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 the 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 campaigns around environmental issues with Earthjustice and the Natural Resources Defense Council; social justice with Community Coalition; and civil rights, where Hillary co-led the communications campaign to help free wrongly-detained DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) beneficiary Daniel Ramirez Medina. Hillary has also led some of RALLY’s higher profile education work, specifically XQ: The Super School Project, an ambitious first-of-its-kind initiative that calls on the American public to rethink and design the next American high school, and Students Matter, the nation’s premier organization dedicated to promoting quality public education through impact litigation and advocacy.

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, fundraise, and share stories online with millions of people.

Ravi recently 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. During his time at Everytown, he ran digital campaigns to win ballot initiatives, pass dozens of state laws, change the policies of companies like Facebook and Target, and establish orange as the color of the movement.

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. Previously, he consulted on a multi-year effort to coordinate online organizing between the nation’s leading environmental non-profits and secure President Obama’s signature climate initiatives. One of his first digital jobs was working for Vice President Al Gore’s Alliance for Climate Protection (Yes, he’s trained on how to present the deck.)

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 hopes the shift in scenery helps revive some of his entirely dormant Midwestern charm.

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.

Kaitlin Funaro is an Account Manager at RALLY specializing in 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.

Currently, Kaitlin works with CBS Corporation advise the company on a $20 million grant to organizations focused on ending sexual harassment in the workplace. She also works 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.

Kaitlin has also worked with the global TIME’S UP movement including coordinating the Days of Witness events in Los Angeles, New York, and London that brought together women from across industries to share stories and develop action plans for policy and behavior change. 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.

Prior to joining RALLY, Kaitlin worked as a radio news 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 either seeing a band at one of Hollywood’s many music venues or drinking coffee at the park with her two small kids.

Pi James is an Account Manager 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.

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.

Alyssa King is an Account Manager at RALLY who specializes in cross-platform communication. She brings over a decade of agency and in-house experience to the firm and is RALLY’s first Colorado-based team member. With a comprehensive knowledge of earned media, paid, creative and digital, Alyssa builds smart, integrated campaigns that deliver on results and drive conversations.

At RALLY, Alyssa works with the Walton Family Foundation, The Colorado Trust and Arnold Ventures, helping her clients advocate for progressive education, health equity, and criminal justice reform. With a background in planning and earned media relations, Alyssa also provides guidance for RALLY clients through their strategic planning process by helping them to define clear communications goals and then build a strong brand narrative and campaign plan.

Alyssa acquired her diverse set of skills by working at both advertising and PR agencies in Los Angeles including Media Arts Lab (MAL/TBWA), Edelman and Ogilvy. Working with global, entertainment and tech brands, Alyssa worked with clients to infuse earned thinking into their creative strategy, helping produce and execute campaigns including, Apple’s “Welcome Home” HomePod launch, Netflix global Cheating 2.0 brand study, Ticketmaster’s Super Bowl LI “Real Ticket, Real Fans” activation, Microsoft’s Summer Camp and STEM education initiatives and Taco Bell’s return to Super Bowl 50. By working hand-in-hand with creative, digital and paid departments, she knows how to amplify content and tell stories that resonated with audiences and create cultural moments.

In addition to her agency work, Alyssa learned about media first-hand by working in-house at public radio station KCRW (89.9FM), an NPR affiliate based in Los Angeles. As Communications Director, Alyssa worked with the station’s General Manager to oversee both internal and external communications – from amplifying the station’s original news, talk and music programming, to donor and influencer relations, to launching a multimillion-dollar Capital Campaign for their new building.

Alyssa’s desire to work with issues-based organizations stems from a background with non-profits starting in Washington, DC. She attended American University where she graduated with honors and earned her B.A. in International Relations and a minor in Marketing Communications. After living on both coasts for more than 15 years, Alyssa is excited to return home to the Colorado mountains where dogs often outnumber humans.

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.

Rachel Horning is a Senior Account Executive in the Los Angeles office.

Rachel is inspired by the increasing role nonprofits and foundations play in driving public policy at the local, state, and federal levels. At RALLY, Rachel is passionate about fulfilling campaign goals through strategic approaches to event and partnership development.

Rachel leads the partnership and events portfolio for the United Way of Greater Los Angeles’ EVERYONE IN campaign to end homelessness in LA. In addition, Rachel leads The California Endowment’s Youth Awards team, focused on strengthening youth voices across the state. Rachel oversees the Irvine Foundation’s Leadership Awards branding, messaging, and media strategy, and also works with NBCU on curating monthly speakers for their Digital Disruptor series in LA and NY.

Rachel co-founded Startups in the Sky, LLC in early 2015 with the simple goal of building a stronger pipeline between West LA’s Silicon Beach community and DTLA’s tech ecosystem. Today, Startups in the Sky is the longest running tech event series in DTLA, bringing together over 150 startup founders, digital media specialists, artists, civic leaders, and entrepreneurs every other month.

