secure their benefits – sharpening communication and advocacy skills to bridge the divide between government agencies and community needs. Since then, Alex has held leadership roles on candidate, ballot measure, and independent expenditure campaigns at the statewide, state legislative, and federal levels. He currently serves as the Executive Director for Progress Arizona, the progressive communications hub in the state, coordinating messaging for a diverse coalition on the C3 and C4 side.
Alex lives in Tempe, Arizona with his wife, Kendra, and their two children.
Alissa Barnes
She/Her
Executive Director
ProgressNow New Mexico
Session: The Allure of Paid Ads: Uncovering the Benefits at Various Budget Levels
Alissa Barnes is Executive Director at ProgressNow New Mexico where she leads a team that works on message development, issue and voter education, digital amplification of progressive messages and values, and partner communications support across the state of New Mexico. 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 has a BA from the University of New Mexico and various non-profit certifications.
In the event of a zombie apocalypse Alissa would grab her coffee and her arch supports. You can’t outrun zombies if you’re tired or have achy feet!
Anna Castro
They/Them
Principal Narrative Strategist
Transgender Law Center
Session: Who, What, When in 2024
Anna believes in living in the world we’re fighting for everyday, a world where everyone receives the care, dignity, and support they need. As a communications strategist, they are analytical and diligent, developing the internal practices and nurturing the vision of liberation that teams need to succeed. At the ACLU of San Diego & Imperial Counties, Mi Familia Vota, and Transgender Law Center they led campaigns that centered the voices and cultivated the leadership of directly impacted people. Whether it is reuniting families separated by deportation, motivating people to exercise their right to vote, or fighting for our right to joy and bodily autonomy, Anna’s storytelling charts the path to victory for our communities.
They worked with Deepa Iyer, creator of the Social Change Ecosystem Map Framework, to launch SolidarityIs, a movement building resource for individuals, organizations, networks, and coalitions to deepen their solidarity practice. Currently, they are melding their extensive background in strategic communications and narrative shift work in the migrant freedom and trans liberation movement with their experience building programs and campaigns rooted in pro-Black, pro-migrant, pro-trans solidarity strategies at Transgender Law Center. They have designed the strategy and will implement the programming of the Trans Agenda for Liberation Narrative Lab.
Anna Scholl
She/Her
Executive Director
ProgressNow
Session: Welcome to the 2024 ProgressNow Commference & Creating Change Through Cultural Communications
Anna Scholl is the executive director of ProgressNow, a national network of 26 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!)
Anneshia Hardy
She/Her
Executive Director
Alabama Values Progress
Session: Narratives of Change: Storytelling as a Catalyst for Movement Building
Anneshia Hardy, a native of Montgomery, is a scholar-activist, social impact entrepreneur, and brand strategist with a passion for communications, research, community engagement, and tackling social issues. She has provided narrative/messaging training and strategies for pro-democracy organizations around the country including the Obama Foundation, and NAACP. Her pivotal role in shaping communication strategies for key voting rights cases, including the recent U.S. Supreme Court case Allen v. Milligan, underscores her impact in the fight for justice.
She has a decade of professional experience in providing strategic marketing communications, branding, and audience research/engagement solutions in nonprofit and for profit spaces. When she’s in her element, you will find her developing culturally-relevant content that ignites discourse and closes the knowledge gap around social issues.
Anthony Baber
He/Him
Director of Communications and Culture
Detroit Action
Session: COMMSTalks
Anthony is a storyteller, a concert-chaser, a lover of cats, and the Director of Communications & Culture for Detroit Action. Having grown up in Michigan, Anthony developed a strong sense of community and the importance of uplifting those without a voice. After college, he moved to Seoul, South Korea, initially to teach English as a second language, then eventually hosting a music show for a local radio station. Since returning to Michigan in 2019, Anthony turned his focus to organizing and empowering local Black & Brown communities with an emphasis on collaboration and the arts. His experiences, both at home and abroad, have informed his perspective as an organizer, centering deep relationship-building, equitable practices, and joy.
Ashley All
She/Her
Executive Director/President
Kansas Coalition for Common Sense
Session: Direct Democracy for the Win — Ballot Measures and Constitutional Amendments
Ashley All is a communication and political strategist with 20 years of experience working in Kansas and other red states. She’s worked on numerous statewide campaigns and helped get Governor Laura Kelly elected in 2018. In 2022, Ashley served as the communication director for the pro-choice Kansas coalition that won a historic landslide victory in the first vote on abortion rights following the fall of Roe vs. Wade. Since then, she has worked on successful ballot campaigns to protect reproductive rights in Kentucky, Montana, Michigan, and Ohio just last fall. Ashley founded the Kansas Coalition for Common Sense in 2023 to strengthen progressive infrastructure and communication in her home state.
