18MillionRising.org

Oanh-Nhi was the Program Associate at Move to End Violence, where she led the program's first social change campaign. With six years of film and documentary experience, Oanh-Nhi developed a passion for digital storytelling and ending violence against girls and women which she put to use working on the Global Clothesline Project documentary, which documents the stories of domestic violence survivors from around the world. Oanh-Nhi graduated from Dickinson College with a double major in International Studies and Policy Management, and currently serves on the Seattle Chapter Workgroup of the National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum (NAPAWF) and on the Board of Directors for the Council for American Students in International Negotiations (CASIN). In her spare time, Oanh-Nhi screenwrites and enjoys running, pilates, and hiking.

Oanh-Nhi is currently a campaigner with 18MillionRising.

Anti-racist, feminist, social justice activist, ambivert who loves chai, screenwriting, hiking, exploring & heart to hearts #imnottiredyet

350.org

Genny Roman is an organizer who still believes that peace and plenty can be worked out some way. Genny worked on various campaigns using digital means as a way to build power, including with the AFL-CIO and Dēmos. She received her BA in Political Science and Philosophy from the University of South Alabama. Born in Puerto Rico and raised in Mississippi, Genny was heavily steeped in a cultural boiling pot and is inspired by a vision of the future where identity and collective struggle can coexist to transform society. In her spare time, Genny enjoys going to comedy shows, reading dense philosophical tomes, and playing the ukulele.

Radical brown babe who wants to raise less corn & more hell and shake you into consciousness with her dulcet tones #investedinthestruggle

Daily Kos

Irna Landrum is a child of the bayou, a lover of large bodies of water, and a non-swimmer. She is from the New Orleans metro, with deep family roots in Vacherie, Louisiana. Irna graduated from Hampton University with a Bachelor's in political science and from University of Minnesota Duluth's Master of Advocacy and Political Leadership (MAPL) program. For thirteen years, she has made her home in Minneapolis, Minnesota where she has worked as an educator, labor organizer, and electoral campaign organizer, before establishing a career as a place-based organizer focused on community planning and leadership development in Saint Paul's historic Rondo community. She has spent the last two years organizing low-income residents in South Minneapolis for economic justice. Irna is also a skilled workshop facilitator and trainer who works to challenge oppressive dynamics inside of social justice movements. Irna is a recipient of the Emerging Writers Fellowship at the Givens Foundation for African American Literature. Her work as a writer, artist, and organizer is driven by a profound belief in the power of community and connection. Irna once acted in a piece in which she married the entire audience every night. She has approximately 500 spouses in the Twin Cities.

Irna is currently a campaigner with Daily Kos.

Trying to find myself in you, and loving her fiercely. #RadicallyLovingColoredGirl

Dream Defenders

Elizabeth Marie Taveras is Cuban-Dominican and a Miami native. She attends the Florida International University School of Journalism and is in the Digital Media Studies program, with a concentration in Political Science. She founded a local grassroots organization named Reclaim Your Power and Equality (R.Y.P.E.) that organizes around social change, gender equality, and permaculture. Elizabeth became a radical activist through Occupy Miami and has since been involved in taking action on several issues around food justice, climate change, ending state violence and militarization of police, prison divestment, gender equality, and feminism.

Radical Latina organizer who’s activating the activators, activating the actualities, and an activist, in progress. #activistlife

MoveOn

Mohammad Khan is a campaigner, activist, and avid student of policy and politics. His work is inspired by and focuses on intersectional movement-based activism and building the political power of emerging and marginalized communities. Mohammad is the Campaign Manager at MPower Change, a grassroots movement rooted in diverse Muslim-American communities working to build justice for all people. Mohammad has worked on electoral, issue, and civic engagement campaigns, including roles as Political Director for gubernatorial candidate Zephyr Teachout, Campaign Manager for a NY City Council race, Campaign Manager for MPower Change, and work in coalitions supporting the Fight for 15, criminal justice reform, and efforts to protect public education. He is also the Secretary of the Muslim Democratic Club of NY, which works to empower NY’s Muslims in local elections. He is a Regional Board member of Citizen Action of NY, a grassroots social justice organization. He holds a BBA from CUNY’s Baruch College and an MPA from Columbia University. A native of Queens, Mohammad is a proud member of the tragedy-prone yet resilient tribe of New York Mets fans. In his spare time, Mohammad enjoys powerlifting and indoor and outdoor gardening.

