Felix Schein founded RALLY in 2011 and as its President has guided the firm’s expansion in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, and New York. Now more than fifty strong, RALLY has been engaged by leading foundations, advocacy groups, and companies to execute earned, paid, and digital media campaigns that touch everything from the environment, to education, to reproductive rights.

Prior to RALLY Felix tried his hand at political campaign management and was a member of the much-maligned mainstream media. As an intern for Meet the Press he clipped and organized newspaper articles for Tim Russert, a role he performed well enough to advance to the position of Researcher for Andrea Mitchell. He later joined the Today Show as an Associate Producer, and then NBC’s political unit where he was assigned to follow and report on the activities of Gov. Howard Dean and Sen. John Kerry during the 2004 Presidential election, an experience that frequently put him one-on-one with both candidates and embedded him with their campaigns for more than 18 months.

Born in Munich, Germany and raised in part in Telluride, Colorado, Felix is an avid, some would say rabid, football/soccer fan and an outdoor enthusiast. He lives in sunny Los Angeles with his brilliant wife and young son.

Lara Bergthold, Principal Partner at RALLY, is a campaign and communications strategist with a wealth of experience in positions such as political and communications strategist, philanthropic advisor, presidential senior campaign advisor, and PAC director. Lara is a leader in integrating her wide network of relationships in entertainment, politics, and the nonprofit space to develop and launch campaigns involving high-profile individuals and the causes they support.

Lara is skilled at developing and launching impactful campaigns and delivers results that truly make a difference. Her clients at RALLY have included Gap, Inc., Maria Shriver’s The Shriver Report, NARAL, Common Sense Media, Protect Democracy, CBS, and Rock the Vote.

She most notably helped guide Sandy Hook Promise, a non-profit founded by parents who had lost their children in the Sandy Hook shooting, through the first two years – helping build programs to identify potential mass shooters and suicides through peer-to-peer awareness campaigns.

Lara provided strategic guidance for TIME’S UP in their first year, as they developed a clear and lasting voice around the issues of safety and equity for women of all kinds in the workplace.

From 1997 – 2018, Lara served as Executive Director of the Lear Family Foundation, a private foundation of Lyn and Norman Lear, where she directed millions of dollars of grants annually to progressive organizations working on civil liberties, civil rights, the environment, and the arts, among others. She helped launch the “Declaration of Independence Road Trip,” a multimedia historical document and voter registration tour following the Lears’ acquisition of an original copy of the Declaration of Independence. It eventually toured all 50 states and registered over 4 million voters.

Lara served as National Deputy Political Director for John Kerry’s presidential campaign in 2004, overseeing the engagement of entertainment industry figures as surrogates. She had previously joined General Wesley Clark’s presidential campaign as National Political Director, where she managed political operations in over 12 battleground primary states. From 1989 to 1997, Lara worked with, and then ran, the Hollywood Women’s Political Committee, raising over $6 million for progressive candidates at the national level. She organized more than 50 celebrities and donors to attend the 1992 Choice March in Washington, DC.

Originally from Santa Cruz, California, Lara received a Master’s in Public Policy from the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, and a B.A. from the University of California, Berkeley. Lara fights with passion for social justice issues, civil rights, and civil liberties by serving as Chair of the Board for People for the American Way, as well as Rock the Vote, and her son’s school board. She is inspired by her colleagues at RALLY and is dedicated to building a better world for her son and other children.

After 20 years in communications, marketing, government, and the world of international NGOs, Latia Curry is channeling her wide breadth of experience into laser-focused messaging, strategy, and campaigns at RALLY.

Specializing in strategic communications, message development, and campaign management, Latia oversees a large portfolio of clients in different issue areas and supervises multi-faceted internal teams across disciplines. As a Principal, she also plays a leadership role in recruiting, hiring, and company culture as well as new business development.

Latia currently leads communication campaigns and projects for The California Endowment, The Colorado Trust, California Wellness Foundation, Braven, and Cities For Financial Empowerment. She recently served as the lead on Reddit, Google.org, Teach For America, The Ella Baker Center for Human Rights, Gap Inc., and The Shriver Report, created by Maria Shriver’s A Woman’s Nation. She has served as a featured speaker at South by Southwest Conference and Engage for Good and facilitates workshops that help her clients unpack sticky communications issues to move their causes forward.

Previously, Latia spent three years as Senior Director of Partner Engagement and Special Initiatives at the U.S. Fund for UNICEF. In this role, she was responsible for creating, developing, and launching new ways to engage corporate partners. She worked with American Airlines, UPS, Starwood Hotels, Pfizer, and Giorgio Armani Beauty. She also served as the lead campaign manager for America’s oldest youth movement, Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF, overseeing all marketing, communications, and programmatic elements for the national campaign.

Prior to her work with the U.S. Fund for UNICEF, Latia managed all ethnic and specialty media outreach for former New York Governor David Paterson as Director of Special Projects. Latia regularly staffed the Governor at press conferences, acted as a spokesperson, led communications for new task force initiatives, and oversaw 83 state agency press offices, including coordinating messaging and fielding media requests.

Latia has also founded and run her own strategic communications firm, Statement, where she developed and implemented research-based communications for nonprofit clients and their corporate partners, including Mercy Corps, Dartmouth College, PepsiCo, The National Underground Railroad Freedom Center, The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and Goldman Sachs. Latia has held roles at consumer marketing agency PowerPact, integrated communications agency SS+K, and The Coca-Cola Company.

Latia enjoys a number of athletic pursuits including volleyball and Bikram yoga. She has always been passionate about making the seemingly impossible, possible with creativity and energy. She graduated from Dartmouth College with a degree in African and African-American Studies. She is a native New Yorker.

Steve Mancini is a Principal at RALLY specializing in strategic communications, brand management, and crisis communications. He joined RALLY in 2019 with nearly two decades of work in public affairs and strategic communications.

Prior to RALLY, Steve was the Director of Public Affairs for the KIPP Foundation. He led communications for KIPP as it grew from five to more than 200 public schools nationwide and became one of the most respected school networks in K-12 public education.

Along with leading public affairs for KIPP, Steve also served as the Communications Director for the Doris & Donald Fisher Fund. In that role, Steve provided strategic communications consulting to numerous education non-profits, including the Charter School Growth Fund, the Character Lab, the Silicon Schools Fund, Teach For All, and Teach For America.

Steve also worked as Communications Director for the Office of Elementary and Secondary Education at the U.S. Department of Education during the Clinton Administration. In that role, he managed media relations and communications for the Assistant Secretary who oversaw K-12 education. Before becoming a communications advisor, Steve taught high school social studies at Concord-Carlisle High School and Belmont High School in the Boston area.

Steve graduated from Amherst College with a degree in American Studies. He has two masters’ degrees from the Harvard Graduate School of Education—one in teaching and one in educational policy. A native of Upstate New York, Steve currently lives in New York City with his wife and three daughters. Steve enjoys hiking, good Italian food, and reading U.S. history and hard-boiled detective novels.

Hillary Moglen is a Principal at RALLY, providing high-level strategy and communications guidance across an array of accounts. With a robust background in policy and law, Hillary is adept at simplifying complex advocacy challenges and transforming them into actionable, results-focused campaigns.

Hillary has played a crucial role in helping to expand the firm’s footprint and grow the firm’s diverse talent pool. She has assumed a leadership role within RALLY that allows her to contribute to the management areas she’s most passionate about: the professional development of staff and the shaping of the company’s culture.

Hillary approaches her work with enthusiasm and curiosity, fueling a drive for insights that translate into winning strategies for her clients. She is particularly proud of recent work with Chanel Miller to change how society thinks about sexual assault survivors, an ongoing campaign to stop neighborhood oil drilling with environmental justice groups in Los Angeles and efforts to address gender equality in the tech sector.