Ashley Robinson
She/Her
Executive Director
Progress Georgia
Session: What’s at Stake?
Ashley Robinson is an accomplished political operative and strategist whose work is focused on developing sustainable progressive political infrastructures and long-term power-building strategies to ensure the protection, authentic engagement, and empowerment of America’s most impacted communities. Currently, Ashley is the Executive Director of Progress Georgia, a political research and communications hub aimed at increasing public awareness about Georgia’s progressive priorities. Before Progress Georgia, she served as Deputy State Director for America Votes Georgia, leading state legislative strategy, advocacy, and collaboration for over 60 state-based and national organizations. Ashley previously served as Chief of Staff to former House Minority Leader Stacey Abrams and Caucus Director for the Georgia House Democratic Caucus, where she oversaw the integral operations of the Minority office across five election cycles and seven legislative sessions. In 2018, she served as Political Director for Stacey Abrams’ gubernatorial campaign, managing a team that oversaw engagement for over a dozen constituencies whose unique organizing strategies effectively increased Georgia’s voter turnout with key constituencies of color across the state. Ashley resides in Atlanta, Georgia and in her free time, she enjoys dancing, collecting art, traveling, and mentoring young women of color interested in building their political prowess.
Aubrey Wieber
He/Him
Executive Director
907 Initiative
Session: Earned Media
Aubrey Wieber is Executive Director of the 907 Initiative, Alaska’s progressive communications hub. Aubrey is originally from Oregon and worked as a journalist around the northwest before launching the 907 Initiative in 2022.
Carly Hawkins
She/Her
Chief of Staff
Strategic Victory Fund
Session: What’s at Stake?
Carly Hawkins is the Strategic Victory Fund Chief of Staff. Previously, she was a research consultant for more than a decade, working with campaigns up and down the ballot and across the country, as well as other progressive committees and groups. Born and raised in the Land of Lincoln, she graduated in the inaugural class of Capital Scholars from the University of Illinois at Springfield.
Daria Dawson
She/Her
Executive Director
America Votes
Session: What’s at Stake?
Daria Dawson is the Executive Director of America Votes. In this role, Daria leads day-to-day management of the organization, overseeing all department heads and implementation of strategic objectives, including fostering a culture of strong civic participation, voter engagement and mobilization, and advocating for fair, modern elections.
Daria joined America Votes in 2020 and previously served as Deputy Executive Director as National Political Director. In these roles, she planned and implemented America Votes’ electoral programs and managed the organization’s strategic initiatives, external communications, and programmatic budgets.
During her career in democratic and progressive politics, Daria has served in many capacities on electoral campaigns and organizations including serving as the Director of Strategic Engagement for then-Senator Kamala Harris’s presidential campaign and the Deputy National Political Director at the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), where she also led the congressional lobbying efforts of the Fight for $15 campaign in its early stages. In 2021, Business Insider named Daria one of the “20-sought after female strategists to watch in 2022 and 2024 as more women in the US enter the arena.”
Born and raised in Florida, Daria is a graduate of Florida A&M University and the University of Florida, Levin College of Law.
Denzel McCampbell
He/Him
Managing Director
Progress Michigan
Session: Megaphone: Amplifying Our Voices and Values
Denzel McCampbell is a community advocate and Detroiter living on the west side. He serves as the managing director at Progress Michigan, a statewide communications and research hub and has been involved with numerous social justice issues. Denzel is a founding member of the Detroit chapter of BYP100, recently served as an elected Detroit City Charter Commissioner and also served as communications and political director for Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib. Denzel serves as a board member for the Sugar Law Center for Economic and Social Justice and the Mary Turner Center for Advocacy.
Emmanuelle Leal-Santillan
He/Him
National Communications and Media Director
Somos Votantes
Session: The Allure of Paid Ads: Uncovering the Benefits at Various Budget Levels
Emmanuelle is the National Communications and Media Director for Somos Votantes (c4) and Somos PAC (527).
In 2022, Somos built and ran some of the largest independent Latino voter engagement programs in the country by investing in year-around canvassing and story collection, award-winning paid media programs, including direct mail, TV, digital and radio ads, community organizing, and by creating our own research-tested messaging.
