HARMONY EICHSTEADT

Harmony Eichsteadt is a digital nomad, a start-up coach, author, speaker, and life-long community organizer. She's used the power of community to start a high school walkout, create a political training conference for young women, build a business as a high-end dating coach, promote an undiscovered artist, launch a country-wide poetry tour, and most recently, to beat cancer. 

Shayna Englin, Change.org

As the Managing Director, North America at Change.org, Shayna oversees a team of organizers, campaigners, communicators, and other badasses to deliver on the mission to empower people everywhere to create the change they want to see. Before joining Change.org in June, Shayna was a political and policy consultant, helping organizations at the local, state, and national levels mobilize people to change their world. Shayna lives in and loves Los Angeles and muscle cars.

Katie Eukel, Fourth Sector Consulting

Katie Eukel is the President and CEO of Fourth Sector Consulting, a strategic communications firm working at the intersection of communications, culture and technology to help clients achieve social impact. She also serves as the vice chair of the executive committee of the Sierra Club North Star Chapter. Katie graduated from Macalester College and lives in Minneapolis with her husband, Reed, and their giant rescue sheltie, Murray.

Hans Friedhoff, Bread for the World

Hans lives in Seattle with his wife Yesenia, ten-month old son Leo, and Molly, the pitbull. He works on all things digital for Bread for the World as part of its campaign to end hunger by 2030. He is an enthusiastic gardener, a capable cook, and loves satisfying home improvement projects. He is a graduate of Carleton College and has a degree in African-American history.

Suzi Grishpul

Previous Executive Director at Radical Designs, a web design and development collective focused exclusively on the needs of nonprofits and grassroots social change organizations. Web developer, nerd whisperer, performance artist, and rabble-rouser. Enjoys puns, dancing, gardening, and hosting dinner parties. 

Dakota Fine, Dakota Fine Multimedia

Dakota is a multimedia professional, photographer, filmmaker, and photo/video journalist. With over 13 years living and working in Washington, D.C., Dakota has most recently been working as a video journalist for the Washington Post. In addition to publishing in newspapers and magazines, Dakota is a contract photographer for the Human Rights Campaign, a position he has maintained for over 9 years.

Emma Gibbens, Organizer

Emma Gibbens got her start in Northern Minnesota working with the MN DFL to elect Senator Al Franken. Since that first taste of community building, she has spent 7 years working on political campaigns across the country. Taking all she learned in the field, she has now transitioned into political technology working for a mobile canvassing startup called Organizer.
Emma is passionate about empowering women and increasing number of women in leadership roles.

Kevin Gottesman, Gott Advertising

Kevin founded Gott Advertising in 2007 with the goal of taking fear and loathing out of online advertising for nonprofits and progressive organizations, and still thinks it's possible to save the world one click at a time.

Casey Helbling, Software for Good

Founder of Software for Good, Casey Helbling is a software entrepreneur, a team builder, engineer, and leader. He's passionate about culture and strives to make the world a better place through entrepreneurial ventures.

Manny Herrmann, MoveOn.org

Manny has worked as an online organizer for over ten years:

1. At the ACLU, during Bush's unprecedented attacks on civil liberties.
2. For the labor movement, during the passage of health care reform, the Wisconsin uprising, and Scott Walker's attacks on workers.
3. At MoveOn.org for the 2012 and 2014 elections, the #BlackLivesMatter movement, Fight for 15, and more.

TOM ELKO

Tom Elko is a strategic thinker who knows media inside and out, with a committed approach to planing and a history of producing and leading successful digital products that use content in meaningful ways. He has been helping nonprofits, coalitions and foundations with communications and digital strategies since 2011. He lives in St. Paul and enjoys being in a canoe when it’s warm and on skis when it’s cold.

Nick Espinosa, SumOfUs.org

Nick helped launch the Occupy Homes movement and led a successful campaign to save his family’s home from foreclosure. At age 15 he watched as his father, an Ecuadorian immigrant, was suddenly deported, an experience that would shape his activism. He made international news after he started the “glitterbomb” trend by dumping glitter on Newt Gingrich for his anti-equality politics.

Jen Frazier, Firefly Partners

I am a die-hard progressive feminist and dream of a world where those ideals might someday be the norm. I do what I can to make that happen with my work at Firefly. I grew up in Oregon and made my way to Boulder via a 5 year stint in DC. I love almost any outdoor activity and sitting at a computer for hours each day hurts my soul. I share life's adventures with my husband, 9 year old son and 5 year old daughter. Can't wait to meet and hang out with you all!

Eric González, OneAmerica

Eric González is OneAmerica’s Advocacy Manager. Eric served as Director of the Equal Justice Coalition, a non-partisan organization and standing committee of the Supreme Court’s Access to Justice Board, where he worked to successfully increase federal, state and local funding for Washington’s civil legal aid programs. Eric is a first generation Mexican-American; his parents are former migrant farm workers who continue to rely on apple industry jobs for their livelihood.

