Who We Are

A’lysia, also known as A is a Creative Associate at The Hub. A creates and delivers both digital and print products across all campaigns.

Prior to joining the Hub, A was a Junior Graphic Designer at Acronym, a fast-paced political start-up. While there, A designed creative and acted for a $12.5M digital-first ad campaign, Expand the Electorate. The program engaged 200,000 new and infrequent voters across 8 states during the 2020 general election and the Georgia Senate runoff elections. A is also a Freelance artist. She specializes in graphic design, painting, and drawing.

Outside of the office, A enjoys spending time experimenting with many different art forms such as screen-printing, spending time with loved ones and laughing.

Ade is an Associate Director, Communications at The Hub Project, where he works across a number of campaigns to generate media coverage.

He comes to The Hub Project from Senator Elizabeth Warren’s presidential campaign, where he worked in campus organizing in New Hampshire, and later on the campaign’s Advance team. Prior to the campaign, Ade lived and worked for more than a year in the Middle East as an Account Director on behalf of Weber Shandwick – a leading integrated communications firm. There he worked in the headquarters of a global manufacturer, building capacity within their communications team.

Prior to his stint abroad, Ade worked in the Washington D.C. office of Weber Shandwick, where he focused on global energy and sustainability within the firm’s Public Affairs practice. He led integrated teams that developed and implemented communications strategies for corporations, government agencies and nonprofits.

Ade is an Atlanta native who received his B.A. in Public Policy from Duke University, and was a Spring 2016 Fellow with the Clean Energy Leadership Institute in Washington, D.C. He serves on the national board of Higher Achievement – a nonprofit dedicated to closing the opportunity gap for students during the critical middle school years. In his free time, Ade is typically out for a run, hike or a bike ride, and he looks forward to traveling overseas when it’s safe again.

Alex is the Director of Policy & Research at The Hub Project, where she supports the research and policy needs for The Hub’s advocacy campaigns, and helps to develop strategy for new and ongoing campaigns. Prior to joining The Hub Project, Alex was Policy Counsel on the Economic Justice team at the National Partnership for Women & Families, where she focused on state and federal policy on paid sick and safe days, pregnancy discrimination and accommodations, sexual harassment, and paid family and medical leave. Originally from Philadelphia, she has been in the District for 15 years and enjoys traveling, reading, and running on The National Mall. Alex is a proud graduate of Georgetown University and American University Washington College of Law.

Amber is the Senior Associate of Federal and External Affairs at The Hub. Amber has spent the majority of her career doing progressive advocacy work, having previously worked at the Congressional Progressive Caucus Center and on numerous progressive campaigns. Amber is from Baltimore, MD and graduated from the George Washington University with a degree in Political Science and a minor in Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies. When she’s not working, Amber can be found singing, trying new DC restaurants, and hanging out with her rescue dog, Pepper!

AnnE is the People and Culture Manager at the Hub and loves helping people build their teams, onboard new hires, and create great employee experiences. AnnE has spent the majority of her career in the tech industry, gaining experiences in areas such as recruiting, diversity, equity, and inclusion, and people operations. While supporting Hubsters is her primary job function by day, AnnE also enjoys traveling, crocheting, and eating weird foods.

Arielle is the Associate Director of Policy and Research at The Hub where she manages the research supporting campaigns to ensure that people in America can fully and freely participate in our democracy.

Before joining The Hub, Arielle worked as a policy analyst at The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights where she helped to manage the organization’s policy advocacy on education, health care, and anti-poverty issues. Arielle started her career at the Youth Service Opportunities Project where she coordinated community service programs for youth and school groups to volunteer with the unhoused and food insecure populations in New York City.

A native of Brooklyn, NY, Arielle earned her Master of Public Policy degree from George Washington University and holds a bachelors degree in political science from Boston University. In her free time, Arielle enjoys traveling, and when she’s not doing that, you can catch her exploring DC’s awesome food scene.

Arielle is an associate director of communications at The Hub, where she leads communications strategy and media outreach for a number of campaigns. Prior to joining the team, Arielle worked as a director at Derris for nearly a decade, advising nonprofits, startups, global companies and public figures on brand and communications strategy. During her tenure at Derris, Arielle led several clients teams in messaging development, media relations and crisis management. She also ran the company’s internal media training practice, preparing spokespeople for broadcast appearances, off-screen interviews, and speaking engagements. A California native, Arielle began her career interning at FRONTLINE PBS in the Boston area, where she graduated from Tufts University with a double major in sociology and community health. During her free time, Arielle can be found dancing, hiking, or eating cheese.

Arkadi is the founder of The Hub Project and its Executive Director.

