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Our Team

Meet our incredible Authentic digital marketing agency management and online marketing team members, a diverse and passionate group of writers, strategists, coders, and creatives who are dedicated to changing the world.

Email Director
Brennan Balasubramaniam
Email Director

Brennan joined the Authentic team in March 2021, where he’s led digital fundraising programs for statewide campaigns like Gov. Kathy Hochul, federal candidates like Reps. Hakeem Jeffries and Barbara Lee, and non-profit organizations like United We Dream. Before Authentic, he helped elect Democrats at all levels during the 2020 cycle — leading award-winning digital fundraising programs for Democratic campaigns and PACs. Brennan’s a Northeastern University graduate and native upstate New Yorker who now resides in Northeast DC.

Brennan Balasubramaniam
Chief Experience Officer
Jonathan Barnes
Chief Experience Officer

Jonathan has helped build some of the most valuable email lists in progressive politics, for clients including Bernie Sanders, MoveOn.org, and Kamala Harris. He specializes in using high-impact moments to identify and recruit new supporters for campaigns fighting for social and economic justice. His work has won twelve Reed and Pollie awards in the past five years, including for work electing John Hickenlooper to the U.S. Senate and an innovative digital organizing program to elect Joe Biden as President.

Getting people involved in the political process has long been a thread in Jonathan’s work. Before emigrating to the US from the UK, he worked as a community organizer and then at a national nonprofit to grow and mobilize their grassroots advocacy base.

Jonathan earned his BA in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics from the University of Warwick and holds a Master’s degree in Political Management from The George Washington University, which is what first brought him to the U.S.. He’s originally from a small town (St. Ives) near Cambridge, England.

In his free time, Jonathan likes to watch soccer (he supports Liverpool), drink excessive amounts of coffee, and spend time with his wife, Katie, and dog, Charlie.

Jonathan Barnes
Operations Manager
Logan Bay
Operations Manager

Logan Bay serves as the Operations Manager for Authentic, managing talent acquisition & onboarding, payroll, client Invoicing, and our agency’s workspace. Logan, who joined Authentic in November 2022, champions streamlined people operations and cultures built with compassionate communication that ensure resilience, growth, and profitability. Logan is a board member of Chicago based nonprofits Public Media Institute and Frida Community Organization. In his free time you might find him DJing at finer Chicago events and establishments.

Logan Bay
Digital Strategist
Morgan Booker
Digital Strategist

Morgan joined the Authentic team in October of 2021 after working to elect Democrats and progressives across the country. During the 2020 cycle, Morgan worked for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee’s Independent Expenditure to help secure victories for vulnerable Democrats across the country. At her previous firm, she was able to run successful digital programs for candidates at every level of government, ballot initiatives, and nonprofit organizations. In her free time, you’ll find her losing her voice on the softball field, or snuggled up with her dog binging her latest streaming obsession or reading a good book.

Morgan Booker
Analytics Director
Joel Bray
Analytics Director

Joel joined Authentic in May 2021 and brings more than a decade of political and scientific experience in quantitative research, experimental design, data analytics and visualization, and statistical modeling. They have executed award-winning email testing programs at Authentic while producing pivotal insights and cutting-edge tools to ensure that each team is making evidenced-based decisions. Previously, Joel advised a statewide voter contact program as part of a coalition of grassroots organizations that turned Arizona blue in 2020 and got started in politics as a volunteer organizer with Bernie Sanders for President in 2020 and Barack Obama for President in 2008.

Originally from Olympia, Washington, Joel holds a BS in Evolutionary Anthropology from Duke University, where they studied social cognition in lemurs, and completed a PhD in Anthropology at Arizona State University, studying friendship among wild chimpanzees.

Outside of work, Joel is involved in labor and tenant organizing. They also like to read science fiction, attend drag shows, and explore the outdoors with their dog, Buffy.

Joel Bray
Creative Project Manager
Brianna Carswell
Creative Project Manager

Brianna Carswell serves as a Project Manager on Authentic’s creative team. On a day-to-day basis, she works to scope new projects, develop and maintain creative timelines, manage deliverables and ensure quality client communication.