Before joining RALLY, Hillary worked at a national philanthropic consulting firm, where she managed high-profile clients’ philanthropic work, and a Los Angeles-based public affairs firm, where she focused on clients in the energy and environmental sectors. She also worked on both a California Senate campaign and a presidential primary campaign and managed the Green Schools Campaign on behalf of the Los Angeles-based environmental nonprofit, Global Green USA.

Hillary holds a Bachelor of Arts in Public Policy from Brown University and a Juris Doctorate from the UC Hastings College of the Law. She is currently a mentor through Brown University’s Women’s Launch Pad program and volunteers with Social Venture Partners, Los Angeles.

Hillary grew up in Los Angeles and currently enjoys hiking, trying to beat her husband in tennis, and keeping up with her two young boys.

Manny Rivera is a Principal at RALLY, leading multiple account teams and offering strategic communications guidance to amplify clients’ messaging and drive audiences to action. A seasoned expert in issues management, as well as in crisis and litigation communications, Manny has been an instrumental member of RALLY’s impact litigation practice and has helped numerous clients protect and bolster their brand and reputation, even in the face of complex communications challenges.

Manny leads communications for a range of high-profile clients including national non-profit organizations, philanthropists, and foundations across a range of issue areas. Manny collaborates extensively with advocates and experts, working routinely with Tier I print, broadcast, and online media to help shape powerful and compelling narratives that move the needle of public opinion.

Most recently, Manny led communications around the federal case of a DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) beneficiary, Daniel Ramirez Medina, who was illegally detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Manny’s efforts helped elevate the national narrative around immigrant youth, combat the government’s misinformation campaign about Daniel and share his story in local and national media.

Manny also works with the national education nonprofit Students Matter, leading communications around the organization’s groundbreaking impact litigation and advocacy to support students’ access to quality education. He managed stakeholder communications and media relations around the education equality lawsuit Vergara v. California, and the federal education equality case Martinez v. Malloy. Manny executes at the macro and micro levels, from launching communications campaigns around significant legal and organizational milestones to leading the day-to-day efforts of media rapid response.

Previously, Manny led media relations for the American Foundation for Equal Rights—the sole sponsor of the federal constitutional challenge to California’s Proposition 8, Hollingsworth v. Perry—in an effort that helped fuel a momentous shift in public opinion and paved the way for full federal marriage equality. He served as the media relations lead for Sandy Hook Promise, working with national and local media to help the families of Sandy Hook victims share their stories and promote solutions to address the issue of gun violence. He also oversaw the communications effort around various health-related education and awareness campaigns for The California Endowment, California’s largest health foundation, including steering earned media initiatives and branding opportunities, planning and executing events, and creating opportunities to raise the visibility of The Endowment’s flagship Health Happens Here campaign.

Prior to joining the RALLY team, Manny worked with several global and boutique public affairs and public relations firms, focusing on reputation management and crisis communications-related disciplines and capabilities. In these roles, he was responsible for crafting and implementing communications campaigns and strategies supporting the business imperatives for multiple Fortune 20 companies.

Manny is a graduate of Cornell University, with a double major in Sociology and Government and a concentration in Law and Society. A Californian for most of his adult life, Manny enjoys exploring Los Angeles’s diverse neighborhoods, outstanding cuisine, and notable tourist traps.

Leo Wallach is a Principal at RALLY, working with clients to develop political and communications strategies, create advertising, and oversee complex and multifaceted communications campaigns. Leo has an extensive background in paid communications, opinion research, ballot measure and candidate campaigns, and issue advocacy.

Leo has managed, consulted, and created advertising for more than a dozen ballot campaigns in California, Nevada, Arizona, Michigan, Ohio, and West Virginia. His broad advocacy and communications background has seen him work on a range of issues, including criminal justice reform, public land protection, and project entitlements.

Currently, Leo leads RALLY’s San Francisco office and serves a number of environmental causes, including the Center for Western Priorities, which advocates for balanced land and energy policies in the Mountain West, and Proposition 67, which made California the first state in the nation to ban plastic grocery bags.

Leo previously ran his own strategic consulting firm, Wallach Public Affairs. Prior to that, he was vice president at Winner & Mandabach Campaigns, one of the nation’s leading ballot measure consulting firms. In 2011, Leo was named a Rising Star by Campaigns & Elections magazine.

Leo grew up in Oakland, California and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from UCLA and has an MBA from Berkeley’s Haas School of Business. He loves soccer and is an avid hiker and runner.

Ashley Burns is a director in RALLY’s Seattle office, bringing more than a decade of communications and marketing experience specializing in community engagement and messaging, media events and storytelling, and connecting with ambivalent audiences.

At RALLY, Ashley focuses on health and racial equity, education equity, child welfare, and other issues for clients including The Colorado Trust, Casey Family Programs, Equal Opportunity Schools, and Destination Crenshaw. From strategy development and message training to conducting focus groups and 1:1 interviews, Ashley helps her clients uncover and understand new insights in order to reach their audience more effectively. Ashley also oversees launch event execution and digital strategy to engage online and offline influencers.

Prior to joining RALLY, Ashley led international media campaigns and product launches for Microsoft, Minecraft Education, Skype, LEGO, NASA, Hour of Code, Microsoft Accelerator Startup and many others. Before focusing on edtech, it was just tech. Ashley led multiple Microsoft communication account teams focused on developers, hackers, and startups including consumer and tech events such as Consumer Electronic Show, TechCrunch Disrupt, and the Napa Valley Film Festival. Ashley also worked in-house on marketing, public relations, and design efforts in the built environment for Nintendo, Vulcan, Seahawks Stadium, University of Washington, the Pike Place Market, and Seattle Aquarium. She managed photography projects, marcom creation, message development, and supported crisis communications.

Ashley graduated with honors from Seattle University with a degree in Marketing and Japanese. Outside the office, she mentors college students and serves on scholarship committees to encourage youth travel abroad.

Ravi Garla is the Director of Digital at RALLY, where he leads the firm’s digital practice and delivers best-in-class campaigns to meet client challenges.

Over the last decade, he has worked with dozens of clients on how to transform legislative, legal, and political opportunities into powerful moments to organize and share stories online with millions of people.

Ravi currently advises Tipping Point Community on how to use digital engagement strategies to advance solutions to homelessness in San Francisco. He also helps shape the digital communications approach of the David and Lucille Packard Foundation.

Ravi joined RALLY from the leadership of Everytown for Gun Safety after having spent several years building the digital program from scratch into the largest gun violence prevention organization in the country.

Prior to that, Ravi worked at a DC-based agency that built digital fundraising and organizing programs for non-profits and campaigns. Ravi has a deep background in environmental and climate change issue advocacy, starting with his work for Vice President Al Gore’s Alliance for Climate Protection.

No client challenge is the same and Ravi loves crafting campaigns that combine creativity with technology in new and impactful ways. He graduated from the University of Chicago with a degree in International Studies. He recently traded Brooklyn for Los Angeles and believes every vacation–or even long weekend–is an adequate excuse to enjoy a piña colada.

Jacob Hay is a Director at RALLY specializing in media relations, message development, and advocacy. Combining communications expertise with a legal background, Jacob is particularly adept at packaging complex issues into clear messages for a public audience.

At RALLY, Jacob has worked with Sandy Hook Promise to develop and advocate for commonsense community programs aimed at preventing gun violence. He also helped the Act Now for Washington Students campaign make students and parents heard in the fight to keep their public schools open. Jacob recently led earned media outreach for the Yes on Prop 62 campaign to end California’s death penalty, driving extensive positive media coverage of the issue and winning the editorial board endorsement of every major newspaper in the state.

Currently Jacob advises the Center for Western Priorities on communications strategies to promote responsible conservation and energy practices on national public lands in the Mountain West. He also helps support the United Way of Greater Los Angeles’ campaign to end homelessness.