Allyse Heartwell, 350.org

Allyse is the Digital Director at 350.org, where she leads a team of online organizers, campaigners, designers, and storytellers who are helping to build a global grassroots movement to tackle the climate crisis. In addition to climate justice & the internet, she is passionate about sustainable food and farming. She spends a lot of time keeping her dog, chickens, and fruit trees happy. Allyse hails from Honolulu and lives in Oakland.

PaKou Her, 18MillionRising.org

PaKou Her is Director at 18MR, an AAPI online organizing and civic engagement organization building power through social media and tech. She joined 18MR in April 2013, bringing nearly two decades of anti-racism organizing experience and after two years with MoveOn.org. She is also principal of Tseng Development Group, coaching on leadership development rooted in People of Color worldviews.

Jen Higgins

Jen's background is split between organizing for LGBT rights and running large scale organizing and data training programs. Her goal is give organizers the language and skills they need to collect and analyze data to run the smartest programs possible. 

She can often be found throwing impromptu Excel trainings or hanging hammocks in random places.

SABRINA HERSI ISSA, WOC EVENT CHAIR

Sabrina Hersi Issa is the CEO of Be Bold Media, a digital agency focused on global advocacy and the co-founder of End Famine, a campaign dedicated to developing sustainable solutions to food security and humanitarian assistance. Sabrina was a fellow at the Roosevelt Institute where she worked on issues related to technology, human rights and humanitarian disasters. She has worked for Afghans for Civil Society, Oxfam America, NBC News and National Public Radio. 

EMILY JACOBI, DIGITAL DEMOCRACY

Emily Jacobi is Founder and Executive Director of Digital Democracy, a non-profit dedicated to empowering marginalized communities to use technology to defend their rights. Since beginning her career as a youth journalist at age 13, for almost two decades Emily has worked to leverage media & technology to connect people across persistent divides. She lives in Oakland, California.

Benjamin Joffe-Walt

I currently focus on culture, recruiting, and training at Change.org. I was previously a journalist (Guardian, New Statesman, BBC, etc.) and activist (Men Can Stop Rape, Human Shields).  

Ragini Kapadia, SEIU

Ragini Kapadia is currently the education coordinator at SEIU, where she works on training and curriculum for policy, campaigns, and leadership development and spearheads teach.seiu.org, SEIU's online education platform. Prior to coming to SEIU, Ragini has extensive experience in climate, clean energy, and labor through work at the AFL-CIO Center for Green Jobs, National Wildlife Federation, Energy Action Coalition, and the Apollo Alliance. 

Jee Kim, Ford Foundation

Jee Kim works on civic and political participation in the United States for the Ford Foundation. His grant making focuses on increasing the participation of poor and marginalized groups by strengthening organizations and networks that build and mobilize the grassroots base for social change.

Prior to Ford and with a master's from Oxford, Jee helped launch 18MillionRising.org, a national civic engagement project designed to build political power of Asian Americans.

AMANDA KLOER, CHANGE.ORG

Amanda is a nationally recognized digital campaigns expert.  She currently serves as the Senior Director of Global Scaled Support at Change.org, where she established, built, and now leads Change.org's scaled digital campaigning program empowering more than 100 million people around the world. Her personal mission is to harness the power of technology for social good. Amanda also reads and writes science fiction and fantasy stories and leverages nerdom for social good.

Theodora Lamb, Hollyhock

Theo believes the world moves to the beat of an organizer's heart and that change for good occurs when we convene. She produces Social Change Institute and Social Venture Institute at Hollyhock. She is a founder of Feeding Growth, a series designed to support progressive food brands based in British Columbia, Canada. She is a Board Director with Vancity, Canada's largest credit union and a board member of British Columbia's Cooperative Association. 

Nicole Lampe, Resource Media

I head the digital and ocean teams at Resource Media, a nonprofit PR firm that works at the intersection of environmental health and social justice. Even though I'm a sometime digital strategist, I'm sort of lukewarm on the smartphone-ification of the world. I love Web of Change because I like to unplug and connect face to face... although this year I'll be missing my baby girl Aegean, and wishing Esalen's wifi was good enough to Skype! 

Austen Levihn-Coon, Fission Strategy

Austen is currently Chief Innovation Officer and Principal at Fission Strategy.  He got his start as a grassroots organizer working with Texas Campaign for the Environment and Obama for America ‘08.  Austen currently works with leading non-profit and advocacy organizations to develop and implement digital tools that enable decentralized action through the strategic use of social networks, supporter data, and trainings. 

Amanda Levy, Change.org

Novice gardner. Passionate about anything related to food - growing, cooking and eating. Lover of running trails, my dog Pele & yoga.   Happily living in Tiburon with my partner Bryan and our daughter Maya. VP of Global BD at Change.org. Thrilled to be a part of building a global empowerment platform. Prior to Change, helped start Yelp & Twitter. 