Emmanuelle was born in Durango, Mexico and raised in Las Vegas, NV where he currently lives. He is the latest addition to the growing Latino electorate after recently becoming a U.S. citizen and is looking forward to voting for the first time in November. Emmanuelle enjoys spending time with his family, playing kickball and going to as many hot yoga classes as possible.
In 2024, Somos is poised to run even larger programs to ensure working people, including hardworking Latinos, in key battleground states have the opportunities and tools we need to fully participate in our democracy.
Esosa Osa
She/Her
Founder and CEO
Onyx Impact
Session: The Disinformation Dilemma
Esosa Osa is the Founder and CEO of Onyx Impact, an organization created to better serve and empower Black communities by fighting the harmful information ecosystems targeting them. Esosa was previously Deputy Executive Director of Fair Fight Action, a voting rights organization, where she led pro-democracy reform efforts with a focus on combating adverse messaging and voting policy reform while overseeing the organization’s research, communications, political, and organizing teams. Prior to her time in politics, Esosa was a Portfolio Manager at BlackRock— where she managed a wide array of fixed income products and analyzed monetary and fiscal policy. Esosa is a native Ohioan and a graduate of Duke University.
Ian Smith
He/Him
Director of Polling and Analytics
The Hub Project
Session: Who, What, When in 2024
Ian Smith is the Director of Polling and Analytics at The Hub Project, he oversees polling operations for Navigator Research. Ian has spent the majority of his career in electoral campaigns gaining experience in data, analytics, and coalition building. Prior to joining The Hub Project, Ian was Polling and Analytics Director at American Bridge 21st Century, where he led opinion research for the campaign’s program.
Irene Kao
She/Her
Executive Director
Courage California
Session: Where Do We Go From Here?
Irene joined Courage California, in 2020, as the first woman of color to lead the organization. She brings more than twenty years of experience working with and advocating for low-income communities of color, including in immigrant and refugee support services, public housing, early childhood education, media, philanthropy and politics. Prior to joining Courage California, Irene was a strategic advisor to nonprofit and philanthropic leaders and organizations.
Jade Gray
She/Her
Digital Organizing Manager
Progress Michigan
Session: Megaphone: Amplifying Our Voices and Values
Jade Gray is a born and raised Michigander originally from northern Michigan. She became a progressive voice in a “red and rural” area and turned that into a calling and a profession. Jade is a graduate of the University of Michigan with a double major in Women and Gender Studies and Political Science. She was the president of College Democrats at U-M where she organized campus-wide events, hosted elected leaders, and led rallies.
Jade got into organizing with U.S. Rep. Debbie Dingell’s re-election campaign in 2022 and later served as the team’s Digital Director. Jade started working for Progress Michigan at the end of 2022 and currently is the Digital Organizing Manager, overseeing the Michigan Megaphone. This digital organizing campaign has grown to be a team of fourteen folks and over 1,000 volunteers. Social media, communications, and progressive politics are some of her favorite things so she knows she’s in the right place.
Jake Hajdu
He/Him
State Disinformation Coordinator
A Better Wisconsin Together
Session: The Disinformation Dilemma
Jake Hajdu has worked in Democratic politics for over 15 years. Prior to working for A Better Wisconsin Together, Jake worked on the presidential campaigns of Hillary Clinton in 2016 and Elizabeth Warren in 2020. He also served as the Executive Director of the Democratic Party of Wisconsin where he worked from 2009-2015.A New York native, he lives in Madison, WI but still finds time to obsessively watch the Mets. His six-year-old son Clark has no idea what his job is.
Jamaa Bickley-King
He/Him
Chief Solutions Officer
TargetSmart Communications
Session: The Allure of Paid Ads: Uncovering the Benefits at Various Budget Levels
Jamaa Bickley-King, is the Chief Solutions Officer for TargetSmart Communications LLC and has worked in progressive political data and technology for nearly 2 decades. He got his start working for Mark Warner’s 2001 gubernatorial campaign. He worked in his administration developing new and different ways to display the data of the Virginia Government. After leaving the Warner Administration, he has worked at all levels of politics and civic engagement from partisan players to non-profit organizations for the next 20 years. His clients range from the NAACP, to the DNC, to 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 card submitted, with 600,000 completed. He developed a gap closing political data and technology training in 2017 targeted towards people of color, in order to get them entry level jobs in electoral work. The training had an internal goal of having 50% or more those trained be women, and we ended up with over 70% of the attendees be 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 the premier community and progressive movement centric organization in the country.