Prior to joining RALLY, Jacob worked on a variety of projects for the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), including developing campaigns to help improve the working conditions of janitors, security officers, and airport workers across California, leading communications efforts to call for immigration reform, and earning extensive media coverage on the issues of income inequality and the need to invest in good jobs to help struggling Los Angeles communities. In that capacity, he also handled media relations and produced campaign materials for independent expenditure committees supporting the Yes on Prop 30 and No on Prop 32 initiatives in 2012 and the Eric Garcetti for Los Angeles Mayor election in 2013.

Before his time with SEIU, Jacob handled national media relations for the Laborers’ International Union of North America (LIUNA) in Washington, D.C. where he earned coverage in key influential media outlets and led successful legislative advocacy campaigns in support of federal programs to put people back to work building America. Jacob has also worked with progressive organizations including Planned Parenthood and the California Democratic Party.

Jacob holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from UC Berkeley and a Juris Doctorate from The George Washington Law School. Born in Napa and raised near Sacramento, Jacob enjoys exploring the music and food scene in Los Angeles with his wife Stacey and daughter Hillary. A former ski instructor in the Lake Tahoe area and an outdoor sports enthusiast, Jacob loves California’s ski slopes and mountain bike trails.

Pi James is a Director in RALLY’s San Francisco office where she brings more than 12 years of experience driving strategic communication and advocacy efforts at the UN, international NGOs and the private sector. Pi specializes in translating complex issues into engaging campaigns, messaging, media pitches and impactful digital content for diverse audiences. At RALLY, Pi’s clients have included the David and Lucile Packard Foundation, the Colorado Health Foundation, the Walton Family Foundation and the Asia Society.

Pi’s work has taken her to more than 25 countries where she’s seen firsthand the power of storytelling for social change. She loves big ideas as much as getting things done, which has seen her take on everything from organizing CHIME FOR CHANGE’s hackathon at Facebook on improving education for refugee girls, to producing a peacebuilding and education film series with UNICEF across Africa and the Middle East, and building communications strategies and protocols during a humanitarian emergency at the International Rescue Committee in Pakistan.

Pi has advised CEOs on communications, led high-level strategy and design, produced events and managed communication responses during crises. At UN Women in China, Pi ran the “Say No to Violence Against Women” campaign, which targeted young people and collected more than 160,000 signatures from across the country. Pi also led digital at a firm advising celebrities and brands on philanthropy and designed a digital campaign for the World Bank’s Global Partnership for Education as an independent consultant.

Pi has worked on issues including health, climate change, education, refugees, gender-based violence, peacebuilding, press freedom, equality, and sexual and reproductive rights. She has a Masters’ in International and Community Development, a post-graduate diploma in Global Media and Communications and a Bachelor of Journalism all from her home country of Australia. San Francisco is the 10th city she’s lived in, and while New York will always have a piece of her heart, Pi is excited to make Northern California home.

Kaitlin Funaro is an Account Manager at RALLY specializing in messaging, communication strategy, and media relations. She has a background in news production and spent seven years as a producer and reporter in business, technology, and breaking news.

Kaitlin is proud to work on issue areas she cares about deeply including reproductive rights, gender equity, and gun violence prevention. Recently, Kaitlin worked with March for Our Lives to plan and execute the first national convention of youth gun violence prevention activists. She also worked with the David and Lucile Packard Foundation to develop a communications strategy and messaging to build a collaborative of donors committed to protecting access to abortion and contraception.

She also helped launch TIME’S UP London by shaping communications and messaging for TIME’S UP’s presence at the BAFTA awards in 2018.

Currently, Kaitlin is working with a collaboration of nonprofits, philanthropists, and service providers on a campaign to raise awareness around solutions to ending homelessness in the Seattle area.

Prior to joining RALLY, Kaitlin worked as a producer in Los Angeles for NPR affiliate KPCC and American Public Media’s ‘Marketplace’. Previously, she was a business & economics producer for the BBC based in London where she produced the early morning financial news program ‘Wake Up to Money’ and covered European business and tech news.

Outside of work, Kaitlin is usually at one of Hollywood’s many music venues or drinking coffee at the park with her two small kids.

Derek Jansen is an Account Manager at RALLY with a track record of managing successful public affairs, communications, and political campaigns. Derek combines operational expertise with political and media savvy to help build winning campaigns. He works with a variety of clients including Our Bay on the Brink and Teach for America.

Prior to joining RALLY, Derek served on the political team for Tom Steyer’s environmental advocacy organization, NextGen Climate. He led the California team working with coalition partners to successfully protect landmark climate change legislation from being undone. Derek also led NextGen Climate’s efforts to block the Keystone XL Pipeline by using earned media, political pressure, and mobilizing online supporters.

Derek has developed strong relationships with elected officials and political leaders in San Francisco working on high-profile campaigns including directing operations for Ed Lee for Mayor in 2011, and managing the campaign for a multimillion dollar citywide ballot measure in 2013.

As a public affairs consultant, Derek developed successful legislative, media, and coalition building strategies to ban chewing tobacco from baseball fields in San Francisco and Los Angeles, including at AT&T Park and Dodger Stadium. He also provided communications and media support for the team that successfully gained city approval of a new $2 billion seismically-safe hospital in San Francisco.

Derek began his professional career with Teach For America teaching elementary school in Brooklyn, New York, and saw firsthand the critical need to improve the quality of America’s public schools. He continued his commitment to improving public education after leaving the classroom by joining Teach For America national staff in an operational role to help recruit and hire critical staff during a period of rapid organizational growth.

Derek grew up in Davis, California and graduated from Kalamazoo College with a degree in political science, and has a Masters of Science in Teaching from Pace University.

Amy Jasper is an Account Manager at RALLY, specializing in strategic communications and message development. She is passionate about translating tough issues into people-focused stories, especially in education, health care, and digital spaces.

Amy worked with Reddit to help shape the public narrative around its transformation into one of the largest and most important websites in the country, and with the Smart Tech Challenges Foundation, helping drive earned media around smart guns. She has also worked with The California Endowment, YWCA Seattle, Sandy Hook Promise, and Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science.

Prior to joining RALLY, Amy worked The Broad Foundation, an organization dedicated to advancing entrepreneurship for the public good in education, science, and the arts, and at the American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California. Amy was the recipient of Fulbright Scholarship to Cyprus, and holds a B.A. in Political Studies from Pitzer College.

Mollie West Duffy is RALLY’s Manager of Organizational Development based in the Los Angeles office. Mollie helps RALLY amplify its culture as the organization scales. She designs internal strategies, structures, processes, and programs to help the company grow and achieve its goals. She also helps RALLY’s people grow and develop by designing leadership development and learning and development programs. She loves this role because she gets to create purposeful and meaningful change within organizations and help people thrive at work.

Previously, Mollie worked at IDEO, a global innovation consulting firm, as an organizational design lead. She helped IDEO’s clients become more adaptive, creative, and prolific by reimagining all aspects of an organization from its underlying structures, incentives, processes, and talent practices to its physical workplaces, digital collaboration tools, and communications. She worked on projects at IDEO ranging from starting an innovation lab within a financial services firm to shifting organizational culture within a major federal government entity and improving customer and employee experience at a large stadium. Her clients included Citibank, JetBlue, Carnival Cruise Lines, Brooklyn Public Library, Mercy Corps, American Express, Zalando, and NBCUniversal. Previously, she consulted for Casper (the mattress e-tailer), did research for the dean of Harvard Business School, and was a design strategist at Capital One Labs. She co-founded the Capital Good Fund, Rhode Island’s first microfinance fund, in 2008.

She co-authored the Wall Street Journal bestselling book about emotions at work: No Hard Feelings: The Secret Power of Embracing Emotions at Work published by Penguin. She’s written for Harvard Business Review, Fast Company, Quartz, and other digital outlets. Mollie holds a BA in Organizational Studies from Brown University and an MFA in Transdisciplinary Design from Parsons. She is also a trained leadership coach through CTI.