Nathan Lusignan, Point Blank Creative

Nate made the leap from community advocacy to media production when a video he produced about a candidate's beard went viral during a local election. He decided that writing videos was more exciting - and a better way to change the world - than writing grants. Since then, he has produced hundreds of videos and campaigns for progressive orgs across North America. He comes to Web of Change to replenishes his fightin' energy with the love and honesty that abounds there.  

Leslie MacFadyen, Ferguson Response Network

Leslie Mac is a Brooklyn born & raised activist and a first generation American of Jamaican ancestry. After organizing NMOS14 in Philadelphia, she created the Ferguson Response Network tumblr to connect nationwide efforts supporting the racial justice movement started in Ferguson, MO. She has since expanded FRN to include a Black Lives Matter focused weekly podcast and providing additional support for organizations working to create lasting social change.

Ian Magruder, Organizer Inc.

Ian Magruder is Director of Business Development at Organizer, a San Francisco-based technology company at the forefront of mobile field organizing. At Organizer, Ian is dedicated to providing progressive campaigns and advocacy organizations with new and better ways to reach voters, members, and supporters. When he's not organizing or helping others create change, you can find Ian hiking, camping, and surfing in the beautiful Bay Area.

Cayden Mak, 18MillionRising.org

Cayden is CTO at 18MillionRising.org, organizing Asian American and Pacific Islander communities online. Cayden is particularly interested in understanding how technology shapes our collective political imagination, both online and off, and is finishing up a Master of Fine Arts in digital media at the University at Buffalo, State University of New York, with a focus on visual culture and new media organizing. Cayden has cats.

Jeff Mann, AFL-CIO

I am a developer and digital strategist at the AFL-CIO, working with our staff and affiliates to find or build tools that strengthen the labor movement and help us run effective campaigns online and offline. I am also on the board of Energy Action Coalition, and when not staring at glowing rectangles like to cook, play rugby, and occasionally even sleep.

Zavé Martohardjono

Zavé Martohardjono is a digital strategist & artist who has led advocacy campaigns at the Dream Corps, ACLU Action, and Astraea Lesbian Foundation for Justice. He's also worked in video production as a freelancer and at Zeitbyte LLC. He has led arts, media, and activist efforts at Brooklyn Arts Exchange, F.I.E.R.C.E., MIX NYC, New Children/New York, among others. He has an M.F.A. in Media Arts (City College NY) and a B.A. in International Relations (Brown University).

Laurenellen McCann, New America/The Curious Citizens Project

Laurenellen is an organizer, artist and internationally-recognized expert in civic engagement, community technology, and equitable access to info. In 2014, she started the movement to bring co-design into govt technology. L(e) splits time between New America and The Curious Citizens Project, a cultural workshop for collaborative governance (and sometimes dinosaurs). Previously, she founded Sunlight Foundation's local team and open data policy platform. TIME 30 Under 30.

Quintin Mecke, ShareBetter SF

Quintin believes in the power of storytelling and transforming life experiences into powerful personal narratives. A former U.S. Peace Corps volunteer, he honed his skills working in local and state politics. 

The long-time Communications Director for former Assemblymember Tom Ammiano, he has held a variety of progressive policy and political campaign positions, most recently consulting for Prop F in SF, part of a national effort to regulate short-term rentals. 

Bryan Mercer, Media Mobilizing Project

Bryan Mercer is a Philadelphia native who began volunteering with Media Mobilizing Project in 2008 after returning home from college. Bryan is now Executive Director of MMP, using strategic media and communications to strengthen and connect communities organizing for their human rights. Bryan also works on state and national media policy advocacy with the Media Action Grassroots Network to create a ground-up approach to securing media rights and access.

Julian Mocine-McQueen, Green For All/Million Person Project

Julian serves as Director of Education and Outreach for Green For All. His career is fueled by a strong belief in authentic movements that are powered by people. To this end, he’s engaged thousands of young people in the climate movement, by going on tour with Drake and Wiz Khalifa, and by organizing Green For All’s College Ambassador program, which cultivates environmental leaders at Historically Black Colleges and Universities. He launched Green For All's Fellowship program, working with seasoned organizers from all over the country and the innovative Green The Block campaign, aimed at bringing sustainability to urban neighborhoods through culture and service.

ADAM MORDECAI, UPWORTHY

Adam Mordecai is the Editor-at-Large at Upworthy where he tries to make your stories "go viral" which he fails at regularly, because obviously, you can't make everything "go viral." When not speaking at conferences and trying to make people tell better stories, he tries to beg his bosses to let him go to Web of Change, his favorite community in the world aside from his own children and wife.

GRAZIELLA JACKSON, ECHO & CO.

Graziella Jackson is Echo & Co.’s Chief Experience Officer, where she helps partners change the way they think about digital.

A native Washingtonian, Graziella began her career as a journalist before moving in to nonprofit communications. For more than ten years she has worked as a user experience and content strategist, creating digital tools that put users first, motivate with content, and remove technology barriers. 

This is Graziella's first Web of Change.