Queens born & bred. Politics and policy nerd. Fighting for the progressive movement and community #empowerment

Democracy for America

Anay Bickham was born in Louisiana and raised in Phoenix, Arizona, where she currently resides. Anay earned a Bachelor’s degree in Media Arts from the University of Arizona and then completed her graduate studies in Africana Studies earning a Masters from State University of New York in Albany. Anay’s nonprofit work has included case management and program coordination work in homeless and youth services, and she has been active in community organizing through volunteering with Black Alliance for Just Immigration and Public Allies Arizona Alumni Network. Anay co-founded and serves as Project Director for Arizona Black Voter Alliance, which was instrumental in creating Black Roots Nation during 2015 Netroots Nation conference that helped center the Black Lives Matter movement into the 2016 Presidential campaign. Currently, Anay serves as board secretary for the Greater Phoenix Urban League Young Professionals Network. She also works with the Maricopa County NAACP. She is a research junkie and a Pinterest nerd, and is passionate about love, Justice, and freedom.

Anay Bickham is a campaign manager with ColorofChange.

I'm always on my grind, looking for the next opportunity & refusing to stay down. #AnayAllDay

Mozilla Foundation

Maryam Mikaniki is a multimedia journalist based in Brooklyn, New York. She has worked for Al Jazeera English and Accessories Magazine among others. Maryam is particularly interested in world news, science, politics and fashion. Most recently, she worked on a documentary feature about reproductive healthcare in Mississippi. She has a master’s in journalism from New York University.

Independent multimedia journalist. Fmr @AJEnglish & @AccessoriesMag - @nyu_journalism alum

Lambda Legal

Avatara Smith-Carrington, a New Jersey native, hip-hop enthusiast, and bibliophile, is a graduate of Rutgers University with a double major in Political Science and English and a double minor in Critical and Comparative Race and Ethnicity Studies and Social Justice. As a former mentor for their University’s Social Justice Community, previous intern with the African Women’s Development Fund based in Ghana, and presenter/creator for various programming centering media, coalition building, and marginalized identities, Avatara is passionate about reclaiming and taking up space. As the creator and director of a web-based docuseries entitled “To Queer Things Up”, they are actively engaging in cultivating both virtual and physical spaces for marginalized people within the queer community.

Avatara is lover of all things social media, Steven Universe fanatic, amateur chef, and ultimately a #radicalqueerblacknerd

Dream Defenders

Ian Mann is a Freelance Visual Artist based in South Florida. After graduating from West Broward High in 2010, Ian attended Florida Atlantic University where he majored in Film and New Media Studies. While attending FAU, Ian helped charter Progressive Black Men, Inc., a community service organization, and served as its first president and membership chair from 2012-2014. The chapter has grown from eight members to forty-five, and many of the men in the organization have gone on to graduate, hold leadership positions at the university and create their own businesses. In the past two years, Ian has directed a short film, been a cameraman for the award winning web series ‘Close Friends,’ and was most recently Director of Photography for a short film he made while attending the Toronto International Film Festival. Ian is inspired by art, history, literature and the people in his life. In his spare time he enjoys watching movies, reading, exercise, playing violin and eating.

In a society that's always looking towards the future, Ian decides to rediscover the past and live in the present. #TheMannTheMyth #MannMade

Black Youth Project 100

Fresco Steez is a community organizer, educator, and aesthetic designer born and raised on the south side of Chicago. She is currently the DC Chapter Co-chair of Black Youth Project 100, and has fought for freedom with young Black people for nearly a decade. Fresco has served as a youth legal advocate for the Know Your Rights Project, a Junior Grant Officer for the Chicago Crossroads Fund, and a coder and analytics scientist with Code for Progress. Fresco is rooted in the fight for Black Liberation and freedom for all oppressed people. She provides an intersectional young, Black, queer analysis to the struggle for justice in local and national political climates, and is inspired by unapologetically Black political heroes like Assata Shakur, Ella Baker, Audre Lorde, and Harriet Tubman. In her spare time, she makes T-shirt graphics and memorizes the lines of her favorite rap lyrics.

Fresco is the BYP100’s Digital Strategist.

The secret is out! We just discovered Black Queer magic in Fresco Steez.