Dr. Toya Johnson-Moore is RALLY’s Manager of People and Culture based in the Los Angeles office. Dr. Toya is an Organizational Psychologist dedicated to helping people and organizations excel. After spending nearly a decade attracting, managing, training, and progressing the careers of an array diverse employees, Dr. Toya knows that a company’s most precious asset is their people and talent. Dr. Toya is excited to merge her interests in social justice and talent management in her role handling recruitment, selection, onboarding, and engagement for all of RALLY’s offices.

Dr. Toya utilizes HR business strategies that include recruiting diverse candidates and retaining the right people, as well as providing ethical and cultural leadership. She contributes to RALLY’s success by guiding training and development initiatives to promote employee productivity. Within her role, Dr. Toya oversees RALLY’s Fellowship, Internship, and Mentorship programs. Dr. Toya is a certified Human Resources professional by the premier credentialing agency HRCI. As a current subject matter expert, she writes exam content and enhances standards for emerging and executing HR practitioners. Previously, she presided on HRCI’s task force for the creation and development of the Associate Professional in HR (aPHR) certification. Dr. Toya currently serves on the Board of the Los Angeles Chapter of the National Association of African-Americans In Human Resources (NAAAHR).

Outside of RALLY, Dr. Toya also enjoys supporting advocacy and leadership groups like the California State Association of Colored Women’s Clubs, and she was honored to be their inspirational keynote speaker for the Youth Awards Luncheon. Dr. Toya is a NorCal native, SoCal educated graduate from Phillips Graduate University where she earned her Doctorate of Psychology in Organizational Management and Consulting. Dr. Toya also holds a Bachelor’s degree in Criminology and Psychology from the University of La Verne.

Salman Akhtar is a Senior Account Executive at RALLY who specializes in campaign planning, policy research and analysis, and media strategy.

Salman manages litigation communications for the Washington State Charter Schools Association, and works with NBCUniversal to lead outreach and planning around a speaker series for senior-level executives. Salman is proud to support RALLY’s pro-bono work on a federal case filed by Daniel Ramirez Medina, a DREAMer who was unconstitutionally stripped of his Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) status.

Previously, Salman worked on recruitment messaging for Teach For America, drove media outreach and messaging for leadership at Reddit, Inc., and conducted research for Ballmer Group to help develop a communications tool explaining and marketing performance-based contracting.

Prior to joining RALLY, Salman served as an intern for PwC’s Public Sector practice, Southern California Edison’s Integrated Planning and Strategy group, and split a summer between the Sierra Club’s Legislative Office and an organic farm in upstate New York. Salman is a graduate of Pomona College where he majored in Public Policy Analysis with a focus in Environmental Analysis.

Salman recently moved to the Pacific Northwest to help launch RALLY’s Seattle office. Though jaded by the superior Mexican cuisine of Los Angeles, Salman enjoys exploring Seattle’s restaurants and coffee shops, and is excited to experience seasons once again. He is currently seeking recommendations for a good pair of rain boots.

Elyse Dickson is a Digital Senior Account Executive in RALLY’s Los Angeles office. With over a decade of experience in digital and traditional communications for charities and nonprofits, she provides clients with an integrated approach to their communications challenges.

Elyse believes that powerful stories are at the heart of effective communication and loves having the opportunity to share these stories to inspire action. Whether it’s through paid and organic social, email marketing and automation, content strategy and creation, or copywriting, she’s driven by the end result: making lasting change in the lives of those who need it.

At RALLY, Elyse has used digital strategies and tactics to bring communities together in the fight against homelessness, champion equity in education, and ensure the impact of innovative research.

On any given day you might find her geeking out on analytics, creating engaging online content and data-driven strategies, or updating clients on her latest wins. Having worked in-house and agency-side in Australia, the UK, and the USA, she’s helped high-profile and grassroots organizations raise awareness among target audiences, engage supporters into action, and increase fundraising revenue.

When Elyse isn’t working, she’s probably planning her next overseas vacation, exploring new spots in Los Angeles, cooking for her friends, or winding down with the television and glass of Australian Shiraz.

Elyse holds a Master of Human Rights and Bachelor of Law from university in her hometown of Sydney.

Andrea Flores is a Senior Account Executive in RALLY’s San Francisco office with expertise in media relations, digital strategy and content creation, and design.

At RALLY, Andrea uses digital communications and outreach to strategic partners to support Parks Now’s mission to ensure that underserved, park-poor communities across California have access to quality parks. Andrea also supports strategic communications planning and creates web content for Education Matters, a non-profit dedicated to improving public education in the West Contra Costa Unified School District.

Previously, Andrea supported media relations for the National Student Poets Program, the nation’s highest honor for youth poets supported by a partnership between the President’s Committee on the Arts and Humanities, the Institute of Museum and Library Services, and the Alliance for Young Artists & Writers. Additionally, Andrea worked with Californians for Water Security in their efforts to repair California’s aging water distribution system. Andrea managed CWS’s online communication channels and monitored analytics for the digital campaign.

Andrea began her career at RALLY as a fellow, working with Our Bay on the Brink to raise awareness around flood risk in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Prior to joining RALLY, Andrea supported UC Berkeley’s Center for Latin American Studies’ mission to promote an understanding of Latin American issues on the university campus and in the local community. She produced videos of CLAS sponsored events and worked on CLAS’s biannual publication.

Andrea is a graduate of UC Berkeley where she majored in Media Studies and Political Science with a concentration in international relations. As an undergraduate, she worked with various organizations to support students in higher education and explored cinematography at the university’s TV station. Andrea is a Bay Area native and enjoys fine-tuning her graphic design skills, asking too many questions during movies, and being a role model for her two younger sisters.

Candace Johnson is a Senior Account Executive in RALLY’s Los Angeles Office specializing in strategic communications, community engagement, media relations, and project management. At RALLY, Candace works with the United Way of Greater Los Angeles’ campaign: EVERYONE IN, where she helps drive media coverage around the importance of building supportive housing and ending homelessness in LA. Candace also supports KIPP LA Public Schools, a network of 15 high-quality charter public schools serving students in East and South Los Angeles, with proactive and reactive earned media support.

Prior to joining RALLY, she was a Senior Associate at a social change communication agency where she supported the development of communication and community relations strategies for Oregon’s state-based health insurance marketplace through the Affordable Care Act, Oregon Department of Education’s Early Learning Division, U.S. Forest Service, Power to Decide: the national campaign to prevent unplanned pregnancy, and the Special Olympics of Oregon.

Candace graduated from the University of Oregon School of Journalism with a focus in public relations and a minor in ethnic studies. While pursuing her degree, Candace provided communication support for Lane County Health and Human Services Division, the local YMCA and the on-campus Student Veterans Center. In her free time, she enjoys going to the beach, trying new restaurants, listening to live music, and spending time with family and friends.

Sara Lueders is a Senior Account Executive in RALLY’s Los Angeles office, where she specializes in media relations, communications strategy, and message development. At RALLY, Sara leads the GoFundMe team and their earned media strategy, working to elevate crowdfunding campaigns through national and local press coverage. Additionally, Sara works with XQ: The Super School Project, a national initiative to rethink and design the next American high school, where she leads proactive and reactive media relations and supports on general communications strategy.

Sara also leads the media relations strategy and message development for Youth Speaks, an international youth poetry organization that encourages young people to speak out on the pressing issues of our time. Previously, Sara worked with NARAL Pro-Choice America, helping advance NARAL’s mission of supporting every American woman’s right to make her own reproductive choices. Sara supported press and event coordination for the All Access 2016 concert in Cleveland, Ohio and managed organizing and paid media for All Access satellite concerts in four cities.