Greg Jobin-Leeds, Schott Foundation for Public Education

Greg Jobin-Leeds is author of When We Fight, We Win! To be released in January 2016. The book weaves together art, stories and interviews with leading activists and artists in 21st Century social change movements.

An educator and activist engaged in local struggles from Boston to the Caribbean, Greg has helped launch and nurture organizations that have won milestone victories for underserved communities.  He is co-chair of the award-winning Schott Foundation for Public Education.

Ayana Elizabeth Johnson, Waitt Institute

Ayana is a marine biologist and the Executive Director of the Waitt Institute. Johnson travels the world to collect, create, and amplify the best ideas in ocean conservation. Her focus is in ensuring healthy ecosystems and sustainable seafood for the approximately one billion people who depend on the ocean for the their nutrition, livelihoods, and cultures.  She is a diplomat, scuba diver, blogger, and jazz singer from Brooklyn, NY.

Emi Kane, Abundance Foundation

Emi Kane has a background as a community organizer, educator, and journalist. She helps build media-based infrastructure and networks to support organizing and learning projects. She also works with Oakland educators and develops curriculum around surveillance and social movement histories. She is a Program Director for the Abundance Foundation, is a former National Steering Committee member for INCITE, and sits on the board of Allied Media Projects in Detroit, MI. 

Matt Kelley, Blue State Digital

As a creative director at Blue State Digital, Matt leads cross-disciplinary teams in crafting, launching, and managing memorable and effective digital platforms and campaigns for NGOs and brands. In four years at BSD, he has worked with UNICEF, The Rockefeller Foundation, The Trevor Project, Google, XPRIZE, and many others. Before BSD, he led digital at the Innocence Project and managed an ecolodge in Ecuador. He lives in Brooklyn, NY, with his wife and two sons.

Libby Lenkinski, New Israel Fund (NIF)

Libby is VP Strategy at the New Israel Fund, growth consultant to OPEN and a founder of Zazim-Community Action. She has worked with leading human rights organizations in Israel and Palestine, has led outreach and engagement campaigns for documentary films, media outfits, and social change initiatives. Libby is an advisor to the online magazine +972 Magazine, serves on the Board of Comet-ME, an organization that provides renewable energy systems to Palestinian villages.

Josh Levinger, Spacedog XYZ

Josh is a technologist with ten years of experience building tools for social change. He has worked on robots and radio networks, from California to Libya, and with organizations large and small. He runs Spacedog.xyz, a technology and strategic consultancy for mission driven organizations in Oakland. This is his third Web of Change, and he hears the hot tub at Esalen is even better than at Hollyhock.

Anqi Li, Access (accessnow.org)

Anqi Li is a designer, researcher, artist, and human rights advocate. She seeks ways of using visual language and data to tell compelling stories and develops design tools to intervene social problems. She works at Access, the global digital right advocacy group, where her main mission is to translate the complex information into meaningful messages with her design skills. She loves cats, dogs, and all the other animals on the earth. 

Matt Lockshin, Lockshin Consulting

A former blogger, Online Organizing Director for the California Democratic Party, and senior campaigner for CREDO, Matt currently helps organizations run better digital advocacy campaigns. He's a big believer in movement-building, grassroots organizing, the inherent dignity of each person, and the need to bring love and vulnerability into our work.  

Remy Louvens, Point Blank Creative

After nearly a decade, Remy has worked as an editor, camera operator, director and producer. His first short film, Food for Thought, was showcased at the Montreal Film Festival and the Calgary International Film Festival. Most recently, he premiered his latest short, Round 10, at the Shadowbox Film Festival in New York.  

Gregor MacLennan, Digital Democracy

I have worked with indigenous communities in the Amazon since 2000 on land rights issues, the impacts of oil drilling, and supporting peoples’ right self determination. I founded a grass-roots NGO, Shinai, in Peru, focussed on participative mapping and community monitoring of oil spills. I worked 4 years as Peru Program Coordinator at Amazon Watch, and I now work with Digital Democracy, building tech tools to communities to assert their rights and defend their land.

Jackie Mahendra, Citizen Engagement Laboratory

Jackie Mahendra (@jaxsun) is Dir. of Strategic Collaboration at CEL, a tech-fueled organizing incubator, where she steers a network of US groups that engage tens of millions of people across the country. A board member of Netroots Nation, Jackie has built infrastructure to pass humane immigration reform and spur diversity, including as Dir. of Organizing at Change.org. Outside CEL, Jackie is co-owner of ethical fashion startup @ishivest.

Firuzeh Mahmoudi, United for Iran

I am an activist, organizer, and founder of United for Iran, a non-profit which focuses on improving civil liberties in Iran. We build apps with our IranCubator, run campaigns, and manage a database of Iran’s prisons, judges and prisoners. Previously, I focused on environmental health in the global south. I serve as Board Chair of Golestan, an Iranian cultural and language center in Berkeley which works to empower a new generation of bi-cultural globally-minded citizens.