Prior to launching The Hub, Arkadi was senior vice president for campaigns and strategy at the Center for American Progress and the Center for American Progress Action Fund. In that capacity, Arkadi managed the American Progress advocacy arm and oversaw policy teams focused on gun violence, court reform, and public lands.

Prior to joining CAP, Arkadi was the senior director for policy, partnerships, and public affairs at Opower (a clean energy company that has been acquired by Oracle). There, he led a team focused on regulatory research, government outreach, and partnerships.

Before Opower, Arkadi served as special adviser and first deputy criminal justice coordinator to New York City Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, where he managed the Mayors Against Illegal Guns coalition (now Everytown for Gun Safety). During four-and-a-half years in the mayor’s office, Arkadi oversaw the coalition’s growth to more than 600 mayors, led successful campaigns to influence federal legislation, partnered with Wal-Mart to develop a landmark gun-seller code of conduct, and led New York City’s undercover investigation of out-of-state gun shows.

Before joining the Bloomberg administration, Gerney worked as a litigator at WilmerHale and as a partner in a political consulting firm.

Arkadi lives in Washington, D.C. with his wife Nancy and their three children.

Ayat is the Polling and Analytics Associate at The Hub Project where she works on the Navigator Research website and other Hub campaigns.

Prior to joining The Hub, Ayat worked at Priorities USA and the Education Trust-Midwest, where she worked in analytics and education equity, respectively.

Outside of The Hub, Ayat enjoys writing, learning about Iraqi art history, and reading. She is learning how to roller skate and wants to learn to play the bass.

Barion is the Creative Director at The Hub Project. He manages a team of designers, editors and contractors who produce videos, websites, live streams and a variety of other digital products. The Creative team is responsible for ideation, production and delivery of content optimized for distribution across multiple social media platforms. Barion also manages the distribution of content to our online partners and works closely with our paid media, comms and campaign teams.

With 20 years of production experience, Barion’s client list includes MTV, BET, MSNBC, TVOne and Aspire. He also co-founded theGrio.com and was Associate Producer of the Oscar nominated documentary Tupac: Resurrection.

Barion joins The Hub from Harlem, NY and is a proud native of Newark, New Jersey. He studied radio, television and film production at Rowan University and is a proud member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.

Outside of the office, Barion loves traveling, film and music festivals, cooking and spending time with family and friends.

Bre (Breanne) is an Associate Director of Campaigns at The Hub Project, working on The Hub’s campaigns to engage national and state partners to integrate communications, research, digital, and paid tactics on the important policy conversations of the day. Prior to The Hub, Bre was a member of the Outreach and Campaigns team at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, working with hundreds of partners to protect safety net programs and stand against budget and tax proposals that give away trillions of dollars in revenue, worsening inequality. Bre also was a Fellow for the Georgetown Center on Poverty and Inequality and served in the Missouri State Senate as a Policy Fellow. Bre holds a master’s degree in social work from Washington University in St. Louis and a bachelor’s degree in social work from Olivet Nazarene University. Bre is a proud Midwesterner and streaming enthusiast. When not binging the latest album, audiobook, show or podcast, she can be found trying a new dish in the kitchen, practicing yoga, solving Sudoku puzzles, or exploring the DC area with her spouse.

Bryan is the Senior Director, Polling & Analytics at The Hub Project, where he oversees the design, management, and analysis of all qualitative and quantitative research projects to inform messaging for a variety of issue advocacy campaigns. Bryan also serves on the pollster team for Navigator Research, a public opinion research collective designed to better understand the American public’s views on issues of the day and provide messaging guidance to progressive advocates, elected officials, and other interested parties to make and win policy arguments. Prior to joining The Hub Project, Bryan previously served as a research manager at Illuminas, a boutique market research agency, and was responsible for conducting qualitative and quantitative studies for clients in the technology, non-profit, and education industries. He started his career at Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Research, advising numerous Democratic political candidates, progressive issue advocacy groups, and non-profit organizations. Originally from central Texas, Bryan studied government at The University of Texas at Austin. He currently lives in Washington, D.C. with his wife Lesley and his cat Alex.