Prior to joining RALLY, Sara worked as an Assistant Account Executive at Edelman Public Relations where she held a variety of nonprofit and entertainment accounts including the Movember Foundation, the Television Academy Foundation, Ticketmaster, and Redbox. While at Edelman, she assisted in developing and executing large scale public relations campaigns, which included earned media, paid, and social strategies.

Sara graduated from Northeastern University where she majored in Communication Studies, focusing on media relations and political communication, and minored in Political Science. While at Northeastern, she spent a semester abroad in Rome where she studied Italian art and architecture.

Growing up, Sara split her time between Washington, D.C. and Los Angeles. Outside of RALLY, Sara enjoys supporting her Los Angeles Dodgers and checking out the newest bars and restaurants on Los Angeles’ East Side.

Kevin Singer is a Senior Account Executive in RALLY’s San Francisco office where he specializes in paid media and creative projects, digital communications, and electoral campaigns.

At RALLY, Kevin implements communications strategies for a variety of environmental and water-related issues, including campaigns to highlight inequity in California public parks, build support for Bay Area wetland restoration, call attention to inadequate water infrastructure, promote clean energy, and ban plastic bags in California. Recently, he teamed up with Kaiser, Blue Shield, and a coalition of healthcare, labor, and progressive organizations to develop the digital strategy supporting passage of California Senate Bill 7 for drug pricing transparency–now the strongest law of its kind in the United States.

Kevin will go as far as it takes to get the perfect product. He’s hiked miles for quality footage of the San Gabriel Mountains National Monument, mastered complicated mapping technology to power an award-winning interactive documentary, and produced a ground-breaking virtual reality experience that transports users to the clean energy future. He is excited about the rapidly changing media landscape, in which digital channels are becoming the primary means of disseminating information, and takes pride in keeping RALLY’s clients on the cutting edge when it comes to crafting effective messaging and communicating to a target audience.

Prior to joining RALLY, Kevin worked as a campaign manager on state legislative campaigns where he coordinated strategy, managed digital programs and ad buys, oversaw field efforts, and conducted endorsement outreach. Previously, he wrote copy for various mailers, brochures, and emails for candidates in the North Bay Area.

Kevin graduated from Cal Berkeley (go Bears!) with a B.A. in Political Science and a minor in Theater. When he’s not in the office, he moonlights as a professional actor, singer, and performer around the Bay Area. He also enjoys rooting for his San Francisco Giants and Cal Golden Bears and watching some quality television.

Claire Shipton is a Senior Account Executive in RALLY’s San Francisco office with experience in strategic communications, policy research and analysis, and message development.

At RALLY, Claire works with the Natural Resources Defense Council to advocate for the integration of a Western energy grid by creating social media content, website management, and supporting press outreach. Claire also supports the Center for Western Priorities by writing website content and assisting with communications strategies that promote the responsible conservation and energy practices on national public lands in the Mountain West.

Prior to joining RALLY, Claire worked for a Chicago-based communications firm where she guided clients through state and municipal regulatory approval processes, developed and supported an outreach strategy for a state-wide education initiative, and facilitated community engagement and event logistics for nonprofits.

Claire has also spent time interning for Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel in the press office, assisting the staff with event planning, media relations, and press inquiries. She has also interned for then-U.S. Congresswoman Tammy Duckworth and at D.C.-based communications firm Precision Strategies, where she conducted policy research.

Claire graduated from the University of Chicago with degrees in Political Science and Public Policy, with a specialization in Poverty Policy. Outside of the office, Claire enjoys reading, traveling, excessive NPR-listening, and cooking new recipes, which only occasionally result in disaster.

Dana Variano is a Digital Senior Account Executive in RALLY’s Los Angeles office who works with issue-based organizations to concept, implement, and scale digital campaigns for change.

At RALLY, Dana works with non-profits, labor organizations, and issue advocacy groups on topics ranging from gun violence prevention in Chicago to local nurses’ labor rights in California. Dana helps ideate, craft, and execute digital strategies and campaigns designed to create on-the-ground change.

After spending more than a decade in the advocacy space from New York to Los Angeles, Dana knows what inspires folks to act online and how to create meaningful offline impact. A trained writer, videographer, and film editor, Dana has produced action-focused digital campaigns alongside community organizers for issues ranging from immigration rights to intimate partner violence to mobility justice. She has worked with a wide spectrum of inspiring clients, including the Ford Foundation, Open Society Institute, Detention Watch, GuideStar, and CicLAvia.

In addition to her digital work, Dana is a pen and ink artist who spends most of her free time using art and media to tear down boxes that separate us from each other. Dana holds a BA in History and Film & Media Studies from Swarthmore College.

Sommer Yesenofski is a Senior Account Executive at RALLY and has been with the company for five years, where she advances environmental justice through messaging development, digital strategy and media relations.

Sommer manages a strategic communications campaign for the Center for Biological Diversity to uplift the voices of communities living near fossil fuel infrastructure to become catalysts for clean air and climate justice. With the Center, Sommer works on message development to improve public understanding of the public health and climate impacts of California’s oil industry and urge California’s local and state leadership to pursue transformative climate action.

Working alongside environmental law organization Earthjustice, Sommer also provides event planning and social media strategy to shift the narrative around California’s air quality crisis and push policymakers to commit to zero-emissions energy, transportation and building infrastructure.

Sommer also works with climate and food justice activists across Africa with the 11th Hour Project’s Human Rights Program and their grantee Alliance for Food Sovereignty in Africa, employing messaging and storytelling strategies to protect smallholder organic African farmers from neo-colonial pressures to industrialize.

Prior to joining RALLY, Sommer worked with the RALLY team as an intern before continuing as a Summer Fellow. She also worked as a policy intern with Music for Relief, a nonprofit organization dedicated to activating musicians and their fans to provide critical aid to survivors of natural disasters worsened by climate change and urge the United Nations to take global action on climate change.

Sommer is a graduate of the University of Southern California, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in Public Relations with a minor in French. As a Trojan, she worked as a barista and graphic designer at a combination coffee shop and concert venue, managed a lecture series and events for students and faculty, and reported for The Daily Trojan.

Outside of RALLY, Sommer spends as much time in the ocean as possible, in between hiking with her Border Collie and cooking homemade meals for her family.

Amber Hubert is the Business Administrator for RALLY, supporting operational, organizational, and marketing responsibilities for the firm. Amber knows the importance of keeping a business running fluently and is passionate about integrating her interest in social justice with her administrative and marketing expertise. She serves as the primary contact for all of RALLY’s offices and assists on special projects.

With over a decade of experiential and digital marketing experience, Amber has planned and executed countless live events and managed entire portfolios of advertising for numerous family-owned businesses. This includes launching and maintaining SEO websites, search campaigns, digital advertisements, direct mail, and email and social media campaigns.

Additionally, Amber is a freelance writer with years of experience creating clear, strategic copy, editing articles, blog pages, and conducting celebrity interviews. Her work has been published in The Los Angeles Times, Salon.com, DameMagazine.com, Slickdeals.net, Primemind.com, Girlboss.com, and other digital outlets.

Originally from the Pacific Northwest, Amber holds a BFA in Acting and Original Works from Seattle’s Cornish College of the Arts. She enjoys a strong cup of coffee, the creativity of cooking, and can be seen around Los Angeles performing in various storytelling shows. She believes the power of story better connects us and is working on her first novel.

Aarti Chandorkar is an Account Executive in RALLY’s Seattle office with experience in media relations, message development, and coalition management.

At RALLY, Aarti focuses on issues ranging from racial and gender inequity to environmental justice to education. She helps develop strategy, messaging, and community engagement efforts for the YWCA Seattle l King l Snohomish, an organization focused on uplifting women through housing, health, and economic empowerment programs. She previously led coalition management and directed earned and social media for STAND-L.A., an environmental justice coalition supported by the Center for Biological Diversity, focused on transitioning Los Angeles to a clean energy economy.