Brianna is a graduate of Texas State University, where she majored in Political Science. She is a highly skilled Project Manager with 5+ years experience managing large-scale campaigns for national and global brands. With a focus on creative work, she has managed a wide variety of projects ranging from video production, websites, social media campaigns, webinars, podcasts and more.

Brianna Carswell
Digital Strategist
Ajunai Culton
Digital Strategist

Ajunai joined Authentic in 2022 and has spent most of her career in awareness advertising and digital media buying. Most recently, she was a Digital Marketing Specialist at Unleaded, where she assisted on accounts and managed clients’ analytical reporting, budgeting that ranged from 4k to 50K monthly, google ads, and search campaigns.Before her time at Unleaded, she was a Digital Marketing Manager at Family Solutions, an egg donation & surrogacy agency.

Born and raised in Houston, Texas. Ajunai holds a Bachelor of Business Administration degree with a major in Marketing from Texas State University. During her undergraduate studies, Ajunai was President of the National Pan-Hellenic Council and President of her sorority, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.

After graduating in 2017, Ajunai returned to Houston and now resides there with her beautiful newborn baby, Azariah, and her husband, Alex. For fun, Ajunai enjoys spending time with her family, her cat, Laila, cooking, and pilates.

Ajunai Culton
Managing Strategist
Benji Cueni
Managing Strategist

Benji has been with Authentic since March 2021 where he helps to build his clients’ email lists and raise $ through small-dollar digital fundraising programs.

Prior to joining Authentic, Benji worked in the 2020 cycle as a digital ads strategist.
Before emigrating to the US in 2019, Benji lived in Amsterdam, NL for five years where he worked in the digital department for one of Europe’s leading animal welfare organizations.

He earned his degree in Tourism Management with a major in Intercultural Management from the Higher Professional College of Tourism in Samedan, Switzerland.
In his free time, Benji is involved with the rugby community, cheers for his favorite football soccer team, Liverpool, spends time with his wife, Anna, and dog Eugene, and is often found quoting from his favorite show, The Simpsons. YNWA!

Benji Cueni
Senior Web Developer
Keka Duval
Senior Web Developer

Keka is a senior web developer for Authentic.  She has had the privilege of working with forward-thinking clients, creating impactful solutions that drive results. Her diverse background has equipped her with a unique ability to approach challenges from multiple angles, leading to creative and effective problem-solving. Born and raised in Haiti, She moved to the states 8 years ago and currently resides in Washington, DC. 

Keka Duval
Senior Digital Strategist
Vanja Frazier
Senior Digital Strategist

Vanja joined Authentic in July 2022 with several years of campaign experience. Previously, she worked at Fireside Campaigns, where she ran digital programs for local, state, and national campaigns and organizations. Before working in digital, Vanja worked on the finance team for a DCCC frontline member of Congress and as a field organizer for the Nevada State Democratic Party. She is proud to serve on the bargaining committee for Authentic’s staff union. Vanja graduated with a B.A. in Political Science from McGill University in Montreal, Canada, and with an M.S. in Management from Lund University in Sweden. She is a proud DC resident and a prouder Rhode Island native.

Vanja Frazier
Managing Strategist
Jonathan Freifeld
Managing Strategist

Jonathan joined Authentic in July 2023, having most recently served as the Digital Fundraising Director for Val Demings Florida Senate race. Previously, he raised millions of dollars for democratic causes through online grassroots engagement, predominately through Twitter including being the largest grassroots fundraiser in the country for both the Warnock 2020 and Biden-Harris 2020 campaigns.

Prior to working in digital fundraising, he spent 10 years working in Higher Education with a focus on student success. He holds a master’s degree in Adult and Higher Education from Northern Illinois University and a bachelor’s degree in Political Science from SUNY New Paltz. In his free time you can find him trying out a local coffee shop or seeing a Broadway musical.

Jonathan Freifeld
Digital Strategist
Cayla Grace
Digital Strategist

Cayla joined Authentic in May 2022 bringing years of experience in digital fundraising and social media management. Before joining Authentic, she served as an Account Coordinator at New Blue Interactive, where she helped foster strong email programs for members of Congress, first-time candidates, and progressive organizations. She also helped fundraise for down-ballot Democrats at the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee (DLCC) as a Digital Consultant and was the Social Media Manager for Phil Ehr’s congressional campaign. A Florida native, Cayla earned her bachelor’s degree at the University of Central Florida and currently lives in Orlando. Outside of work, she enjoys playing video games, thrifting, and visiting Walt Disney World.