Brynna Quillin is the Associate Director of Digital Content at The Hub Project where she focuses on economic campaigns. Her work has spanned roles with political campaigns, campaign committees, media startups, and progressive organizations. She specializes in content strategy, digital organizing, influencer and partnership engagement, and driving conversations online. Brynna previously worked as a Consulting Partner with the DigiGeeks Collective, advising nonprofits on digital strategy, and as the Deputy National Mobilization Director at the DCCC, helping to build their first-ever digital mobilization program during the 2020 cycle. She is an alum of Senator Cory Booker’s presidential campaign, American Bridge 21st Century, AmpliFire News, March For Our Lives, Hillary for America, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and Wendy Davis for Governor and Battleground Texas. Brynna received her Master in Public Policy degree from Harvard Kennedy School and Bachelor of Arts from University of California, Berkeley (Go Bears!). Brynna is originally from the San Francisco Bay Area, but her family calls Austin, Texas home now. Outside of work, Brynna loves playing music (guitar, piano, and saxophone), going to concerts, traveling, and cheering on Bay Area sports teams.

Carter is the Digital Associate at The Hub Project, where she digitally organizes advocacy groups to strengthen our democracy and achieve racial justice for communities of color.

Prior to joining the Hub, Carter worked as a Digital Organizing Intern at NextGen America during the 2020 general election cycle. Carter worked in email and SMS campaigns that urged young people in 11 swing states to pledge to vote and write to members of the U.S. Congress about progressive issues.

Outside of the office, Carter enjoys cooking without recipes, attending hip hop dance classes, and hiking any trail near a body of water.

Celine is the Digital Associate of the The Hub’s Digital Partnerships team and is passionate about spotlighting impactful stories and developing effective digital campaigns in collaboration with key partner organizations and advocates.

With a background in research and policy, she previously served as a researcher for nonprofits to inform policy on black immigrant issues such as voting rights and economic empowerment. She has worked for organizations like the Ghana Diaspora Public Affairs Collective and the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation to uplift and showcase the nuanced narratives within the African diaspora.

Celine holds a B.A. in Political Science from George Washington University where she served as the Vice President of the GW African Students Association to help create more inclusive spaces and programs. Outside of work, she enjoys watching psychological thrillers, writing poetry, and jamming out to Afrobeats.

CJ is Senior Manager for State Communications at The Hub Project.

Before joining the Hub, he served as Press Secretary on Senator Gary Peters’ reelection campaign in Michigan and as Deputy National Press Secretary on Senator Amy Klobuchar’s presidential campaign. Prior to that, CJ served on the communications teams for Tax March’s ‘Tax The Rich Bus Tour’, Jumaane Williams’ successful Public Advocate campaign, and Cynthia Nixon’s progressive gubernatorial campaign in New York.

Originally from New Jersey, he is a graduate of The Catholic University of America, and a long suffering New York Mets fan.

Claire Goldberg is a Communications Associate at The Hub Project, working across multiple campaigns to help generate media coverage and execute messaging strategy.

Prior to joining The Hub Project, she was the Communications Manager at the DC Democratic Party, overseeing the organization’s press relations, digital operations, and messaging goals. She has also worked as a Communications Director on a New Jersey congressional campaign, and as a Field Organizer and Regional Digital Captain on Kamala Harris’s presidential primary campaign in Iowa.

Claire is a 2019 graduate of Georgetown University, where she earned her B.A. in Government. She was born and raised in Santa Monica, California, and loves watching TV, making Spotify playlists, letting copies on the New Yorker pile up on her desk, and doom scrolling through Twitter.

Dan oversees campaign communications and is the press secretary and spokesperson for The Hub.

Dan has worked at the intersection of policy and political communications for more than a decade. He came to The Hub from the Economic Policy Institute, where he worked to promote policies that would strengthen the economic conditions of working- and middle-class Americans, through traditional and digital media outreach. Dan is a veteran of President Obama’s 2008 and 2012 campaigns and served in the Obama administration as a communications assistant at the Small Business Administration. He graduated from Cornell University with a double major in government and theater arts.

Dan has lived in the District since 2009, which is longer than he’s lived anywhere else. He and his wife currently make their home in DC’s Park View neighborhood, with their dog and cat. Dan is an avid bike commuter, occasional road cyclist, and competitive powerlifter.

Danielle is the Managing Director, Digital at The Hub, and is passionate about using the expansive power of digital to advance progressive ideas and connect people with the issues they care about most. Danielle has spent the majority of her career working on digital strategy and creative for campaigns, non-profits, and advocacy organizations. Before joining The Hub, Danielle was the Director of Battleground Communications at Priorities USA and previously ran an independent consulting firm in New York. Earlier in her career, she served as a Creative Director at Blue State Digital. Danielle has worked on two presidential campaigns, as Director of Content on Hillary Clinton’s 2016 campaign and on the Obama 2012 email team.

Outside of the office, Danielle enjoys spending as much time as possible at the beach and is always looking for the pizza spots in town.

Ebonie is the Associate Director of Creative at The Hub Project, where she designs and manages the production of compelling digital and print products for campaigns at The Hub.