Prior to RALLY, Aarti worked at Benenson Strategy Group, where she aided her team in data analysis and message development for a myriad of corporate and political clients. She also interned at the Center for American Progress in Washington D.C., where she produced content for the online advocacy campaign Why Courts Matter—a project committed to discussing federal court cases and calling on US senators to confirm a diverse set of judges to fill court vacancies.

A proud Trojan, Aarti earned her Bachelor of Science in Policy, Planning, and Development from the University of Southern California. She played intramural sports from soccer to ultimate frisbee and served as the Co-President of Teach for Los Angeles, a student-run organization that tutors local elementary-aged children to help them reach their fullest academic potential.

Aarti is a diehard Seahawks fan. When she isn’t watching them play, she enjoys getting outdoors, traveling, and checking out the latest great read. There isn’t a food truck in existence that she won’t try. She currently serves as the Fundraising Chair of the Alumni Board of Teens in Public Service, a Seattle-based nonprofit that connects local students with leadership opportunities in public service and social impact.

Amy DuBose is an Account Executive in RALLY’s Los Angeles office with experience in message development, research and analysis, event production, and media relations. 

At RALLY, Amy works with The Colorado Trust to develop messaging and research that addresses and informs the state of health equity in Colorado. She is also currently working with The California Endowment to create their first ever Youth Awards program which will honor young leaders and youth-led organizations across the state. Amy joined RALLY through the fellowship program.

Before joining RALLY, Amy ran communications at a flower delivery startup where she acted as publicist and public relations strategist. Previously, she worked as a communications consultant at Pramana Collective, a strategic advisory firm in the tech sector that works with clients that range from small startups to Fortune 50s.  

A California native, Amy was born and raised in the Bay Area and graduated from Stanford University before moving south to LA. She majored in the interdisciplinary field of Science, Technology, and Society which examines how people, politics, and culture impact innovation.

In her spare time, she likes to share obscure music with her friends, host elaborate dinner parties, and do the New York Times crossword puzzle. 

Rodrigo Gouveia is a Digital Designer in RALLY’s Los Angeles office. He is responsible for the conception and development of graphic and digital design assets for a range of clients. He believes that design is undeniably nestled at the core of a successful communication strategy, and it should be used for a greater purpose — reinventing the world around us by giving it new colors.

At RALLY, Rodrigo creates graphic solutions in print, web, motion and interaction that best translate a client’s brand and messaging strategy. His most recent work includes print materials for the Irvine Foundation, social media and web assets for the California Wellness Foundation, and email frameworks for the David and Lucile Packard Foundation. He also created visual solutions for a California Charter Schools Association campaign and motion assets for Colorado Rising.

Rodrigo obtained his undergraduate degree in digital design from FIEO University in his hometown of São Paulo, Brazil. His design background is diverse, having worked in the publishing industry, branding, photography, illustration, and interior design.

When Rodrigo is not working, his inner geek takes the driver’s seat – buying more books than he can actually read, going on a gaming spree with the newest game in the market, or engaging in witty discussions about movies and TV shows with friends.

Alex Hammarstedt is a designer in RALLY’s San Francisco office with years of experience in branding, visual identities, and web design.

At RALLY, Alex works with SEIU-UHW, creating graphics and digital elements supporting their fight for better pay for Kaiser workers. She also works with The Raikes Foundation on the launch of the brand and website for their Student Experience Project campaign, and with the Peninsula Open Space Trust to develop an outdoor and digital advertising campaign raising awareness of open space in the Bay Area’s southern peninsula.

Before joining RALLY, Alex was the Art Director for SOMA Magazine, a bi-monthly publication dedicated to discovering and featuring up and coming creatives.

An Oakland native, Alex studied Art Direction and History of Art and Architecture at Boston University before returning to the Bay Area. While at school she created award-winning designs with an advertising team as part of BU’s AdLab program.

In her free time, Alex is outside hiking or tucked in her favorite restaurant enjoying good food with people she loves.

Kasey Iranon is an Account Executive in RALLY’s Seattle office with experience in grassroots organizing and media outreach.

At RALLY, Kasey works with the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools supporting strategic communications and driving earned media outreach to amplify the positive work being done by charter schools in underserved communities. She also helps build communications capacity for charter schools in Denver, Colorado by connecting local school leaders and advocates with media.

Prior to RALLY, Kasey was a fellow at The Washington Bus, a nonprofit aimed at increasing youth participation in politics. While there, she led community voter registration drives and managed field logistics for an initiative to create publicly funded Seattle city council elections. She also completed a fellowship with Progressive Majority Washington, an organization focused on providing resources to help historically underrepresented groups in politics run for local and state offices. As a fellow, Kasey organized their largest annual fundraiser and conducted intake interviews with potential partners.

Kasey graduated from the University of Washington, where she studied marketing and political science. Outside of the office, Kasey enjoys reading, traveling, and embarrassing herself at dance classes. She is also a black belt in Shaolin Kung Fu, having practiced for 8 years.

Annie Kim is an Account Executive in RALLY’s Los Angeles office with experience in community engagement, coalition building, and campaign management.

As a part of the RALLY team, Annie is helping to elevate Destination Crenshaw, a public art and culture experience celebrating Black Los Angeles, by assisting with digital media and fundraising efforts. She also helps pro bono public interest law firm Public Counsel amplify their impact litigation cases with strategic communications.

Previously at RALLY, Annie helped develop messaging and strategy for Vision Zero, an initiative that aims to eliminate traffic fatalities by 2025. She also provided strategic communications and event management support for NARAL Pro-Choice America during the 2016 presidential election.

Prior to RALLY, Annie worked as a UNICEF Kid Power Coordinator, managing ninety schools participating in an innovative program encouraging kids to get active to save lives. She was also a UNICEF Community Engagement Fellow, where she engaged thousands of Southern Californians on UNICEF’s mission.

Annie is an alumna of Occidental College where she majored in Diplomacy and World Affairs and minored in Classical Studies. During her years there, she interned for Sen. Barbara Boxer and EaterLA, where she explored the best eats in LA.

Alisha Qiu is an Account Executive in RALLY’s San Francisco office, with experience in media relations, grassroots organizing, and digital execution. 

At RALLY, Alisha works on earned media strategy and facilitates guerrilla marketing tactics for COAL + ICE, an immersive documentary photography and video exhibition that visually narrates the consequences of the continued use of fossil fuels, to bring the exhibition’s story to life. In addition to her work with COAL + ICE, Alisha also combines her strategic communications and grassroots experience to support and amplify Tipping Point Community’s ongoing initiatives to provide feasible solutions to chronic homelessness in San Francisco. 

Prior to joining RALLY, Alisha was a member of DKC’s Media/Tech practice and Analytics team. She conducted analysis of media and competitor landscapes to inform strategic communications plans, executed on public relations strategies for groundbreaking companies and brands such as Refinery29, Miso Robotics and Lonely Planet, and crafted digital content and strategy for Caboodles. While at DKC, Alisha also drove analysis and reporting on social media sentiment and dissenter for the American Museum of Natural History in New York to form the foundation of the institution’s public affairs strategy.

Alisha holds a dual BBA and Bachelor of Arts in English from the University of Michigan (Go Blue!) as well as a strong preference for the Oxford comma. In her spare time, Alisha enjoys collecting more books than she has time to read.

Evan is a Digital Account Executive in RALLY’s Los Angeles office, with experience in targeted digital advertising, social media marketing, and campaign strategy.

Evan first joined RALLY as a fellow where he supported the Packard Foundation’s digital communications around Governor Jerry Brown’s Global Climate Action Summit. Evan developed social content and strategy for a communications campaign amplifying a series of op-eds and driving online engagement. He assisted with digital strategy for COAL + ICE, an interactive climate-themed art exhibition and event series, developing social content and a digital toolkit that was distributed to a coalition of advocacy partners and built momentum around the event.