Amiel Martin, ActionSprout

Amiel’s developed for browsers since the 90’s when he started writing DHTML. Since then he’s transformed himself into a professional Perl, PHP, Ruby, and Javascript web developer. Amiel’s architected and maintained a large variety of projects including iPhone applications, web-based internal business tools, full-custom CMS solutions, and critical public-facing business tools for larger enterprise. Interesting tidbit: he used to perform with the Flying Karamazov Brothers!

Sean McDonald, FrontlineSMS

Sean is the CEO of FrontlineSMS. He works at the intersection of collective action, technology, law, and governance to make the world a more fair, participatory, and efficient place. Sean has a totally rational, if not somewhat intense, fear of sharks and love of mangoes. 

Misty McLaughlin, Jackson River

Misty works with Jackson River's progressive clients to help build their capacity with all things digital. Equal parts nonprofit coach, content strategist, and UX architect, she has midwifed organizations through critical times of change, from creating website ecosystems to crafting team structures and processes that serve their cause. By night, she's a mama to a young son, an advocate for flexible and remote work, a writer, and a resident of Portland, Maine.

ALIA MCKEE, SEA CHANGE STRATEGIES

To make social change, you have to fund social change. That's why Alia McKee has dedicated her professional career to fundraising on behalf of causes she believes in. A principal of Sea Change Strategies, a boutique research and fundraising communications agency -- Alia is a veteran strategist who has worked with clients including The Wikimedia Foundation, Amnesty International USA, the Monterey Bay Aquarium, National Audubon Society among others. 

Jared Michaels

On paper, I’m a psychotherapist in San Francisco and Berkeley and a Zen teacher in the San Francisco Zen Center/Suzuki Roshi lineage. But here’s a more honest bio: I’m a deeply caring, totally devoted, somewhat wounded, awakening, aspiring healer. What I want more than anything is for activists to realize the importance of doing inner work, and for spiritual practitioners and those who are on a psychological healing path to realize the importance of becoming activists.  

Jed Miller

I work to align the vision of mission-driven groups with their digital plans and their day-to-day work. Social justice groups and the foundations supporting them still think too much about tools and not enough about people when they plan tech.  I'm based in San Francisco (and a little bit in Brooklyn). My personality is based in Brooklyn (and a little bit in SF). Clients and previous jobs include ACLU, Global Witness, NYT, Open Society Foundations and the World Bank.

Harold Moore, Blue State Digital

Harold has spent much of the last 10 years working across political, government, nonprofit and civic tech spaces in increasingly responsible roles including stints with the AFL-CIO, Obama for America, the New Organizing Institute, the US State Department and others. As well he has served as a trainer for the Congressional Black Caucus, LISC/SMART Chicago and others. Currently he works for Blue State Digital leading SaaS clients to better understanding of the BSD Tools. 

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Sabelo Narasimhan, GLAAD

Sabelo Narasimhan is a trans/queer, South Asian immigrant photographer, community organizer, and digital strategist. He is a campaigner with extensive experience leading nonprofit communications and cultural interventions for social change, most recently at ACLU Action, Purpose, and All Out. Sabelo has a Masters in Public Administration from NYU, specializing in International Policy, with research in migration, global social movements, and LGBT policy. 

Jenn Olivia, Jackson River

Jenn brings 17 years of leadership experience to her work at Jackson River, as well as a strong passion for technology, media arts, and social justice. She has over five years of nonprofit administration experience, most recently serving as the Director of Technology and Operations at Bay Area Video Coalition (BAVC) in San Francisco. Jenn earned her Masters in Gender Studies from San Francisco State University. She currently hangs her hat in her hometown of San Antonio.  

Sandra Ordonez, Open Tech Fund

Sandra is currently Director of Outreach and Community for the Open Tech Fund. A native New York Latina, Ordonez has been involved in FLOSS for various years. Currently, she helps the cultivate community in the circumvention tech community, focused on anti-censorship and anti-surveillance initiatives.  She is a recipient of the US Hispanic Leadership award, and spends her spare time collecting goddess images found in New York City.

Joseph Phelan, ReFrame Mentorship

Joseph is a creative strategist with a long history working in and with racial justice and economic justice organizations. He currently directs the ReFrame, a strategic communications mentorship program based at the Center For Story-Based Strategy. 

Jen Perrone, Wide Eye Creative

Jen Perrone is the Chief Operating Officer at Wide Eye Creative, where she helps empower campaigns and organizations with elegant design and innovative technology. Jen has spent the last ten years working at the intersection of technology and organizing, including the New Organizing Institute, Change.org, and the Sierra Club's Beyond Coal Campaign. While she currently lives in DC with her husband and puggle, she's aggressively proud of her upstate-NY roots.

Renata Pumarol, New York Communities for Change 

Renata Pumarol is the Communications & Social Media Director at New York Communities for Change. She works on affordable housing, education justice, worker justice campaigns. 

Renata holds a degree in Communications from Baruch College and a M.S. in Citizenship & Human Rights from the University of Barcelona. 

Renata grew up in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic and has survived 12 years in New York.  

Renata loves traveling to Latin America and Chilean pop.