Before The Hub, Ebonie worked as the Digital Director at Social Security Works, where she was the lead on digital strategy and created and curated content for various organizational campaigns related to healthcare policy, drug policy, and student debt policy. She also worked as deputy editor of Social Security Works’ publishing arm, Strong Arm press, for which she designed various book covers including Nancy Altman’s The Truth About Social Security.

She is a proud member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc and enjoys serving her community through public service. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her husband and son, creating art (drawing, painting, designing), and watching tons of movies.

Emi is an Email & SMS Manager at The Hub Project, primarily focusing on email advocacy and online organizing. While pushing calls to action and dodging spam traps are their day job, Emi moonlights as a food blogger, photographer, and baker in their free time.

Emily is the Digital Director, where she strategizes and creates all-encompassing online efforts across platforms to assist and amplify issue-based campaigns.

Prior to joining The Hub Project, Emily served as the digital content manager at the Labor Department as a political appointee in the Obama administration. She created and managed content for official digital and social media accounts of the department and the Secretary of Labor. In this role, she developed a number of digital strategies for ongoing campaigns including minimum wage, paid leave, and worker voice; and final rule rollouts for conflict of interest, overtime, and silica. Previously, Emily worked for Young Invincibles’ consulting arm, managed health care advocacy clients at Blue State Digital, and worked on a number of issue-based campaigns at the Center for American Progress. Emily began her career in Washington working for Sen. Claire McCaskill.

Emily is a St. Louis native, graduated cum laude from Bucknell University, and is a yoga instructor in DC. When not in front a screen, Emily enjoys long walks with her daughter, free samples at farmers markets, and is a serious foodie who loves to travel and cook.

Emma is a Senior Associate of Campaigns at The Hub Project where she works on progressive issue advocacy campaigns in order to highlight crucial policy issues and hold elected officials accountable.

Prior to joining The Hub, Emma worked at Bridgewater Associates. Emma attended Wesleyan University where she was the President of the student government and served on the University’s Title IX Policy Committee.

Emma is originally from Denver, Colorado and you’ll most likely catch her lounging in a park nostalgic for the Rocky Mountains or at Bunker Hill Fire Station, where she is a volunteer firefighter.

Emma is a Special Assistant at The Hub, where she supports the work of the executive and campaigns teams. A true New England native, Emma grew up in Boston, Massachusetts and attended Brown University, where she studied Political Science with a focus on American Politics. Prior to joining The Hub, Emma worked in the field on two progressive campaigns in New Hampshire and Massachusetts. Most recently, she worked as a Stop Disinformation Field Fellow at Common Cause, where she discovered her passion for working to strengthen our democracy. Outside of the office, Emma loves reading, being outside, and shamelessly watching reality tv.

Evan is a Special Assistant at the Hub, where he keeps the office running behind the scenes. Evan attended the College of William & Mary and graduated with degrees in Political Science and Sociology. A passionate advocate for human rights, he previously volunteered with Peace Corps to promote sustainable agriculture in Benin and worked with NARAL to protect reproductive rights. Most recently, Evan worked with ASHLIN Management Group in support of the Department of Labor’s Job Corps program. Outside of the office, Evan loves reading, playing volleyball, and supporting terrible Premier League teams (go Newcastle!).

Frederick is a Campaign Associate at The Hub transforming his passion for organizing into action for the Democracy program. Prior to joining The Hub, Frederick worked as a field organizer for the historic Jaime Harrison U.S. Senate campaign and served as the youngest Louisiana delegate to the 2016 Democratic National Convention.

He is a graduate of Tulane University and a member of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc. Frederick appreciates discussing innovations in our culture, politics, and society. In his spare time, you’ll find him reading, writing, running, watching “Veep,” or spending time with those close to him. You can learn more about Frederick from his website at frederickbell.org.

Issie is a Research Associate for the Policy and Research Team at The Hub Project. Prior to joining the Hub, she volunteered with NARAL Pro-Choice Missouri where she organized lobby days, and recruited volunteers to support progressive, pro-choice candidates in St. Louis. She also worked as a research assistant to Dr. Parikh on various projects related to the effects of COVID-19 on African American ancillary health workers, sex education and HIV prevention programs for sex workers in Uganda, and PrEP adherence in the Midwest as part of a CDC funded project.

Issie is from London and a graduate of Washington University in St. Louis. When she is not working you can find her playing tennis, doing yoga, hiking or knitting!

Jack is a Research Associate in the Policy and Research Department. He conducts research to support multiple campaigns at the Hub in their efforts to make our government and economy work for everyone. Prior to joining the Hub, Jack interned in the Office of Rep. John Sarbanes (D-MD) and the Office of the Federal Public Defender for the District of Maryland. In 2018, he worked on a campaign for Baltimore County Executive.