Cayla Grace
Digital Strategist
Ranen Green
Digital Strategist

Ranen joined Authentic in late 2021 after serving as the Deputy Finance Director in the GA-07 House race, where he helped break fundraising records and mobilize voters to flip a seat held by Republicans for the first time in decades. He grew up in the Boston area and graduated from Pitzer College in 2020. In college, he served on J Street U’s National Student Board, where he helped organize a campaign to demand that the Democratic Party’s platform include a commitment to Palestinian rights. Ranen is proud to serve on the bargaining committee for Authentic’s staff union as they fight for a fair workplace for everyone. He lives in Astoria, NY and can be found enjoying Queens’ international food scene, watching a Celtics game, and wandering in Central Park.

Ranen Green
Digital Strategist
Londyn Harry
Digital Strategist

Londyn joined Authentic in July 2021 after working as a Development Associate at a nonpartisan nonprofit. In her previous role, she helped bring in over $10 million in donations, served as the first point of contact for donors, and tracked donors’ stewardship activity. Londyn graduated from the George Washington University with a B.A. in Political Science and currently resides in her hometown of Philadelphia. In her free time, Londyn enjoys reading in one of the many parks around the city, traveling, and binging reality tv.

Londyn Harry
Data Associate
Elana Hausknecht
Data Associate

Elana joined Authentic in June 2023, and brings a passion for politics, fundraising, and data to her work in the Measurement & Analytics department. 

She has prior experience in polling (at Lake Research Partners), field organizing (at the NY Working Families Party and for a state legislative race in RI), program evaluation (for a nonprofit music school in Providence, RI), and nonprofit-adjacent business strategy (at The Nation magazine). 

Elana holds a B.A. from Brown University and spends her free time playing trumpet, taking walks, and slowly curating a CD collection.

Elana Hausknecht
Designer
Sam Hughes
Designer

Samuel Hughes is a Designer at Authentic. In his role, he works on everything from paid media, animations, and branding.

He studied advertising and graphic design at The University of Alabama where he won several awards for his work. He got his start in politics on the digital team in the 2020 Doug Jones for Senate re-election campaign in Alabama. On the campaign Samuel specialized in content creation for paid media and reaching audiences organically where he helped the campaign raise $32 million. He has also worked on several nonprofit organizations including the Mattie C. Stewart Foundation in Birmingham, AL, The Higher Education Partnership in Montgomery, AL, and The International Center for Missing and Exploited Children in DC.

Sam Hughes
Digital Strategist
Belle Kang
Digital Strategist

Belle joined Authentic in September 2023, bringing with her a little over two years of valuable experience and a strong track record of driving success through digital innovation. Before her tenure at Authentic, Belle played a pivotal role as the primary point of contact for Democratic campaigns, PACs, and organizations at a digital consulting firm. During this time, she developed proficiency in email strategy, CRM systems, content planning, and HTML coding. Belle holds a Master of Arts in Ethics, Peace, and Human Rights from American University, School of International Service. She resides in Maryland with her husband and their beloved golden fur baby.

Belle Kang
Managing Strategist
Jon Kenney
Managing Strategist

Jon Kenney brings more than a decade of political organizing and fundraising experience to this role. Before joining Authentic, he was the Senior Online Fundraising Manager for MJ Hegar’s Senate race in Texas. Prior to that, he was helping progressive nonprofits raise money and build grassroots power online with M+R. Before becoming a digital strategist, Jon was a community organizer in his home state of Maryland with the Chesapeake Climate Action Network. He holds a master’s degree in Political Management from The George Washington University, and lives in East Lansing, Michigan with his husband and dog.

Jon Kenney
Associate Email Director
Oliver Larkin
Associate Email Director

Oliver joined Authentic in March 2021 and brings 6+ years of email and SMS fundraising experience to his work on campaigns for candidates such as Rep. Adam Schiff and Sen. Cory Booker. Prior to joining Authentic, Oliver worked as a digital strategist at several firms with a focus on email, broadcast SMS, Facebook and Google ads, and organic social media. In addition to working as a digital strategist, Oliver has worked as a field organizer for federal campaigns in over half a dozen states. A native of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Oliver graduated from Sewanee: The University of the South and lives with his wife Sandra in Boca Raton, FL.