Jill Raney

I'm a professional feminist and the Internet is how I express myself. I teach digital strategy infused with radical inclusivity through my startup, Practice Makes Progress. I also have boundless enthusiasm about dogs, nerd culture (Star Wars! superheroes!), and fancy beer. @jr3wx  

Gibrán Rivera

Internationally renowned master facilitator who has devoted his life to the development of leaders and organizational transformation. Gibrán understands that our next evolutionary leap depends on trust and the currency of love. He devotes his life to designing and facilitating spaces that make transformation possible. He pays close attention to dynamics of power, equity and inclusion as he works with networks of cultural creatives navigating complexity.  

Grace Rodriguez, Stone Soup Society

Grace Rodriguez has helped spread ideas as TED’s Creative Director for TEDActive, and as a speaker and consultant on Innovation, Design Thinking, Growth Strategies, Social Media and Community Development. Grace serves the City of Houston as a founding member of the Mayor’s Innovation & Technology Advisory Board and WomenInTech:Houston, and as an advisor for TMC|X, HTC and local startups. She's creating a platform to help social entrepreneurs catalyze Ideas into Action.

Mark Rovner, Sea Change Strategies

Disruptive and passionate old fart. One of the world's worst practicing Buddhists. Proud to be Alia McKee's business partner. Dabbler in communications, fundraising and marketing. Never met a shark i didn't like.

Marcy Rye, Wire Media

Founder and Principal of Wire Media, Marcy is an experienced creative director, user experience / graphic designer, and programmer. Prior to Wire Media she was  creative director at a political direct mail firm in DC, a freelance designer with clients including Library of Congress, and a graphic designer at a museum exhibit design firm. She has an MFA in design & technology from Parsons the New School for Design and a BA in political science from UW-Madison. 

Amanda Navarro

Amanda is a Products Dev & Design Technologist digitizing access for ethnic & marginalized communities. Recent Product Director building the core infrastructure & initial services for individuals to own & decide where & how to share their data. Her advocacy work includes consulting in strategic analysis for the info tech industry, digital development for the nonprofit sector, union organizing, User Interaction design, App development & Front-End Web Services Programmer.  

CLINT O'BRIEN, ENGAGING NETWORKS

After a journalism career, I switched to the nonprofit sector, where I’ve now spent 18 years, first at PBS, then at Care2, and now at software company Engaging Networks, based in Washington, DC.  This is my fifth or sixth WOC. Engaging Networks is proud to again be a sponsor of this unique community of world changers. I greatly look forward to reconnecting with old friends and making new ones.

Annabel Park, storyofamerica.org

Annabel is a documentary filmmaker and community organizer. Her current project, Story of America: The Third Reconstruction of the South, explores the racial and political divide in the South during the Obama era. Her previous work, 9500 Liberty, chronicled the culture war over immigration policy in Prince William County, VA in 2007-8. She is interested in the potential role of dialog and story-telling in healing divisions and transforming individuals and communities.

Angela Peoples, GetEQUAL

Angela is the Co-Director of GetEQUAL, a national network of LGBTQ people and allies fighting for full legal and social equality. She lives in Washington DC and supports a number of local groups, including BYP 100 DC chapter and Stein Democrats. She spent six years working to fix the student loan and for-profit college industries, including 3 years at the CFPB. She is a proud Michigander, lover of Beyonce and Whitney Houston/Michael Jackson inspired dance parties. 

Justin Perkins, Care2

Justin Perkins is VP of Strategic Partnerships at Care2.  Since 2006, Justin has run nearly 600 campaigns for nonprofits and responsible brands on nearly every cause under the sun.  Justin is also the Founder of OLOMOMO Nut Company, a breakthrough, mission-based snack brand.  Justin lives in Boulder, Colorado with his two little daughters, wife, and Border Collie.  

Jorah Porteous, Point Blank Creative

In 2009, Jorah cofounded Point Blank Creative. A creative agency whose mission is to tell stories that entertain and create change. Over the past 7 years, the company has had had many successful and impactful campaigns and videos. His love of film and creativity led to involvement in the technology sector. Over the past few years, he has worked with a number of technology startups. He also has a passion for the merits of mentorship and has worked inner city youth.  

Sarah Pullman, Bodymind Counselling

In a previous lifetime, Sarah was an organizer of Web of Change, from 2004-2007. These days, she wears a different hat, and has a busy private practice as a body-mind psychotherapist in Victoria, BC. She is driven by a belief that true social change requires transformed individuals, and that personal growth work is an essential part of building healthy movements and communities. She remains committed to her activist values and loves supporting social change workers.

Eric Rardin, Care2

Eric is vice president of business development at Care2.com where he helps hundreds of nonprofits connect with donors and supporters online. Prior to joining Care2 he designed and executed integrated advocacy campaigns for environmental nonprofits for more than seven years and has been involved in political and issue campaigns from Wyoming to South Africa. Eric has an MBA from Johns Hopkins University, an MA in government from the University of South Carolina.