Prior to RALLY, Evan worked with humanitarian NGO World Vision International where he developed donor-facing content sharing stories from the field and updates on projects. Most recently he worked at Compassion International, where he developed and tested website content, and conducted strategy audits and competitor analyses.

Evan grew up in Northern California and moved to Los Angeles to attend Azusa Pacific University where he majored in marketing. When he’s not in the office, Evan loves checking out new coffee shops and bookstores, playing guitar, and working on his photography.

Samantha Wong is a Digital Account Executive in RALLY’s Los Angeles office. Specializing in digital advertising, digital analytics, and social strategy, Samantha has worked with a variety of clients to implement digital campaigns that persuade, engage, and mobilize key audiences to take action.

Working alongside the San Francisco-based nonprofit Tipping Point Community, Samantha supports digital communications for the All In campaign to educate the public on the issue of homelessness. She manages the campaign’s social strategy to engage the community and executes digital advertising campaigns to generate support for solutions to homelessness.

Samantha also works with the Center for Biological Diversity, elevating the voices of frontline communities living near fossil fuel infrastructure and providing digital engagement tactics to galvanize supporters to take online and offline actions.

Prior to RALLY, she worked for Precision Strategies in Washington D.C. as a Digital Advertising Intern where she focused on supporting digital advertising campaigns for Democratic candidates and nonprofit organizations. Samantha also worked with clients on digital transformation, organizational design, and crisis communications as a Digital and Management Consulting Intern at PulsePoint Group in Los Angeles.

Samantha graduated from UCLA with a major in Political Science and a minor in Entrepreneurship. She grew up in Hong Kong but currently lives in Los Angeles. Away from work, Samantha enjoys trying out new restaurants, doing hot yoga, and watching true crime documentaries.

Ayannah Crawley is an Account Associate in RALLY’s Los Angeles office where she specializes in content creation, project management, and media relations.

At RALLY, Ayannah works with The James Irvine Foundation Leadership Awards program, supporting recipients’ efforts to maximize impact through earned media and digital communications. Additionally, Ayannah works with the Women’s Foundation of California, where she supports proactive media relations and social media strategy.

Previously, Ayannah worked with the California Wellness Foundation’s Upspoken’s campaign targeting Black women in California to address the disproportionate rates of HIV, AIDS, and STIs among this group. She helped launch RoyalTea, the first-ever sexual health and wellness guide created for Black women by Black women. She supported earned media, managed social media, and oversaw design for its launch.

Prior to RALLY, Ayannah completed her MA in Strategic Communications where she volunteered for NARAL Pro-Choice North Carolina’s office to develop a crisis communications plan and developed research that examined how the order of information, message framing, and specificity influences college students to report sexual assault.

She recently relocated from North Carolina and enjoys visiting museums and trying different restaurants.

Julia Dionne is an Account Associate in RALLY’s San Francisco office.

At RALLY, Julia works with the GLIDE foundation on message development and strategy and with the California Wellness Foundation on content creation and event execution. She also supports the ACLU with their new voter-education tool, Smart Justice.

Julia is passionate about women’s health and equity, literacy, and improving access to mental healthcare and is obsessed with how good storytelling lifts up these issues.

Prior to joining RALLY, Julia worked at a youth homeless shelter in New Orleans as a UPenn Leadership Fellow supporting the organization’s executive leadership with operations, messaging, and events. She has also held communications internships with NBCUniversal as a production intern for Dateline where she researched and pitched story ideas, at the Center for American Progress where she managed social media and content for the Poverty to Prosperity team’s website TalkPoverty.org and with The New Republic.

Julia studied American History and graduated with honors from the University of Pennsylvania. When she’s not at work you can find her biking around San Francisco, doing yoga, reading a novel, or planning her next travels. She’s originally from D.C. and is learning to love the California sunshine.

Sam Gibson joins RALLY’s Los Angeles office as an Account Associate with experience in research, media analysis, and the development of strategic messaging. Her background is in journalism, copywriting, and long-form promotional writing for in-house organization publications.

At RALLY, Sam works to promote change across a range of equity issues, from climate injustice to the lack of representation of women in tech, supporting clients like the University of Chicago, SecondMuse, and the Fair Census Project in creating effective communications campaigns.

Sam joined RALLY as a fellow, a position in which she was able to provide support to the Center for Biological Diversity, assisting in content creation and on-site media relations for the November 2020 Youth Climate Strike in Los Angeles.

Sam is a graduate of Mississippi State University, where she earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Communications and a Bachelor’s Degree in Philosophy. As a student, she worked as the Opinion and Managing Editor of the school newspaper, harnessing her decision-making and communications skills to foster dialogue around current events and issues. She also hosted various benefits around campus.

A recent Mississippi transplant, Sam has enjoyed sampling Los Angeles’s diverse cuisine and live performance scene, as well as her longtime hobbies of practicing improv and spending time with her dog.

Olivia Kingsbury is a Digital Account Associate in RALLY’s Los Angeles office. She specializes in project management, social media strategy, analytics reporting, and campaign execution. Olivia uses inventive techniques and new digital solutions to generate the desired results for her clients.

Olivia is a key member of the Irvine Foundation Leadership Awards team and executes all things digital for the San Francisco-based nonprofit Tipping Point. Offering a unique approach, Olivia provides insights into email, SMS, and website performance.

Prior to joining the RALLY team, Olivia worked primarily in the private sector. Originally from the Washington, D.C area, she attended university in the UK and developed a passion for project management early in her career.

Olivia is excited to bring her strategy skillset and project management acumen to RALLY and looks forward to making a notable impact on the community around her with her work.

Sabina Li is an Account Associate in RALLY’s Los Angeles office with experience in strategic communications, messaging, government relations, and media outreach.

At RALLY, Sabina is currently working with the Texas Charter Schools Association to uplift student stories and supporting schools across the state by generating earned media, developing targeted messaging, and designing an effective communications plan. Sabina also assists with media outreach and building community partnerships with the United Way of Greater Los Angeles’ EVERYONE IN campaign to help end homelessness in LA and build support for supportive housing.

Before starting as a fellow at RALLY, Sabina developed her public policy and communications knowledge while working in the U.S. Senate and the California State Assembly. She also spent some time interning in a food and hospitality public relations firm, where she helped to secure media coverage for various clients. While in college, Sabina coordinated and led multiple student lobbying trips to advocate for higher education affordability and the protection of DACA.

Sabina stayed close to her L.A. roots and graduated from UCLA with a degree in Political Science and a minor in Global Health. In her free time, Sabina can be found hunting down the best brunch spots in the city, binge watching sitcoms, and baking recipes that never turn out like they are supposed to.

Devin McMahon is an Account Associate in RALLY’s Los Angeles office with experience in media relations, policy research and analysis, and writing.

At RALLY, Devin works for Arnold Ventures, with whom she helps drive the message that we must eliminate unjust pretrial detention and ensure that jail is used only when absolutely necessary. In addition, she supports the Center for Western Priorities on media strategies to elevate issues and solutions surrounding responsible public land use and conservation, GoFundMe on promoting crowdfunding campaigns through national and local media, and with The California Endowment on their Youth Awards to celebrate young community leaders throughout California. 

Devin first joined RALLY as an intern in the Los Angeles office, where she spent four summers before joining the team as an Account Associate. As an intern, she assisted senior staff in the full spectrum of strategic communications, campaign planning, content creation, and event planning on work ranging from education equality and transgender justice with Public Counsel and gun safety with Sandy Hook Promise to abortion access with NARAL and Planned Parenthood.