Jack is from Baltimore, Maryland and is a graduate of Davidson College. Outside of the office, he enjoys cooking, watching the Ravens and the Orioles, and eating good bagels. 

Jennifer Mandelblatt is an Associate Campaign Director at The Hub Project, where she works on strategic mobilization efforts to strengthen our democracy.

Prior to joining The Hub Project, Jen served as the Co-Founder and Executive Director of Platform, a political training and lobbying organization dedicated to fostering young people’s political power and tearing down the barriers to entry. During this time, she developed resources for young people to understand their role in the legislative process; consulted peer organizations on their policy strategy; and coordinated high-impact advocacy days.

Originally from New Jersey, she received her B.S. in labor relations from Cornell University’s ILR School. In staying loyal to her Jersey roots, she is dedicated to remaining in Bruce Springsteen’s top 0.1 percent of Spotify listeners.

Joel joined The Hub as Managing Director for Communications in October 2019.

Joel has served in several notable positions in the political arena. In 2016, he was the Director of African-American Advertising for Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign. In that role, he oversaw the campaign’s advertising outreach program to African-American voters nationwide that exceeded $25 million, the largest such effort in political history at that time.

Before that, Joel served as Deputy Press Secretary for former Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, where he helped lead messaging efforts to pass Obamacare, and communications director for California Democratic Congresswoman Barbara Lee. He also worked as a campaign aide for John Edwards’ 2008 presidential campaign and served as a policy aide for the late Senator Frank Lautenberg of New Jersey and former Senate Agriculture Committee Chair Debbie Stabenow of Michigan.

Joel is a political contributor for CBS News. Along with his frequent regular appearances on CBS News and CBSN, including CBS Face the Nation and CBS This Morning, Joel also appears regularly on several other national cable television and radio outlets including MSNBC, CNN and others. In addition, he’s currently an opinion contributor for The Hill newspaper and is the host of the Here Comes the Payne podcast in partnership with Hip-Politics Network.

Joel is a graduate of Brown University and a native of New Jersey.

John is a Senior Associate of Campaigns at The Hub Project, where he works to execute progressive issue campaigns in key states, shed light on the most pressing policy issues of today, and amplify the voices of marginalized groups.

Prior to joining The Hub, John worked in the Political Law Group at Perkins Coie and on Jared Golden’s historic 2018 Congressional campaign, which flipped Maine’s 2nd district blue and marked the first time a challenger won the seat since 1916.

John graduated from Bates College in Lewiston, ME with a degree in Politics. A native of Washington, D.C. (yes, D.C. proper), John spends his free time experimenting with new recipes, playing music, and brainstorming excuses to move back to his favorite state, Maine.

Josh is the Director of Finance at The Hub Project where he serves as an integral member of the senior leadership team with responsibilities for ensuring the integrity of financial and accounting information across the organization.

Prior to joining The Hub Project, he served as a senior member of the Main Campus Finance team of the Office of the Provost at Georgetown University. In his role, he provided senior-level financial and budgetary oversight of academic support units of the Main Campus; serving as a key financial partner to the unit heads of these academic units by facilitating financial, budgetary management, staffing operations, and resource planning & execution. Prior to this role, Josh held similar positions within Georgetown and at other non-profits in the Washington DC area.

Josh has a Bachelor of Accountancy from Mississippi State University and an MBA from Texas A&M University. He is currently studying to sit for the CPA exam. In his free time, Josh enjoys outdoor cycling, traveling, trying new restaurants, solving true-crime mysteries, and spoiling his dog Royal.

Julia (hoo-lyah) is a Paid Media Manager at The Hub Project, where she oversees the development, execution, and measurement of all economy-centered ad campaigns.

Before joining The Hub Project, Julia worked at Deliver Strategies, a strategic communication and direct mail firm for the progressive community. There she worked with the nation’s top progressive organizations and candidates to craft innovative, creative, and highly-tested mail programs for the 2020 election cycle. She began her D.C. career at Kivvit as a Public Affairs Associate managing the development and execution of digital advertising, media relations, and public affairs campaigns.

Julia attended Champlain College in Burlington, VT, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in Public Relations and Digital Marketing. Outside of work, she enjoys watching the latest blockbuster films and cooking.

Julia is the Digital Content Manager at the Hub and loves engaging young people online to take a participatory in our democracy.

During the 2020 cycle, Julia worked with When We All Vote, Michelle Obama’s nonpartisan civic engagement effort. Julia oversaw digital educational campaigns and influencer partnerships for first time-voters, managing a social media program that reached 100 million people and helped 512k+ eligible voters start or complete their voter registration.