Kyle Robertson

Kyle Robertson is the former Web Director at Adbusters Media Foundation and current CTO of Prollster, a company he co-founded with Hollyhock SVI alumna Dr Karen Bakker. Together, they're building a social platform for the online education and civic dialogue spaces that facilitates meaningful peer engagement. During his two years at Adbusters, Kyle launched numerous online campaigns including a community site for economics reform that culminated in protests at the AEA.

Julia Rosen, ActBlue

Julia currently runs a team of digital organizers and analysts responsible for all out-going mass communication at ActBlue. She has over a decade of experience in the digital space, from MoveOn to the PCCC and the Courage Campaign. Julia just relocated to Poughkeepsie, NY with her recently ordained wife, who started a job as the Vassar College campus rabbi.

Mariana Ruiz Firmat

Mariana Ruiz Firmat has over 15 years experience as a digital campaigner and community organizer. Before becoming a consultant she was the Managing Director at Presente.org. Previously, she was a Campaign Director at MoveOn.org for three years. She spent five years as a union organizer in New York State. She currently lives in Brooklyn, NY, where she has lived since riding her bicycle cross country more than 13 years ago. She's a poet and non-fiction writer. 

GABRIELA SCHNEIDER, ISSUE ONE

Gabriela Schneider is a strategic communications pro with 15 years experience working at the intersection of politics, technology and social good. She is the Senior Director of Communications and Strategy at Issue One, a bipartisan nonprofit that is committed to putting everyday citizens back in control of our democracy by reducing the influence of big money over American politics and policymaking. Previously, she was the Sunlight Foundation's communications director.

Eric Shih, Spendrise

Eric is the founder of Spendrise, a new online consumer organizing platform. Prior to launching Spendrise, Eric was the Chief Strategy Officer at Groundswell and has also been on staff with the Chinese Progressive Association in SF and SOUL in Oakland. Eric's experience includes data/web consulting to design CRMs (specialty is Salesforce), analytics, and CMS-based sites for nonprofits. Eric grew up in Naperville, IL and now lives in DC.

Ben Simon, Mobilisation and Response Labs at Greenpeace

Ben Simon is a senior campaigner and strategist within the Mobilisation & Response Labs at Greenpeace. 

While functioning as an internal consultant, his work with offices and campaigns has focused on: Increasing the breadth and depth with which people engage in Greenpeace campaigns; Pushing the organization to be open to take on and support work initiated by non-staff, and Building capacity to identify and seize campaigning opportunities presented by external crises.

Shiloh Stark

Shiloh builds motivated online teams to test new ideas and solve problems for the most committed organizations on the planet. When not working, Shiloh spends time exploring his hometown of Washington, DC and tasting the finest ice creams the city has to offer.  

Jenn Sturm, ACLU

Jenn is the Director of Online Engagement at the ACLU’s National office in NYC where she is responsible for developing and advancing ACLU’s strategies through its digital presence and initiatives. With a background in technology, communications, and nonprofit strategy, Jenn directs digital projects to build movements and develop lasting social change. Long ago Jenn worked as a cab driver and baker, and went to circus camp where she learned to eat fire and juggle.

Tanya Tarr, New Media Mentors / Netroots Nation Foundation

Tanya is a 15-year veteran of US electoral campaigns and labor union organizing.  She recently joined New Media Mentors, a project of the Netroots Nation Foundation.  Tanya helps organizations create change through leveraging new media tools so that they can change the world.  She also helps coach fellow social justice warriors on resiliency and burnout prevention through nutrition and self-navigation habits.

Stu Trevelyan, EveryAction

Stu is the CEO of EveryAction, which provides thousands of nonprofits with tools that help raise more money and build more support for your cause.  He’s spent the last two decades helping progressive causes and campaigns win through innovative use of technology.  Stu previously ran CTSG, which pioneered many online best practices and tools.  Before CTSG, Stu worked in White House Legislative Affairs, and nonprofits including Greenpeace and PIRG.

Ghazal Vaghedi, Razoo

I help nonprofits realize their potential in the digital space to more effectively recruit, engage, and cultivate supporters by using technology. 

Maureen Wallbeoff, Firefly Partners

Both a systems thinker and a heart-centered leader, Maureen loves to bring people together to create a culture of innovation and trust.  She's a fan of reruns of Parks & Rec, dreams of living at the beach, has a thing for live music and is pretty much up for an adventure most of the time.  Maureen is an optimist who believes that people can achieve just about anything!

Esther Wang

Esther is a communications and digital strategist, writer, and community organizer based in New York City. 

She is currently part of the digital strategy team at Caring Across Generations and is a board member of CAAAV Organizing Asian Communities.