Oliver Larkin
Operations Director
Linda Lee
Operations Director

Linda Lee serves as the Director of Operations for Authentic, overseeing the management of the agency’s day-to-day operational, financial, administrative, and human resource activities. She joined Authentic in September 2021, bringing with her more than a dozen years of experience in operations, direct people leadership, and strategic planning and execution for the successful growth of both start-up and established companies. Linda holds a B.S. in Computer Science from Purdue University and is a longtime Chicago resident. In her free time, you will find her dancing with the Chicago Spirit Brigade to raise money for local nonprofit organizations serving those with life-altering challenges.

Linda Lee
Associate Director
Celina Lin
Associate Director

Celina is a Associate Director of Paid Media at Authentic, where she designs innovative digital paid media plans to help elect Democratic candidates up and support progressive causes.

Prior to joining Authentic, Celina was at the Hub Project, where she oversaw multi-million dollar paid media programs for issue advocacy campaigns as well as various statewide IEs during the 2020 election. She got her start in advertising while working for Pete Buttigieg’s presidential campaign after working for Priorities USA, Senator Bob Casey, and Trippi Norton Rossmeissl Campaigns.

Originally from Wilmington, North Carolina, Celina holds a B.S. in Economics from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. Outside of work, Celina can usually be found with her dog, Oliver, and/or searching for new restaurants around the DMV.

Celina Lin
Managing Strategist
Rebecca Lundberg
Managing Strategist

Becca joined Authentic in March 2021, bringing several years of experience as an email and social media strategist for political candidates and nonprofits and raising millions of dollars online. She has also served as a social media manager for the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation’s Teacher2Teacher community.

Prior to her work in digital fundraising, she was a journalist and product coordinator at U.S. News & World Report. She holds a Master of Arts in Journalism and Public Affairs from American University and a Bachelor of Arts in Communication Studies from Longwood University. In her free time, she likes to take her dog, Tanya, hiking and explore Washington, D.C.’s food scene.

Rebecca Lundberg
Digital Strategist
Deanna McDonald
Digital Strategist

Deanna joined Authentic in October 2022 with a history in politics, nonprofits, and entertainment. She previously worked in communications and social media strategy, and has a strong background in copy editing and comedy writing. Her content has over ten million views and has been featured on Laughs, Right This Minute, Hulu’s Daily Buzz, and The Huffington Post. She has a degree in Political Communication from The George Washington University and interned at CNN, where she was assigned perhaps the best job [before Authentic] of her career: collecting the funniest political jokes from late night television for the week. She currently resides in Los Angeles where she enjoys spending time with her dog and does not particularly enjoy being a Mets fan.

Deanna McDonald
Digital Associate
Catherine McGee
Digital Associate

Catherine joined Authentic in July 2023. Prior to starting at Authentic, Catherine spent three quarters as a digital fundraising fellow for another DC-based firm and graduated from American University in Washington, DC with a B.A. in Political Science and Graphic Design. She first became involved in the political sphere in 2018 with a passion for gun violence prevention and has since worked in communications and organizing for March For Our Lives, Team ENOUGH, and Brady United Against Gun Violence. Catherine is originally from Cape Cod, Massachusetts and now lives in DC with her very loud cat, Mia.

Catherine McGee
President
Loren Merchan
President

After graduating from college, Loren originally planned to attend Dartmouth’s Cultural Studies graduate program. As a woman whose father and much of her family immigrated from Colombia, she knew she wanted a career that could help make a difference. Instead, she earned her MA in Advertising from the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications, determined to use her education to
“do good.”

After first working at Discovery Communications, she was hired at Revolution Messaging in 2014, where she ran the Digital Advertising Department for several years before working with Mike to found Authentic in 2018. Loren has managed paid media campaigns for substantial organizations such as UltraViolet, the American Civil Liberties Union, and Voto Latino as well as for venerable candidates like Senators Kamala Harris, Bernie Sanders, and Rep. Beto O’Rourke, earning several awards for her unique strategy and execution as well as her work reaching underrepresented communities.