Julia is originally from New Jersey and proud founder of Marist Votes, Marist College’s first-ever campus wide voter engagement initiative. Outside of work, Julia loves cooking for friends and family, spending too much money on oat milk lattes, and reading her weekly horoscope.

Kashaf is an operations associate at The Hub and loves helping people navigate contracts and payments. Kashaf spent a majority of her career in the non-profit industry, gaining experiences in areas such as racial and socioeconomic justice. While she is an operations associate by day, Kashaf also enjoys hiking and reading.

Kate is the Director of Development at The Hub Project where she oversees the fundraising program.

Prior to joining The Hub Project, she served as Deputy National Finance Director for the Democratic National Committee. During her tenure at the DNC, the major donor team had its most successful four-year cycle ever. In addition to her role as Deputy National Finance Director, she managed the major donor surrogate program for the Biden Victory Fund. Before the DNC, she spent nearly a decade in nonprofit fundraising specifically focused on K-12 education. She served as Managing Director of Development for City Year Washington, DC and Major Gifts Officer at Teaching Matters in New York City.

Kate is from Bucks County, PA and a graduate of West Chester University of Pennsylvania.

Kekoa is a Senior Digital Associate at The Hub Project, where he works as both a writer and manager of social media assets while collaborating with partners to expand The Hub’s online presence. Prior to joining The Hub, Kekoa served as a Daniel K. Akaka Congressional Fellow in the Office of U.S. Senator Brian Schatz of Hawaii, focusing on Native Hawaiian education policy. Outside of the office, he is known to be an avid reader of philosophical texts as well as a decent shot at pool.

Kitty is the Financial Operations Manager at The Hub Project where she works on the month-end close process, program budgets, and procurement. She has always been interested in non-profit work and was drawn to The Hub after volunteering for local campaigns and organizations during the 2020 election cycle. Prior to joining The Hub, Kitty worked on intellectual property finance and R&D expense at Lenovo.

A native of Chicago, Kitty received her B.S. in Accountancy with a minor in French from the University of Illinois. Outside of the office she can be found trying local coffee shops, watching questionable reality TV, and buying books to add to her already large unread pile.

Kristin “Kris” Crofts (she/her/hers) is an Associate Director of Paid Media at the Hub. She has spent the last few years leading paid media strategy for issue, political, and corporate clients at a local advertising agency. Kris worked in publisher-side advertising in Atlanta, Georgia before making her way to D.C. In her spare time, she enjoys binge-watching TV with her cat and supporting the local bird community.

Hatalsky has spent her career working on the intersection of policy and politics across an array of issues. Hatalsky served as Senator Catherine Cortez Masto’s (D-NV) first Deputy Chief of Staff in the United States Senate. Before this role, Hatalsky was the Policy Director at the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC) for the 2016 election cycle under Chairman Jon Tester. Previously, in the United States Senate, Laura served as an economic policy advisor for the Democratic Policy and Communications Center under the leadership of Senators Charles Schumer and Harry Reid. Earlier in her career, she served as a policy advisor to Congressman Mike Honda, Senator Ron Wyden, and Congressman Anthony Weiner in the United States Congress. Laura received a Master’s degree from the McCourt School of Public Policy at Georgetown University and a Bachelor’s degree from Bucknell University.

See some of Hatalsky’s latest handiwork at www.madetofail.org.

Lucy is the Associate Director of Campaigns at the Hub Project, where she works to hold elected officials accountable to their constituents.

Prior to her time at the Hub Project, Lucy managed the re-election campaign for Representative Anthony Brindisi, one of the longest uncalled races of the 2020 election cycle. Before that, she successfully managed Delegate Hala Ayala’s re-election campaign in Virginia. Lucy was a member of the Political Department for the successful 2018 cycle at the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, and worked in the States and Political Department for Secretary Clinton’s Presidential Campaign.

An avid traveler, Lucy recently finished her first cross-country road trip with her naughty puppy, Rufus.

Maggie Rousseau is the Associate Director of Federal Affairs at The Hub Project. Before joining The Hub Project, Maggie spent the last ten years working on Capitol Hill, most recently as Deputy Chief of Staff and Communications Director for Michigan Congresswoman Debbie Dingell. Maggie started her career with former Minnesota Senator Al Franken and also worked for Oregon Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici.

Originally from Northwest Minnesota, Maggie graduated from George Washington University with degrees in Political Science and Statistics. In her spare time, Maggie enjoys hiking and backpacking in America’s National Parks, and making quilts – a family tradition passed down from her grandmother.