Devin is an alumna of Oberlin College, where she majored in Politics. During her years there, she was Features Editor of Oberlin’s alternative newspaper and was awarded a Cole Scholarship in Oberlin’s Initiative in Electoral Politics (OIEP). Through OIEP, Devin interned for Katie Hill in her congressional campaign to flip House seat CA-25 and with Planned Parenthood Advocacy Project where she researched and assisted in electoral strategy. After spending four years in Ohio at Oberlin College, she is thrilled to be back in her hometown of Los Angeles, enjoying good Thai food, museums, and sunshine. 

Jacob Aaron Mansbach Pagano is an Account Associate in RALLY’s Los Angeles office with experience in strategic messaging, policy analysis and research, narrative journalism, and coalition building.

Jake first joined RALLY as a fellow where he supported United Way of Greater Los Angeles’ Everyone In campaign to end homelessness. By working closely with a range of players in the space, from politicians to activists to filmmakers, he learned an invaluable skill: synthesizing diverse perspectives to tell stories that evoke empathy and catalyze change. His commitment to changing an issue space through the power of compelling narrative and voice continues to be the driving force behind his work, which includes fighting for education equity on behalf of both state and national education advocacy organizations. He also conducts research and landscape analyses on a range of issue spaces, including racial equality and climate change.

Prior to RALLY, Jake worked at West Coast Public Affairs on galvanizing voter engagement for the 2018 midterm elections, especially women voters. He also freelanced for several publications, including Narratively, Sapiens, and The Oxford Review of Books. Throughout his undergraduate years, he pursued his passion for storytelling by immersing himself in the communications sector, including as a fellow with the Raben Group in Washington, DC. and as a researcher for the New York bureau of The Mainichi Newspapers.

Jake graduated from Amherst College in 2018 with a degree in English. When he’s not at work, he enjoys writing essays and untold histories, focusing on people whose resistance to injustice offers enduring lessons. Regardless of whether he’s in his hometown of Massachusetts, Los Angeles, or a world away, he rarely comes across a body of water that does not compel him to swim.

Jared Robinson is an Account Associate in RALLY’s Seattle office with experience in strategic communications, political strategy, event planning, and community engagement.

At RALLY, Jared works to develop strategic messaging for the BELE Network as they transform education systems and build more equitable learning environments for students everywhere. He also supports communications strategy and capacity for VitalTalk in their work to educate clinicians on the importance of effective doctor-patient communication in hospitals and clinics across the country.

Prior to RALLY, Jared worked in Congressional and Mayoral offices in the Puget Sound region, focusing on constituent correspondence and services that connect people with the government resources they need most. He also supported campus campaign operations for Teach For America at the University of Washington alongside a team that ranked among the highest in the country for corps member recruitment and retention.

Jared graduated from the University of Washington in Seattle where he studied Political Economy and Entrepreneurship. In his time at UW, Jared coordinated events for the Dream Project, a volunteer organization dedicated to mentoring underrepresented high school students as they explore post-secondary pathways. Outside of the office, Jared enjoys strategy games, exploring the Puget Sound, and has played the trumpet for over ten years—even though his neighbors might not always appreciate it.

Becca Roithmayr is an Account Associate based in San Francisco, with a background in strategic communications, community outreach, and social justice.

Moving from a small town in Pennsylvania to the busy streets of the Bay Area, Becca has enjoyed working alongside organizations such as Tipping Point Community, Kingmakers of Oakland, SecondMuse, and more, focusing on work such as advancing solutions to homelessness, education equity, and gender equality.

Before her time at RALLY, Becca received a bachelor’s degree in Communication Studies and Music and Human Services from James Madison University, focusing her studies on the nonprofit and music industries alike. While at JMU, Becca served as Service Chair for a volunteer and leadership organization, editor of the University’s newspaper, and ran PR/hosted radio shows at the local NPR station.

Since switching coasts, Becca enjoys exploring all Northern California has to offer. From burrito-crawling her way through Mission to hiking Mount Tamalpais, and serving on the Women’s March leadership board, each day is an opportunity to discover something new.

Sydney Spier is an Account Associate in RALLY’s San Francisco office with experience in strategic communications, political campaigning, and message development.

Currently, Sydney works with the California Wellness Foundation on content creation, with Teach for America on legislative advocacy, and with the Cities for Financial Empowerment Fund on message development and testing. Sydney first joined RALLY as a Campaigns Fellow, where she supported various local city council campaigns.

Prior to joining RALLY, Sydney’s passion for policy and communications grew during her internship with the Press Office of California Attorney General Xavier Becerra, where she wrote press materials and social media copy on legal action and public policy topics. She has also held communications internships with SKDKnickerbocker, DKC, and Prague TV Media, Prague’s top online news site for the expat community.

A native Texan, Sydney moved to LA to attend the University of Southern California (Fight On!), where she graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Public Relations. Although she misses Texas BBQ and the LA sunshine, Sydney loves exploring San Francisco and the broader Bay Area. When she’s not at work you can find her in a ballet class, lounging in a park, or trying out a new ice cream spot in the city.

Haley Townes joins RALLY’s Los Angeles office as an Account Associate with experience in strategic communications, media relations, community engagement, and social media.

At RALLY, Haley works with United Way’s Everyone In campaign to educate and build public support for affordable and supportive housing in order to end homelessness in the Los Angeles area. She has also worked to create equitable and accessible education with ReGeneration Schools and the Computer Science for California Coalition.

Prior to RALLY, Haley worked for her local chamber of commerce where she helped connect businesses to needed resources and strengthen her community. She also worked as a junior publicist with a focus on building start-up brands and shadowed the Rams communications team for a semester. Haley spent a semester studying media and politics in London during her time at California Lutheran University where she graduated with a degree in communications.

A Southern California native, Haley loves the outdoors and food. When she’s not at work, Haley can be found with her nose in a book, watching an NBA, MLB or NFL game, or spending time with her dog Caesar.

René Verma joins RALLY’s San Francisco office as an Account Associate with experience in strategic communications, creative campaigning, and content development.

At RALLY, René works with healthcare unions like the SEIU-United Healthcare Workers West and the Registered Nurses Professional Association to produce, promote, and monitor digital content. She also supports the California Solar and Storage Association with media outreach, research, and messaging strategy and development.

Driven to think of big ideas through small gestures, René has previously worked with VICE Media on a short-form documentary series pitch around immigration and border reform, and with the International Gender Studies Centre, Oxford as a research associate. She also worked with The Walt Disney Company, India on a range of creative marketing and post-production projects. Her work in creative advocacy has involved developing and performing in digital campaigns with the BBC Arts Hour and Sofy India: debunking menstrual taboos, interrogating sexism in pop culture, and rethinking public safety. 

A self-identified imp and tinkerer, René enjoys performing lyrical poetry, making memes of herself, and fervently watching lawn tennis (¡Vamos Rafa!). She appreciates museums, oceans, and beagles.

Asha Wafer is an Account Associate in RALLY’s Los Angeles office with experience in message development, strategic communications, research, and analysis.

At RALLY, Asha enjoys working alongside organizations such as the Colorado Health Foundation, the Center for Biological Diversity, ReGeneration Schools, and more, supporting her clients in advocating for health equity, environmental justice, and educational equity.

Asha first joined RALLY as a fellow, where she provided communications support to SEIU United Service Workers West (SEIU-USWW) to bring awareness to their work advancing a piece of legislation to improve the working conditions of janitors across California.

Asha is a graduate of Tulane University, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in Communications and Sociology. As a student, she worked with The Office of Multicultural Affairs to encourage civil dialogue around social justice, inclusion, and relevant issues on campus. She was also selected to be GirlTrek’s campus ambassador, bringing their mission of healing Black women and girls through the power of walking to life on campus.

Asha acquired her skills in communications and advocacy through her internships at a non-profit working with underserved micro-entrepreneurs to address opportunity gaps, a Los Angeles based boutique PR firm, and others.

A native to Los Angeles, Asha enjoys spending her free time outdoors, going on road trips, enjoying the city’s diverse cuisine, and settling into a book at a cozy coffee shop.