Jamaa holds a degree in Electrical Engineering from Virginia Tech. Jamaa is a huge science fiction literature, fantasy literature, and comic books fan, and in his spare time he bakes pies.
Minister JaNaé Bates
She/Her
Co-Executive Director
Faith in Minnesota/ISAIAH
Session: COMMSTalks
Minister JaNaé Bates (she/her) is the Co-Executive Director for Faith in Minnesota (c4) and ISAIAH (c3) – multi-racial, multi-faith, state-wide vehicles for people and communities of faith, Black owned barbershops and childcare centers. These organizations are dedicated to building a multiracial democracy by moving collectively and powerfully for racial and economic equity in the state of Minnesota. JaNaé specializes in integrating grassroots community organizing and narrative strategy. She has been instrumental in the co-creation of the narrative and organizing ecosystem in Minnesota, including being core implementer of the “Race Class Gender Narrative” framework in both Minnesota and across the U.S.
JaNaé is a womanist theologian and Fulbright scholar. She’s also a co-creator and co-writer of the award-winning animated web series MINE and co-host of upcoming podcast Recorded and Monitored with her incarcerated husband, Dontez, that launches in Fall 2024. She has nearly two decades of academic and professional experience in ministry, social justice, politics and communications, including over 7 years as the Communications Director of ISAIAH and Faith in MN.
JaNaé considers her life a witness to the power of liberation, mercy and redemption. In her work, ministry, and vocation, she desires that all people get to experience restoration and grace.
Jen Ferris
She/They
Senior Strategy Director
ProgressNow
Session: Direct Democracy for the Win — Ballot Measures and Constitutional Amendments
Jen Ferris is the Senior Strategy Director at ProgressNow. Jen has spent nearly two decades working in the reproductive health, rights, and justice movement, and has been with the ProgressNow network for eight years. Jen lives in Chapel Hill, NC.
Jenny Lawson
She/Her
Vice President of Organizing and Electoral Campaigns
Planned Parenthood Federation of America
Session: Direct Democracy for the Win — Ballot Measures and Constitutional Amendments
Jenny Lawson is vice president of organizing and electoral campaigns at Planned Parenthood Federation of America (PPFA). She previously served as the national campaigns director at Planned Parenthood Action Fund and Planned Parenthood Votes.
Jenny has worked in progressive politics and community organizing in Florida, Virginia, Oregon, Washington, and other states. As part of her early grassroots organizing work, she led ballot initiative signature drives on redistricting reform in Florida, fought for minimum wage increases, and advocated for predatory lending reform. She has a BS in social work from the University of Kansas.
Jess Jollett
She/Her
Executive Director
Progress North Carolina
Sessions: Megaphone: Amplifying Our Voices and Values & Where Do We Go From Here?
For the past 18 years, Jess Jollett has worked as a communications specialist and political operative. She began her work at the ACLU of California, where she worked on numerous successful ballot initiatives and legislation focused on criminal justice reform and voting rights. In 2018, she led a successful campaign in Contra Costa County (CA) to elect the first African American woman as District Attorney in the county’s history. Jess joined Progress NC Action as executive director in 2020 and grew a team of twelve to fundraise for and execute multimillion-dollar voter education media campaigns in the 2020 and 2022 elections.
Dr. Jiggy Geronimo
She/Her
Principal
JG Insights
Session: The Nuts and Bolts of Message Testing
Dr. Jiggy Geronimo is former neuroscientist turned social justice advocate, with expertise in public opinion research, messaging, state legislative advocacy, coalition building, and grassroots organizing. She is the Founder and Principal of JG Insights LLC, a progressive consulting firm that focuses on public opinion research, messaging/narrative, and coalition building. Jiggy was previously the founding Executive Director of the Research Collaborative where she helped coordinate the national #CountEveryVote campaign to protect the 2020 election. She also ran policy campaigns for democracy in over 10 states across the country during her time at Voting Rights Lab and Indivisible. Prior to a career in politics, Jiggy earned her PhD in neuroscience at UC San Francisco and taught undergraduate biology courses at the University of San Francisco; she brings her research expertise, scientific rigor, and understanding of the mind to her work in politics. Jiggy enjoys cooking, pottery, running, and hiking in the mountains.
Josh Berezin
He/Him
Vice President
Grow Progress
Session: The Nuts and Bolts of Message Testing
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 to share throughout the community, and developed and delivered trainings on evidence-based campaigning. Josh co-founded Grow Progress in 2017 to develop tools to help enable more effective persuasion for the progressive movement. Josh lives in Portland, Oregon.