Loren Merchan
Managing Strategist
Mitali Modi
Managing Strategist

Mitali joined Authentic in July 2022, after helping elect Democrats up and down the ballot during the 2020 cycle. She was previously the Manager of Candidates, Campaigns, and Events at Collective Impact, in a role specializing in influencer engagement. Her team produced several successful digital events, including fundraisers for key Democratic organizations featuring the casts of Veep, Seinfeld, and Elf. She has a background in standup and sketch comedy and graduated with a B.A. in Film and Television from California State University, Long Beach. She is currently based in Los Angeles, where she enjoys spending time in the sunshine, trying new restaurants, and watching the Lakers in her free time.

Mitali Modi
Senior Digital Strategist
Emily Morris
Senior Digital Strategist

Emily Morris is a Senior Paid Media Strategist at Authentic.

In her work on several state-wide and federal campaigns, she aims to build inclusive digital programs that reflect how much of an impact each grassroots donor has on a campaign.

Emily studied Political Science and Marketing at Johns Hopkins University and sees her job as the ideal combination of her two passions. She comes from an organizing background and loves implementing organizing and mobilization strategies into her digital work.

Emily cares deeply about electing more women and people of diverse backgrounds to our government. She is based out of NYC where she loves to explore the city, come up with creative new vegetarian and vegan recipes, and visit her hometown on the Jersey Shore.

Emily Morris
Content Director
Vania Myers
Content Director

Vania serves as the Director of Content for Authentic where she oversees the creative products for our clients. She is a hands-on leader in creative concepting and strategy and has an extensive understanding of effective communication through visual craft and powerful user engagement. Specializing in branding and web design, she brings concepts to life through both direction and execution. She is a visual and verbal storyteller, delivering insights about people, users and behavior in a way that generates empathy, emotion, and engagement.

Vania has been a designer in the social impact space for years and worked with high-profile clients that tackle challenges in health, education, climate, and social justice. Such clients include the ACLU, Demand Justice, American Journalism Project, REFORM Alliance, Center for American Progress, Citizens for Responsibility & Ethics in Washington, and more.

Vania Myers
Founder & CEO
Mike Nellis
Founder & CEO

Mike Nellis is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Authentic. He has raised over $1B in grassroots donations for Democratic campaigns and progressive non-profits. Mike is also the Founder of Quiller, a new start-up that is using generative AI to revolutionize online fundraising.

Mike was a Senior Advisor to now-Vice President Kamala Harris for many years, overseeing all of her digital. He is now a Senior Advisor to Congressman Adam Schiff and many other Authentic clients.

Mike is an expert in online fundraising, artificial intelligence and the increasingly important role that health and wellness plays within the workplace. He has been regularly featured in the NYT, Politico, WSJ, MSNBC, Digiday, Bloomberg, Insider and he has been a featured presenter at Advertising Week, Campaign Tech and Netroots Nation.

Mike lives in Chicago with his family and wants to spend his time doing more good with more good people and sharing what he learns along the way.

Mike Nellis
Digital Strategist
Genny Onyiuke-Kennedy
Digital Strategist

Genevieve joined Authentic in July 2021 after working as the Media Liaison at the Taiwan Economic and Cultural Office (TECO). While working at TECO, she wrote speeches and introductory remarks for the Director-General, as well as writing copy for press releases addressing issues regarding Taiwanese affairs. She is also an active organizer in Atlanta, where she works tirelessly with local organizations to address inequities in Georgia. Genevieve attended Georgia Tech in Atlanta, where she received a B.S. in International Affairs and a minor in Political Science. At Authentic, she serves as a member of the bargaining committee in the union. She currently lives in Atlanta, where she enjoys visiting new restaurants, shopping, and local events.

Genny Onyiuke-Kennedy
Associate Director
Amanda Powell
Associate Director

Amanda joined Authentic in July 2020 as a senior digital strategist with experience developing unique online programs to help clients build visibility and expand their online reach. She has spent the past 12 years building client relationships, communications plans, and communications strategies in advertising, healthcare technology, and political social and digital media campaigns at local and national levels. Prior to joining Authentic, Amanda was a digital writer on Andrew Yang’s historic presidential campaign, and worked as the States Digital Program Manager for Michael Bloomberg’s presidential campaign. Amanda grew up in Birmingham, Ala. and graduated from The University of Alabama. Roll Tide! She lives in Brooklyn, NY with her sweet 12-year-old Yorkie, Cecilia.