Rachel has served the Los Angeles County region as a communications specialist for five years, first as the Communications Director at the LAX Coastal Chamber of Commerce and later serving as the Communications Director for the Los Angeles County Business Federation. Rachel has nurtured a passion for merging tech with the traditional business sector, specializing in event and partnership strategy, media relations, and government affairs.

Born and raised in Los Angeles, Rachel holds a degree from UC Berkeley in Sociology and Public Policy. She is passionate about activating communities through creative human “collisions.” Rachel currently resides in East Hollywood and is the lucky mother of two rescue kitties, Maya and Nina.

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.

Sommer Yesenofski is a Senior Account Executive at RALLY, advancing environmental justice and public health policy through social media management, media relations, and campaign development.

At RALLY, Sommer conducts legislative research and directs social media for the 11th Hour Project, a program of the Schmidt Family Foundation, dedicated to promoting the responsible use of California’s energy. On behalf of the foundation, Sommer works on message development to improve public understanding of oil extraction in California and empower local communities to become catalysts for sustainable change.

She also works with The California Endowment, helping the Foundation promote health equity and access through effective communication strategies. Traveling up and down California, Sommer crafts and presents training workshops designed to help the Foundation’s grantees build their organization’s communications skills and increase their ability to effect meaningful policy changes for their communities.

Previously at RALLY, she worked closely with Common Sense Media on digital strategy to build a community of parent advocates, promoting responsible media consumption for children. Prior to becoming an Account Associate, 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 providing aid to natural disaster survivors and working with the United Nations to encourage global action on climate change. At Music for Relief, Sommer led web development, directed community relations and developed fundraising strategy.

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 student-run coffee shop, managed a lecture series and events for students and faculty, and wrote for the The Daily Trojan.

A native of Southern California, Sommer spends as much time in the ocean as possible, in between hiking, rock climbing, eating tacos and exploring bookstores around Los Angeles.

Aarti Chandorkar is an Account Executive in RALLY’s Los Angeles office with experience in policy analysis and research, legal research, urban planning, online advocacy campaigns, messaging, polling, and editorial writing.

At RALLY, Aarti works with Green Dot, a nonprofit educational organization dedicated to helping historically underserved communities in demanding better school options and preparing every student for higher education and life after college. On behalf of Green Dot, Aarti helps manage event planning, strategic communications, and content development to effectively push forward the organization’s mission.

Prior to RALLY, Aarti worked as a research assistant at Benenson Strategy Group, where she aided her team in developing messaging and strategy for a myriad of corporate and political clients. She also interned at Center for American Progress, where she produced content for the online advocacy campaign Why Courts Matter—a project committed to discussing state and Supreme Court cases and calling on US senators to confirm a diverse set of judges to fill court vacancies.

She also spent time in Washington D.C. interning for Sen. Maria Cantwell of her home state of Washington. A proud Trojan, Aarti earned her Bachelor of Science in Policy, Planning, and Development from the University of Southern California. She was the Co-President of Teach for Los Angeles, a student-run organization that tutors local elementary-aged children in reading, writing, and math in order to help them reach their fullest academic potential. She also served as the Co-Scholarship Chair of her sorority, Kappa Alpha Theta, and briefly participated in USC Women’s Ultimate Frisbee.

Aarti is a Seattle native and a diehard Seahawks fan. When she isn’t watching them play, she enjoys hiking, bungee jumping, rafting, dancing, traveling, and hosting friends. There isn’t a food truck in existence that she won’t try.

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. 

Andrea Flores is an 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.

Alex Hammarstedt is a Designer based in RALLY’s San Francisco office. Alex brings imaginative solutions to graphic design projects across all mediums; including print, digital, web, and interactive. She aspires to create work that is both meaningful and memorable.

At RALLY, Alex works closely with account teams to ensure her designs are appropriately targeted to each client’s larger brand strategy. Her scope of work includes creating advertisements, social media content, websites, print materials, and more.

Before joining RALLY, Alex was the Art Director for SOMA Magazine, a bi-monthly publication dedicated to discovering and featuring trendsetting creatives. Supplementing the print heavy magazine work, Alex dabbled in freelance digital and web design, keeping herself up-to-date with the latest in design trends and technologies.

Alex graduated from Boston University, where she spent four years in the middle of a blizzard, studying Art Direction and History of Art and Architecture before escaping to the better coast. While at school she created award-winning designs with an advertising team as part of BU’s AdLab program.

In her free time, Alex tries to spend as much time outside as possible. Her current favorite activities are water-skiing and surfing; and entertaining her co-workers with a new face-plant story every Monday.

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.

Ceraun Loggins is a Digital Account Executive in RALLY’s Los Angeles office with experience in programmatic advertising, paid social media, branding, and media planning.

At RALLY, Ceraun works on a couple of initiatives whose focus is on people experiencing homelessness. Whether it‘s general strategy or in-the-weeds campaign optimization, they put their media buying skills to use ensuring we can rally people wherever they are towards solving this chronic social condition. Programmatic advertising has the ability to really move people and Ceraun is excited to use programmatic advertising to solve clients‘ needs.

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.

Lana Ramadan is an Account Executive in RALLY’s San Francisco office with experience in message development, political strategy, and media relations.