Joshua Doss
He/Him
Senior Reseaarch Manager
HIT Strategies
Session: Who, What, When in 2024
As a Senior Research Manager, Joshua directs HIT Strategies’ “Economics and Black Voters” department, where his team spearheads public opinion research, political strategy, message development, and emerging consumer trends. Joshua also drives HIT’s brand communication strategies with TV and newspaper media engagements, alongside panel conversations and public research briefings.
Before stepping into his role as a Senior Research Manager, Joshua served as a National Communications Director for one of the largest political funders in the country. During this time Joshua directed a multi-million dollar economic narrative project that delivered high-level messaging recommendations for political TV ads, online digital ads, mail pieces, candidate speeches, and more. During his time in the grantor space, Joshua made critical decisions that resulted in a multitude of electoral and legislative/lobbying wins across 14 states.
Though Joshua began his career pounding the pavement as a grassroots organizer in his hometown of Chicago, Joshua’s understanding of economic trends and Black voters has allowed him to conduct quantitative and qualitative research for the Black Economic Alliance, Bryan Stevenson’s Equal Justice Initiative, the DCCC, Senate Majority PAC, Winning Jobs Narrative, and more.
Joshua has been featured in Dear Dean Magazine, Scripps National News, The Hill, Politico, and Indy100.
JT Johnson
She/They
Chief Strategy Officer
The League
Session: Creating Change Through Cultural Communications
JT Johnson is a co-founder and Chief Strategy Officer at the League. The League works at the intersection of politics and culture helping brands, creatives, and changemakers design strategy for social impact.
For nearly 20 years, JT has worked in and around strategic communications. Their experience includes roles at major networks like CNN, Discovery, Gannett, and NBC Washington, where she developed deep expertise in digital content and narrative production. JT’s work across digital strategy, news, public relations, and audience engagement have often been in service to nonprofits and foundations such as the ACLU of Maryland, Open Society Institute of Baltimore, the Nathan Cummings Foundation, and notably, the Make It Work Campaign. In 2016, on behalf of Make It Work, JT presented to state and local lawmakers on best practices in public engagement as part of the White House Office of Digital Strategy’s final work under President Obama.
JT helped launch The League in 2017, and landed the organization’s first of two Webby Award nominations in 2022, through her work developing Full Set Society, a “no-code switch” civic lifestyle community for Black and Brown women and femmes.
JT holds a B.S. in TV/Radio/Film production from Syracuse University, with minors in Entrepreneurship and African American Studies, and a public relations certificate from the Chartered Institute of Public Relations in London. In summer 2023, they enrolled in the Future London Academy’s Executive Programme for Design Leaders, a year-long alternative MBA program boasting less than 30 design professionals from five continents.
Karen Finney
She/Her
Independent Consultant
Session: Earned Media
Karen Finney is an independent consultant working with political and corporate clients in the United States and globally on public affairs, media, crisis communications, polling, branding, and strategy. A CNN Political Commentator, she was a Senior Advisor to Georgia Gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams, the Democratic National Committee and AL Media in the 2018 election cycle. Finney served as Senior Advisor for Communications and Political Outreach and Senior Spokesperson for Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign 2016.
From her experience working in media, national politics, political and communications strategy in both the public and private sectors, Finney brings a unique perspective to her work. She was a Political Analyst and hosted her own show on MSNBC, “Disrupt with Karen Finney”. Her experience includes work on five presidential campaigns, the Clinton Administration, and she was the Democratic National Committee’s first African American spokeswoman, helping to lead the DNC’s communications strategy for the “50 State Strategy,”successful 2006 Congressional elections and 2008 presidential campaign.
Finney has also worked to improve public education. As Chief of Staff to the Chairman, CEO and President of Scholastic Inc., Karen led a number of corporate projects including branding campaigns, internet strategy and partnership development. As Director of Business Development and Strategy, she developed and oversaw the growth of Scholastic, Inc. into new market areas and cultivated strategic relationships with key organizations in the public and private sectors. As the chief spokesperson and Communications Director for the New York City Board of Education, Karen also managed crisis communications in the aftermath of 9/11.
A former Fellow at Harvard Kennedy School’s Institute of Politics, Finney is currently Vice Chair of the Board of NARAL pro-choice America, and serves on the boards of Ultraviolet and Power Rising.