Amanda Powell
Chief Growth Officer
Gabrielle Rizza
Chief Growth Officer

Gabrielle brings over ten years of experience in digital communications, fundraising, and organizing to her work every day. In 2016, she was Hillary Clinton’s digital director in South Carolina and Florida during her victorious primary run, before being sent to Pennsylvania for the general election. Following that, she helped found and launch Demand Justice, a non-profit aimed at restoring political balance to the federal and Supreme Courts.

Gabrielle came to Authentic in 2019, where she led a book of high-level clients, running award-winning fundraising and advocacy programs that raised millions for United We Dream and their DACA Renewal Fund, VoteVets, Senate Majority PAC and more. In 2021, she transitioned to the role of Chief of Staff, where she worked closely with Authentic’s CEO and President to develop internal processes, strategies, and programs to support our staff on every level. She has spent the better part of the last 2+ years becoming the Democratic party’s leading expert in the ever-evolving practices of deliverability to ensure our clients are able to reach and activate as many supporters as possible with their online programs.

Gabrielle earned her BA in English and Communications at Flagler College in St. Augustine, Florida and a Master’s in Political Communication from American University in Washington, DC. She currently lives in Boston with her husband and rescue cat, Penny.

Gabrielle Rizza
Managing Strategist
Richard Robinson
Managing Strategist

Rich joined Authentic in 2022, bringing five years of Democratic fundraising, digital organizing, and social media experience from battleground Pennsylvania. Prior to joining Authentic, Rich was Digital Director of the PA Democratic Party for two cycles — with a hand in re-electing Governor Tom Wolf & Senator Bob Casey in 2018, flipping PA blue in 2020, and making substantial gains in the PA legislature.

Hailing from Philadelphia, Rich studied digital communications at Penn State and led seven-figure digital campaigns in the business sector before joining the Democratic fight. He now lives in South Jersey with his fiance, his daughter, and their cat.

Richard Robinson
Digital Associate
Sarah Rochefort
Digital Associate

Sarah joined Authentic in July 2022. After graduating from Emerson College with a Bachelor of Science in Political Communication, Sarah campaigned at the local level managing communications for a member of the Massachusetts Governor’s Council. In this role, she helped write and develop opinion pieces published in The Boston Globe and Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly. Although having recently relocated to New York City, Sarah is originally from Ann Arbor, Michigan, and remains a loyal Detroit Lions fan.

Sarah Rochefort
Senior Digital Strategist
Linda Sandor
Senior Digital Strategist

Linda joined Authentic in 2021, where she’s led online fundraising efforts for several prominent statewide and federal candidates and progressive organizations. Prior to joining Authentic, she was proud to be a part of the organizing team that flipped Wisconsin blue for Joe Biden during the 2020 cycle. She honed her digital skills at organizations like Her Bold Move and Blue Future, amongst various other political internships and volunteer roles. She holds a B.S. in Social Policy from Northwestern University, where she served on the executive board of her College Democrats chapter and worked to increase political participation on campus. She is a born and raised New Yorker and in her free time you can probably find her drinking an iced coffee and reading in a hammock in one of the city’s many parks.

Linda Sandor
Vice President
Cat Stern
Vice President

Cat has spent most of her career working in persuasion advertising and digital media buying. Since she’s been with Authentic, she’s led the team’s persuasion and mobilization work on award-winning campaigns like Pay Ryan for Congress, Murphy for Governor, and Underwood for Congress. She’s also led campaigns with advocacy groups dedicated to fighting for abortion justice, climate justice, and holding Big Tech accountable, along with many others.

Before that, she was the Paid Media Director at Lockwood Strategy, where she led the media strategy and buying for all of the 2020 ACRONYM and PACRONYM persuasion, registration, and mobilization programs. Throughout the cycle, she and her team also executed digital buys for external orgs such as Emily’s List, Senate Majority PAC, and The Hub Project.