At RALLY, Lana supports the media outreach and communications strategy for GoFundMe to engage reporters and elevate national and local stories in a variety of publications. Lana also works with XQ: The Super School Project, a national initiative to rethink and redesign America’s high school system, on media relations and communications strategy.

Previously, Lana combined experience in digital content management with strategic messaging to guide Students Matter, a national nonprofit organization that seeks to improve access to quality public education, in engaging and activating parents through the tough challenges facing California public schools. She has also helped launch Resilient by Design | Bay Area Challenge, a collaborative research and design project developing innovative solutions to a changing climate, through press and event coordination, digital marketing, social media content, and messaging.

Prior to RALLY, Lana worked on criminal justice reform at a social impact firm in Los Angeles, where she developed messaging and strategy for several California Endowment campaigns. She also guided policy research and developed messaging and digital content for influential artists and nonprofits.

Born and raised in California, Lana is a graduate of the University of California, Berkeley, where she majored in Political Science and Middle Eastern Studies. When she’s not in the office, Lana enjoys trying new brunch spots and flying her friend’s drone around the Bay Area.

Claire Shipton is an 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.

Ayannah Crawley is an Account Associate in RALLY’s Los Angeles office with experience in message development, crisis management, and community engagement.

At RALLY, Ayannah develops social media content to encourage engagement and maintain brand presence for a diverse range of clients. She also prepares media pitches, arranges interviews and identifies earned media opportunities.

Prior to RALLY, Ayannah completed her M.A. in Strategic Communication where she volunteered for NARAL Pro-Choice North Carolina’s office to develop a crisis communication 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.

Rodrigo Gouveia is a Digital Design Associate 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.

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, writing, and research, and analysis.

At RALLY, Devin works for Arnold Ventures, with whom she helps drive media coverage around the country’s unjust pretrial detention in an effort to ensure that jail is used only when absolutely necessary. She supports the Center for Western Priorities on media strategies to elevate issues and solutions surrounding responsible public land use and conservation. Devin is also currently working with GoFundMe to promote crowdfunding campaigns through national and local media and with The California Endowment’s Building Healthy Communities campaign on social media.

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, where good Thai food, museums, and sunshine are much more abundant.

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.

Melissa Serrano is an Account Associate in RALLY’s San Francisco office with experience in media relations, policy analysis and research, grassroots organizing, and message development. 

At RALLY, Melissa works with GoFundMe, the largest online social fundraising platform, helping with earned media strategy and influencer engagement. Specifically, she elevates political, viral, and newsworthy campaigns through pitching to English and Spanish media markets. Melissa also supports Center for Western Priorities with communication strategies to promote their Winning the West campaign, which provides polling data to help political candidates connect with Western voters on public lands and energy issues.

Melissa first joined RALLY as a Fellow in the San Francisco office, where she supported national environmental law firm Earthjustice’s Right to Zero campaign to create a zero emissions California. Melissa assisted with creating social media content, event planning, and campaign strategy.

Prior to RALLY, Melissa worked at Facebook, where she supported new product development and data analysis for the Product Data Integrity team. She also interned at Women Donors Network and the San Francisco Film Society as a communications intern. In both roles, Melissa gained experience in social justice and film by managing their social media channels, media monitoring, and writing for their website.

A Northern California native, Melissa graduated from the University of San Francisco with a degree in Communication Studies and minor in Film Studies. In her free time, Melissa loves planning her next vacation, attending film events around the Bay Area, exploring San Francisco restaurants through the help of Yelp reviews, and walking her two Goldendoodles, Milo and Luna.

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.

Evan is a Digital Account Associate 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.

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 works with the Walton Family Foundation, the Schmidt Family Foundation, and ReGeneration Schools, supporting her clients in advocating for school choice, 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.

Samantha Wong is a Digital Account Associate in RALLY’s Los Angeles office with experience in targeted digital advertising, social media marketing, and digital analytics.

Samantha first joined RALLY as a digital fellow. She works with the California Wellness Foundation’s Upspoken campaign to raise awareness about the disproportionate impact of HIV, AIDS, and STIs on women of color. Samantha assisted with message development, digital content creation, and community outreach to empower women of color and address knowledge gaps in sexual health education. In addition, Samantha also works with the Tipping Point Community’s ongoing digital initiatives to break the cycle of poverty by promoting feasible solutions to end chronic homelessness in San Francisco.

Samantha has a diverse background with experience in political consulting, broadcasting journalism, and social entrepreneurship. Prior to RALLY, she worked for Precision Strategies in Washington D.C. as a Digital Advertising Intern, where she focused on creating and executing digital advertising strategies for Democratic campaigns and organizations. Samantha also gained experience in 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. Passionate about using market-driven strategies to tackle critical social issues, Samantha led marketing and communications at Net Impact UCLA where she provided business consulting services to social enterprises.

Born and bred in Hong Kong, Samantha has traveled to 11 countries during her gap year and collects Starbucks mugs around the world. She frequents the LA movie scene and enjoys discovering matcha latte around the city.