Kathleen Cancio
She/Her
Strategic Communications Specialist
AFSCME
Session: COMMSTalks
Kathleen Cancio is a Strategic Communications Specialist with the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME). She is based in New York and has been leading communication efforts for AFSCME’s Cultural Workers United (CWU) national campaign since 2019. In her role, she has helped amplify workers’ stories across the cultural sector and facilitated training on how to use digital communications to inspire and affect real change. As lead communicator for AFSCME CWU, Cancio learned first-hand which strategies helped contribute to successful campaigns such as the Philadelphia Museum of Art Union, Daniel Boone Regional Library Workers United, Art Institute of Chicago Workers United and more.
Kelsey Suter
She/Her
Director of the Center on Digital Influence
Drive Agency
Session: The Disinformation Dilemma
Kelsey Suter (she/her) is Drive Agency’s Director of the Center on Digital Influence, where she leads the firm’s work around digital engagement and social listening. She has advised hundreds of progressive advocacy organizations, sitting prime ministers and foreign governments, democracy-building NGOs, and multinational corporations – helping them turn up the volume on their own messaging and develop digital strategies that build trust with audiences.
Kelsey has a special focus on countering online propaganda and disinformation. Since 2020, she has helped lead a first-of-its-kind effort advising the progressive space to detect and counter political disinformation ahead of the presidential and midterm elections. She has been cited in the Washington Post, Politico, Technology 202, and various research publications.
With a background in both research and strategic communications, Kelsey has worked at GQR Research and APCO Worldwide. In this work, Kelsey spent time embedded with political campaigns around the world, managed large-dollar digital ad campaigns, and secured top-tier media coverage for clients. She is also a trained focus group moderator and has conducted hundreds of focus groups worldwide.
She has an MSc in Comparative Politics from the London School of Economics and a BA in Political Science and English from the College of St. Benedict in Minnesota.
Laura Dent
She/Her
Political Director
Arizona for Abortion Access Initiative
Session: Direct Democracy for the Win — Ballot Measures and Constitutional Amendments
An Arizona native, Laura is the daughter of Colombian and Canadian parents and was born and raised in the Phoenix valley. Her family’s immigration experience and commitment to civic participation helped shape her values growing up.
Laura is an experienced organizer, policy advisor, political operative, and executive. She spent years working in the labor movement before serving as Chief of Staff to Regina Romero during her time on the Tucson City Council. Laura has served as Executive Director of Chispa Arizona, a statewide climate justice advocacy organization as well as Coalition Director of Activate 48, a network of movement-building organizations leading voter engagement work across Arizona.
Laura is passionate about reflective democracy work, reproductive justice, and the environment. She holds a BA in Political Science and a Master’s degree in Public Administration from the University of Arizona.
Laura is currently serving as the Political Director for the Arizona for Abortion Access initiative, a campaign working to protect abortion rights for Arizonans in 2024. She enjoys being a mother to her young daughter, spending time outdoors, visiting with family and friends, and traveling.
Lauren Brenzel
They/Them
Campaign Director
Floridians Protecting Freedom
Session: Direct Democracy for the Win — Ballot Measures and Constitutional Amendments
Lauren Brenzel is the Campaign Director for Floridians Protecting Freedom. They have over a decade experience working in electoral and advocacy fights for abortion access, including serving as the Campaign Manager for the Florida Planned Parenthood PAC in 2022, the Organizing Director for Florida for All/Win Justice in 2020, and the Statewide Director of Organizing for the Florida Alliance of Planned Parenthood since 2018. Their goal in work is to mobilize community members to create lasting change that leads to collective reproductive freedom.
Lex Beckom
She/Her
Digital Content Creator
ProgressNow
Session: TikTok Revolution: Short Form Video Shaping Content and Culture
Lex Beckom is a content creator and graphic designer who has amassed over 245,000 followers across TikTok and various platforms. An expert in short form video creation, Lex can be a guide to getting starting as a creator.
Liz King Aviles
She/Her
Executive Director of Creative and Digital Media
Alliance for a Better Minnesota
Session: TikTok Revolution: Short Form Video Shaping Content and Culture
Liz King Aviles is a seasoned digital and creative expert driving innovative solutions. As Executive Director of Creative & Digital Media at ABM, she leverages expertise in digital mediums and growth-forward strategies to deliver impactful results. With a diverse background in creative studios, music entertainment, and advertising agencies, Liz brings a unique perspective to the non-profit and campaign sectors. Her expertise spans:
– Branding development
– User-centered UX/UI design
– Typography design
– Video production
– Comprehensive digital strategy
– Innovative creative strategy
– Collaborative leadership and team management
Liz holds a Digital Marketing Certificate from Columbia Business School, a Human-Centered Strategy Certificate from IDEO, and a Bachelor of Science in Entrepreneurship from the Minneapolis College of Art and Design.Connect with Liz on social media @LizKingAviles or via email at LizKingAviles@gmail.com
Marissa Luna
She/Her
Executive Director
Alliance for a Better Minnesota
Sessions: What’s At Stake? & Where Do We Go From Here?