Prior to her time at Lockwood, she was an Account Team Lead at Amazon Advertising and held digital positions with Fast Company and Major League Soccer. Cat studied Advertising and Marketing at Pace University in New York City and currently lives in Washington, DC with her calico cat, Kitty.

Cat Stern
Digital Associcate
Dalila Trevino
Digital Associcate

Dalila joined Authentic in September 2023. Prior to joining Authentic, she worked for FEMA as a COVID-19 Funeral Assistance case worker while also working on GOTV campaigns in Texas. She worked with coalition partners to help elect progressive candidates at the local and state level. Her experience on and off the field during campaigns solidified her passion for political organizing. She started as a phone banker for a mayoral campaign in St. Petersburg, FL and worked her way up to become a Data Specialist for a GOTV campaign. In her spare time, she likes to read mystery and romance novels, go on nature walks, and spend time with her cat. 

Dalila Trevino
Managing Strategist
Erik Truong
Managing Strategist

Erik joined Authentic in late 2021 after helping elect down-ballot Democrats during the 2020 cycle. Erik worked on the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee’s (DLCC) online fundraising program for two years, helping exceed fundraising projections and optimizing the digital program. Before coming to Authentic, Erik also worked at an agency to spearhead email and digital advertising efforts for various progressive candidates. Erik is originally from Portland, Oregon, and graduated from George Mason University.

Erik Truong
Digital Strategist
Ashley Wagstaff
Digital Strategist

Ashley Wagstaff is currently an Advertising Strategist at Authentic. Joining Authentic marked the start of Ashley’s career in digital advertising, but she brought a wealth of fundraising experience to the role. Before joining Authentic Ashley worked in nonprofit fundraising and development.

Most recently, she served as the Development and Operations Associate at the Justice Policy Institute (JPI), a nonprofit dedicated to criminal justice reform. In her role, Ashley assisted with grant management, donor management, and day-to-day operations. During her time there Ashley helped JPI increase its revenue by expanding its individual donor program.

Prior to working at JPI Ashley worked as a Volunteer and Development Associate at a direct service nonprofit. In this role, she began developing the fundraising skills she brought to ACI while drafting grants and soliciting individual donations.

Ashley is excited to utilize her fundraising experience to raise grassroots donations for progressive candidates and organizations at ACI.

Ashley Wagstaff
Senior Digital Strategist
Lucas Verran
Senior Digital Strategist

Since graduating from Calvin University, Lucas has been in the digital advertising space for Democratic candidates and causes. First at Mothership Strategies, then Unearth Campaigns, and now Authentic, he’s gained experience in creative strategy and digital media for a wide variety of campaigns.

When not leveraging the power of digital to raise grassroots dollars or accomplish electoral and policy wins for Democrats, Lucas is likely either trying out a new restaurant with his wife Abby, hiking with his 2 rescue dogs (and occasionally his cat too), or planning his next trip.

Proud to be born and raised in Michigan, you’ll likely hear Lucas say something like “Midwest is best” or “Great Lakes, Great Times” if you’re around him for long enough. He now lives in Bethesda, Maryland, and is slowly but surely working to make Old Bay and the Maryland flag a part of his personality.

Lucas Verran
Digital Strategist
Camden Walker
Digital Strategist

Camden joined Authentic in June 2022, following internships at multiple organizations that support Democratic campaigns nationwide. As an email intern for the National Democratic Training Committee, he helped the marketing team promote NDTC’s free campaign-related training sessions. During his time with Democratic media consulting firm Devine Mulvey Longabaugh, Camden assisted with writing, research, and production for the firms’ Democratic clients across the country. Camden grew up in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and graduated from the University of Tulsa with a B.A. in Media Studies. A recent transplant to Chicago, Illinois, Camden can be found attempting to navigate the Chicago “L” and taking way too many Chicago River architecture boat tours.

Camden Walker
Designer
Melissa Wallace
Designer

Melissa Wallace is a Designer at Authentic. On a day to-day-basis, she works to develop graphics, video edits, website designs and paid media.

Melissa is a graduate of the University of North Florida, where she earned a BFA with a Concentration in Graphic Design and a minor in Art History.

Melissa Wallace