Mattie Weiss, Facilitator

The child of political activists, Mattie has been doing direct action, community organizing, campaign work, training and facilitating her entire life—with AFSCME, Race Forward, the League of Pissed Off Voters, Wellstone Action, and now Educators 4 Excellence. Mattie is a visual artist, the proud mom of a wild four-year-old, a wise-ass and a lover of people.

angel Kyodo williams

Rev. angel Kyodo williams, is an author, spiritual teacher, Zen priest, master trainer and founder of Center for Transformative Change. She's been bridging the worlds of personal mastery, wellbeing and social justice movements for 18 years and believes to overcome our intractable issues, we must radically change the way we do change. She notes, “Love and justice are not two. Without inner change, there can be no outer change. Without collective change, no change matters.

Brian Young, Action Network

Brian Young is the Executive Director and Co-Founder of the Action Network, the progressive digital organizing toolset. Previous to that, he worked for years in digital and traditional politics, including heading the digital efforts of John Kerry and Democratic Super PACs, consulting for the Howard Dean campaign, and running traditional campaigns for federal office. He's also been an award-winning filmmaker and sports videographer.

Jessica Shearer, IAVA

Since being launched into political consciousness by the Rodney King uprisings, Jessica has spent 18 years winning power working alongside voters in the US and Colombia, new immigrants, doctors, janitors, security guards, military veterans, home care workers, and even yoga teachers. Jessica has been organizing veterans since she got over herself and began to understand military service as a labor issue. She lives, loves, surfs, and makes trouble primarily in NYC & LA. 

Micah Sifry, Civic Hall

Micah Sifry is a writer, community organizer, and democracy activist. Since 2004, he has curated the annual Personal Democracy Forum conference, and on 2015, he co-founded Civic Hall, NYC’s community center for civic tech. He is the author or editor of eight books, most recently A Lever and a Place to Stand: How Civic Tech Can Move the World, and and The Big Disconnect: Why the Internet Hasn't Transformed Politics (Yet).

Max Slavkin, Creative Action Network

Max is co-founder and CEO of Creative Action Network, a global community of artists and designers harnessing their talents for good. He's a proud alumnus of the Coro Fellows Program In Public Affairs and lives in San Francisco, doing his best to be the change.

Joel Solomon 

Joel Solomon is Chair of Renewal Funds, Canada's largest mission venture capital firm. With $98m assets under management, Renewal Funds invests in organic food, green products, and environmental innovations. Joel is a Senior Advisor with RSF Social Finance, founding member of Social Venture Network, Business for Social Responsibility, the Tides Canada Foundation, and is Board Chair of Hollyhock.

Nadya Stevens, CWA 1180

I was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York.  Over the course of my lifetime, I have watched the rich and powerful destroy families, neighborhoods and communities in the name of gentrification and profit. Over the years, the working and middle class lost the ability to thrive. The American Dream is scarcely attainable. However, I know we can ultimately win. We need a collective awakening and a desire to fight for the future we all want. Another world is possible.

Julie Szabo, Web of Change

Julie is Managing Director of Web of Change and a communications consultant with two decades of experience planning and running online campaigns for NGOs and national brands. She's co-author of Friends with Benefits: A Social Media Marketing Handbook and The Noble Arsonist: Stoking Fires and Igniting Movements for NGOs and Companies that Care.

Bridget Todd

Bridget is a writer, organizer, and strategist. 

Jessy Tolkan, Here Now
Web of Change Board

Jessy is a disrupting, trouble-making, eternal optimist who hails from Milwaukee, WI. Over the last 15 years she's been political, she's been environmental, she's been a movement builder, business builder, consultant, and lots of other things in between. Jessy is a proud board member of Web of Change, lives in Washington, DC & New York City, and current is holding down the fort as Senior Director of Here Now - daring to dream once again to stop Climate Change. 

Karen Uffelman, Percolator Consulting

Karen is a principal at Percolator Consulting, where she advises organizations on the creative and strategic use of technology for supporter engagement and mobilization. In past lives she was the Director of Client Strategy at Groundwire, Development Director for Corporate Accountability International, Managing Director of Washington Conservation Voters, and General Manager of New City Theater. She lives in Seattle with her husband and son and way too many bicycles.

Tim Walker, Web of Change

I’m a 15 year veteran of the business side of social change. Since 2012 I’ve advised hundreds of passionate professionals on issues of leadership and performance management — helping them build power with others and discover wellbeing in their work. Before that, I spent 12 years (with varying success) in management roles for some of the world’s best and least known non-profits, beginning at the ever-feisty Adbusters.org. I live in Brooklyn, NY.

Jon Warnow, 350.org

Jon Warnow is the Digital Innovation Director at 350.org, and organization that is building a global movement to fight the climate crisis. He's focused on creating compelling videos, web tools, and online content that can catalyze climate action around the world.

Jamia Wilson, Women, Action, & The Media

Jamia Wilson is the Executive Director of Women, Action, & the Media. Wilson has previously served as the Executive Director of YTH (Youth Tech Health), the TED Prize Storyteller, the Vice President of Programs at The Women’s Media Center, and the principal for Planned Parenthood Federation of America’s youth outreach program. Her work and words have appeared in and on outlets such as New York Mag, The New York Times, GOOD, Rookie, CBS, CNN, The Today Show, and more.