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 ten years. In that time, she has managed teams and overseen strategy and content creation for multi-million dollar statewide paid, digital, and earned media programs. She has garnered millions of dollars in earned media and helped shape media narratives for campaigns. And she has conducted capacity-building communications trainings for hundreds of activists, volunteers, and leaders across the country, including narrative, spokesperson, digital, and social media trainings. She oversaw content creation for ABM’s statewide paid and earned media program in the 2018 Minnesota gubernatorial and 2020 presidential and legislative elections, resulting in victories for progressive candidates up and down the ballot. Most recently, she oversaw ABM’s paid media program for the 2022 Minnesota gubernatorial election, the largest independent expenditure program in the state, which helped secure Minnesota’s Democratic trifecta.
Matt Sinovic
He/Him
Executive Director
Progress Iowa
Session: Earned Media
Matt has been the Executive Director of Progress Iowa since the spring of 2012 when the organization was founded. During the past twelve years, Progress Iowa has grown from a few dozen members to an online network of more than 100,000. As Iowa’s progressive communications hub, they develop message guidance based on polling and research, and help prepare all of us to deliver a winning message. Matt serves on the board for their national organization, ProgressNow, volunteers as an assistant debate coach for his son’s middle school, and is an Iowa State Fair ribbon winner for homemade barbecue sauce. Matt and his wife Stephanie live in Urbandale, Iowa with their two boys and puppy Theo.
Matthew Ng
He/Him
Senior Digital Communications Coordinator
NCAAT in Action
Session: Megaphone: Amplifying Our Voices and Values
Matthew is a lifelong North Carolina resident: He grew up in Raleigh and graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a degree in journalism and political science before joining NCAAT in Action in 2023. As Senior Digital Communications Coordinator at NCAAT in Action, Matthew works to amplify progressive Asian American voices in a state where the Asian American population is growing at a rapid rate. After growing up in N.C. surrounded by his Korean and Chinese-Filipino family, he enjoys sharing community stories and advocating for the needs of Asian Americans in his home state. In his free time, Matthew enjoys biking, doing crossword puzzles, and rock climbing.
Maya Castillo
She/Her
Managing Director
ProgressNow
Session: Where Do We Go From Here?
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.
Melissa Grigsby
She/Her
Executive Vice President, Communications
All Voting is Local
Session: Safeguarding our Elections
Melissa Grigsby is All Voting is Local’s Executive Vice President of Communications where she leads national and state communications strategy to harness and amplif the messaging, issues, and democracy landscape of the states in which All Voting works.
Most recently, Grigsby served as the Director of Communications and Media Relations for the American Society for Reproductive Medicine. In her role, she was responsible for the positioning, strategic direction, and execution of external communications for outreach to the media, the public, advocates, patients, legislators, donors, and other external constituents. Grigsby has led award-winning communication campaigns, most notably a crisis communications campaign surrounding Dobbs v. Jackson and its potential impact on infertility and other reproductive health care.
Grigsby is a tactical and strategic communications leader with over 13 years of experience, specifically within the nonprofit sector, and has a passion for working with mission-based organizations.
She received her B.A. in communications from Wake Forest University and her M.S. in public relations from the University of Maryland.
Michael McGovern
He/Him
Senior Director of Messaging and Research
ProgressNow
Session: The Nuts and Bolts of Message Testing
Michael McGovern is the Senior Director of Messaging and Research at ProgressNow. He has previously held leadership roles on a variety of ballot initiatives, independent expenditures, and candidate campaigns in Ohio.
Mike Pfohl
He/Him
President
Empower Project
Session: COMMSTalks
Mike Pfohl is an organizer and software designer, with experience in state government and political campaigns. He played a pivotal role in the birth of the relational organizing movement during the 2011 Wisconsin recalls designing the first-ever relational organizing software tool, now known as Empower. He now serves as the President of Empower Project and is based in Madison, WI.