Marcos is the Executive Assistant to the Executive Director and Chief Operating Officer at The Hub Project where he drives executive and operational priorities for the team. A native of Corpus Christi, Texas, Marcos received his bachelor’s degrees in both Mexican American Studies and Political Science from The University of Texas at San Antonio. He most recently served as the Director of Policy at Latinos for a Secure Retirement, leading issue advocacy and partner development on Capitol Hill. Before relocating to Washington DC, Marcos worked in Texas’ 84th and 85th Legislatures and as a campaign manager in TX-27. In his spare time, he can be found spending time with his family, working in the garden, or planning his next travel adventure.

Michael oversees The Hub Project’s internal story collection efforts. In his first year at The Hub, Michael worked on the campaigns team for the Democracy program, after which he transitioned to the digital team to help build an enthusiastic community of grassroots messengers calling for progressive change.

Michael joined The Hub team after years of organizing and coalition-building in New Hampshire politics. Outside of the office, Michael can be found attempting new recipes that require five ingredients or less, or learning to use the skateboard he bought impulsively.

“Natalie is a Communications Associate at The Hub Project, where she works across multiple campaigns to craft messaging and uplift the stories of historically marginalized voices.

Prior to joining the Hub, Natalie was an Editorial Associate at the College Board, where she developed engaging and accessible English language arts curriculum for students across the country. She has also organized with Sunrise Movement DC and is passionate about intersectional climate justice.

Natalie graduated from New York University in 2018 with a B.A. in both Journalism and Psychology. A native of southern Alabama, Natalie is always on the search for the best southern food a city has to offer. In her spare time, Natalie also enjoys going on walks with her pandemic puppy, perusing local bookstores and coffee shops, and watching reality TV.”

Nicholas is the Director of Digital Partnerships at The Hub Project, working with a wide range of partner organizations and stakeholders to develop and execute compelling digital campaigns.

Previously, Nicholas served on Hillary for America’s digital team in Ohio, where he led the campaign’s youth digital outreach program in the state. Prior to joining the campaign, he was the Senior Advocacy Associate at the Center for American Progress, where he oversaw Generation Progress’ gun violence prevention and criminal justice reform programs, helping amplify the voices of young people in the policy space. Nicholas has also worked as an Obama White House Advance Associate, as a field organizer on the 2014 U.S. Senate race in Iowa, and as an intern in President Obama’s White House Office of Public Engagement and Intergovernmental Affairs.

Nicholas graduated with honors from UC Berkeley, where he co-founded the California Public Higher Education Caucus. He grew up on a farm in rural Northern California, and enjoys surfing, cycling, and exploring the great outdoors.

Nicole is a Senior Communications Associate at The Hub Project, where she crafts campaign messaging, builds press outreach strategies, and uplifts storytellers. Before joining The Hub, Nicole’s passion for equity and social justice guided her leadership at the YWCA Berkeley/Oakland, where she managed lobbying efforts and campus organizing for progressive policies. She built on this advocacy through research positions at Berkeley Law, where she explored remedies to global sexual violence, and at Giffords, where she analyzed gun violence prevention legislation and supported grassroots development. Nicole is a Los Angeles native and proud UC Berkeley alumna. She is always happy to discuss her California roots, and in her free time, she enjoys biking, re-watching Parks and Rec, and reading fiction.

Rachael is the Polling and Analytics Manager at the Hub Project, where she manages the day-to-day execution of all public opinion research and analytics projects. Rachael works at the intersection of politics and data, striving to amplify progressive policies and elect bold leaders.

Prior to joining the Hub, Rachael worked in targeting and data analytics for the National Domestic Workers Alliance, the Pivot Group, and the Mike Bloomberg campaign.

Outside of the Hub, Rachael can be found consuming local Pennsylvania politics, listening to NPR, and hiking with her dog, Winnie the Pooch.

Ruiyong is the Senior Director of Paid Media at The Hub Project, overseeing the organization’s paid media strategy and ad program measurement efforts across campaigns.

Prior to joining The Hub Project, Ruiyong served as Managing Principal at Precision Strategies, leading the firm’s paid media practice. She worked with a wide range of political, advocacy, and corporate clients to develop and implement innovative paid media programs across the country.

Ruiyong is a proud alumna of Georgetown University’s Walsh School of Foreign Service, and can always be found planning her next food and travel adventure.

Sarah is the Campaign Director for Economy Campaigns at The Hub Project, where she runs campaigns to fight for an economy that works for everyone. Prior to joining The Hub, Sarah worked as the managing director of campaigns at Climate Power after dreaming big and fighting hard as deputy states director for Elizabeth Warren’s primary campaign. Before her stint in Boston, she was a national campaign strategist at the ACLU and the associate campaigns director at CAP Action, where she worked for 5 years.