Nada Al-Hanooti
She/Her
Executive Director
Engage Michigan
Session: Megaphone: Amplifying Our Voices and Values
Nada Al-Hanooti is a community organizer and the Executive Director of Emgage Michigan, where she is responsible for politically empowering our Muslim and BIPOC communities. Through her work in Emgage, she has led efforts for the historic wins of Joe Biden, Rashida Tlaib, Abdullah Hammoud, and the Michigan Democratic trifecta win in 2022.
In 2017, Nada led and organized her campaign for a seat on the Dearborn City Council. She led an aggressive race, personally out-knocking her competitors. Formerly, Nada served as a field coordinator for Rashida Tlaib as State Representative in Detroit and was responsible for organizing events and door-to-door initiatives and recruiting and managing volunteers.
As a Palestinian-American, Nada’s mission is to advocate for the rights and self-determination of all marginalized people living locally and abroad.
She holds a BA in Political Science and Journalism and a MA in Women’s and Gender Studies.
Natalia Campos Vargas
She/Her
Deputy Research Director, Messaging
Equis
Session: Who, What, When in 2024
Natalia serves as Deputy Research Director for Messaging, where she leads digital and qualitative testing, develops content and messaging recommendations, and works with partners to implement Equis’ findings. With a background in political communication and messaging, Natalia is passionate about finding better ways to reach and engage Latinos across the US. Originally from Bogotá, Colombia, Natalia moved to Washington, DC to attend Georgetown University. She now lives in Los Angeles with her cat, Grandpa.
Nick Ahamed
He/Him
Deputy Executive Director
Priorities USA
Session: The Allure of Paid Ads: Uncovering the Benefits at Various Budget Levels
Nick Ahamed is a Deputy Executive Director at Priorities USA, covering political partnerships, analytics and opinion research. In that role, he leads Priorities’ political operation by supporting and working with progressive allies. He also oversees the organization’s analytics and opinion research strategy, ensuring our messages are developed, tested, and delivered rigorously. Previously, he served in analytics roles at Priorities and Civis analytics. Priorities USA Action is a leading Democratic organization built to engage, persuade, and mobilize millions of voters online.
Raymond Paultre
He/Him
Executive Director/Founder
Florida Alliance/American Experiment Project
Session: Creating Change Through Cultural Communications
Raymond Paultre is the Executive Director of the Florida Alliance, and co-founder of Project 68 (P68) and the American Experiment Project (AEP). He is currently working with a group of funders and stakeholders to continue his work around organizing our cultural power – including his work with athletes, artists, and brands as a part of P68 and helping partners create culturally sound content as a part of the AEP surround sound model.
For over a decade now, Raymond has worked on or helped to fund most of the major progressive initiatives in Florida, beginning during the 2012 cycle on Obama’s re-election campaign. Since then, he’s been an adviser in Florida for the Hillary Clinton campaign, and for three years led Enroll America’s efforts in FL, helping to power Florida to the nation’s largest increase in health insurance sign ups three years in a row. Since Raymond took the helm in 2019, the Florida Alliance has seen a 700% increase in membership, raised over $60 million towards progressive organizations and candidates in Florida, and has quickly become the most diverse donor table in the country.
Sayer LaGalle
She/Her
Election Sabotage Response Network Director
State Democracy Defenders Action
Session: Safeguarding our Elections
Sayer LaGalle serves as director of the Election Sabotage Response Network where she works to coordinate and activate organizations across the pro-democracy movement to safeguard our elections. She previously served as senior advisor for stakeholder engagement at All Voting is Local where she worked with national and state based partners to develop and execute new strategies to address the emerging threat of election subversion. Prior to turning her passion for election volunteerism into a career, she worked in public interest law and legal education. She earned a BS from Florida State University in 2010 and a JD from Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law in 2014.
Victoria Gordon
She/Her
ProgressNow
Digital Manager
Session: TikTok Revolution: Short Form Video Shaping Content and Culture
Victoria is currently the Digital Manager at ProgressNow and is based in Raleigh, North Carolina. In addition to digital expertise she has a background in opposition research and combatting disinformation.
Zoe Chernicoff
She/Her
Senior Strategy and Program Specialist
States United Democracy Center
Session: Safeguarding our Elections
Before joining States United, Zoe worked on state and national voter protection efforts, including by serving as the Research & Policy Director at Fair Fight Action, and working with in-state teams in North Carolina and Georgia in 2020 and 2021. She was a public interest litigator and federal law clerk for several years before that.