When she’s not working, Sarah is playing with her dog Elmer.

Saryn is Communications Manager at The Hub Project. Prior to joining the Hub, Saryn has worked in the non-profit spaces focusing on digital communications work. She has worked with organization such as YWCA USA, YP4, and Amputee Coalition focusing on social media, branding, and website management. Outside of the office, Saryn enjoys watching new TV shows, traveling and cooking. She has a B.A.in Broadcast Journalism from Howard University (’15), and a Master’s in Public Relations and Corporate Communications from Georgetown University (’19).

Stasha is the Managing Director of Democracy Campaigns at The Hub Project, where she develops and manages large scale advocacy campaigns that shift the conversation around top progressive policies.

Prior to joining The Hub Project, Stasha was Director of Engagement at Giffords, a leading organization in the growing movement to save lives from gun violence. As Director of Engagement, Rhodes developed and carried out national, state and local strategies and campaigns.

Previously, she was the Director of Advocacy for guns and crime policy at the Center for American Progress. At CAP, Stasha facilitated a nationwide coalition of over 200 national and state gun violence prevention and allied organizations to develop more strategic and coordinated policy, political, and organizing agendas.

Prior to that, in Louisiana, she served as the founder and principal of The Red Team, LLC, an advocacy firm specializing in issue-campaign management, grassroots organizing and government affairs.

She also has served as the American Heart Association’s Louisiana director of government affairs. She is a graduate of Southern University and A&M College and Southern University Law Center. She currently lives in Washington, D.C. with her wife and three kids.

Sylvana Dussan is the Associate Director of Digital Content at the Hub, where she focuses on reaching online audiences about issue-based campaigns through creative, digital content. Prior to joining the Hub, Sylvana has worked on federal and local campaigns, overseeing the overall digital strategy, with a focus on social media and email programs. Sylvana is very passionate about voting rights, oat milk chai lattes, and national parks, and is a proud New Yorker and Latina.

Theo is the Organizing Manager for Campaigns at The Hub Project. He’s played a key role over the years in various issue advocacy campaigns including Tax March, Health Care Voter, and Protect The Investigation. Whether he’s managing and cultivating strong relationships with external stakeholders, running and building state programs, or leading teams across the organization to produce over twenty virtual town halls with an audience in the millions, Theo has a demonstrated history of delivering results.

Prior to joining The Hub, Theo worked at a private charitable foundation dedicated to social justice and protecting natural areas in the public trust where his portfolio of work included managing grants. Theo has also worked for Congressional delegates from Florida and on an electoral campaign in Maryland.

A graduate of Boston University and a proud immigrant, Theo enjoys rooting for the French national soccer team, growing vegetables and herbs in his garden, and playing Dungeons & Dragons virtually with his friends.

Torey is the Associate Director of Data & Analytics at The Hub and loves helping non-data people navigate the sometimes intimidating world of polling, data and analytics. Torey has spent the majority of his career in the campaigns world, working as the data director for JB Pritzker, Jacky Rosen, Kamala Harris, and Mike Bloomberg. While data is his primary job function by day, Torey also enjoys hiking, happy hours, brunches, and using his analytics background to win his fantasy football league.

Yolanda is the Chief Operating Officer and Legal Director at The Hub Project. She is a seasoned executive with over 25 years of public and private sector experience. She joins us from Opportunity@Work where she served as the Chief Operating Officer and General Counsel leading daily operations, including resource mobilization, HR, legal, and business strategies.

Before joining Opportunity@Work, Yolanda led a real estate investment and consulting firm. Previously she was the Chief Operating Officer for four years at Wheat Government Relations. As a Senate-confirmed appointee in the Clinton Administration, Yolanda served five years as a Commissioner of the National Credit Union Administration, the agency responsible for regulating 10,000+ federal and state-chartered credit unions.

Yolanda has practiced law in Maryland, California, and Missouri. She specializes in corporate finance and real estate law in addition to general business law. She volunteers with the Whitman-Walker Legal Clinic in her free time.

A native of California, she has lived in the greater DC area for over 20 years. While keeping the organization on track is her primary job function by day, Yolanda also enjoys spending time with her family and completing puzzles in record time.

As The Hub Project’s Senior Video Editor, Zach drives the development and execution of a diverse range of video projects. His portfolio includes music videos, short-form documentaries and a variety of branded content for commercial and non-profit organizations. He has also taught filmmaking in after school programs. In his free time he can be found cooking, watching old movies and hiking with his wife.