Warren Campaign

Moonyoung worked as a Campaign Organizer for Courage Campaign. Before joining Courage, Moonyoung worked for Technicolor and the California State Assembly, and earned a Bachelor’s degree in Anthropology from UC Berkeley. Inspired by the power of education and its ability to empower individuals and communities, Moonyoung helped organize the first public hack-a-thon in the City of Burbank. Over 300 aspiring programmers attended the event held at Nickelodeon Animation Studios. Aside from fighting for progressive issues, Moonyoung is deeply passionate about protecting the environment and being a steward for our ocean. She is a former volunteer at the Ocean Institute, where she helped organize its first Girls in Ocean Science Teen Conference. In her spare time, she can be found exploring hiking trails throughout California.

#IAm not a #DoctorLawyerEngineer. #IAm not a #ModelMinority. #IAm not a stereotype. #IAm fearless, outspoken, & real. #DontPlaceMeInABox

Democracy For America

Brieanna Fisher graduated from the University of Houston-Downtown with a degree in Political Science.  Her passion for electoral politics led to a fellowship with Battleground, Texas where she worked to increase voter registration and turnout in minority areas across the state.  She is an avid reader who enjoys creating digital art and spending time with her two young boys.

Brieanna is currently placed with Democracy for America.

People-powered campaigns give me life. Passionate progressive who will primary anyone at anytime. #PowerComesFromTheCollective

BYP100

Courtney Sebring is a young, Black feminist, queer troublemaker and creative from Durham, North Carolina. She is proud to be a grassroots organizer in a community that tears down statues, empties cages, and wins political power. An artist of many mediums and a student of many disciplines, Courtney pours herself and all the skills she has developed into work that is unapologetically aligned with the liberation of all Black people. She has built family in this movement and feels their support at her back always. She is committed to a lifetime of learning along the way to freedom. Courtney continued this journey as a 2018 Kairos Fellow at Organization United for Respect at Walmart (OUR Walmart).

Courtney is also a design enthusiast and DIY-queen. Honoring Toni Cade Bambara, she is dedicated to making the revolution look irresistible. She spends her free time watching Youtube tutorials, scrolling Pinterest, and doodling in her sketchbook.

MoveOn

Erica Mauter is a retired engineer (and still a STEMinist). She worked for five years as the Executive Director of a community choir organization. She earned her BSE in Chemical Engineering from the University of Michigan and a Master of Arts degree in Organizational Leadership from St. Catherine University, where she wrote her thesis on Ranked Choice Voting. She has extensive experience volunteering for campaigns, candidates, and organizations working in social justice and the arts. She currently sits on the board of directors for the Headwaters Foundation for Justice and the American Civic Forum, is an appointee to the City of Minneapolis capital budget advisory committee, and chairs Stonewall DFL, the LGBTQ+ community caucus of Minnesota’s Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party.

Erica was a blogger for over a decade, publishing several projects on Twin Cities life and minority experiences in Minnesota. She has consulted for nonprofits and small businesses on digital marketing and content strategy. She's an on-again-off-again runner with one full marathon under her belt. She's a season ticket holder for the Minnesota Lynx. Erica lives in the Tangletown neighborhood of Minneapolis with her wife Missy and their two dogs, Peanut Louise and Florence. Erica just finished her first run for office in 2017, seeking to represent the 11th Ward on the Minneapolis City Council.

New York University

Huiying Bernice Chan is a creative writer, multimedia storyteller, and cultural organizer from New York City with roots in the Toisanese diaspora. Huiying is the first to graduate with an individualized major in Ethnic Studies from Wellesley College since its founding and co-ignited a student movement for ethnic studies. In 2016, Huiying received the Knafel Fellowship to travel solo to Chinatowns in eight countries around the world, documenting global stories of migration and resilience across the diaspora. Huiying has received fellowships and awards from the Asian American Writers' Workshop, Voices of Our Nation Arts Foundation, Seeding Change Center for Asian American Movement Building, and Random House. As a Kairos Fellow, they were placed with Daily Kos. They currently work closely with the Chinatown Art Brigade and The W.O.W. Project creating community art and programming in the midst of rapid displacement in Manhattan's Chinatown. As a proud water sign, Huiying is in love with Cantonese food and exploring the teachings of the universe.

Make the Road NY

I am a Mexican-born photographer and immigration rights activist. I first came to prominence in August 2015, when I released a video statement in response to Donald Trump’s remarks about undocumented Mexican immigrants. In the video, I defend myself, and fellow undocumented immigrants, against Trump’s characterization of us as criminals, drug dealers, and rapists; I was, in fact, working three jobs, one of which was as a busboy in Trump’s own Soho Hotel.

The video quickly became viral, and I was featured in several media, including The New York Times, The LA Times, All In with Chris Hayes (MSNBC), NY1 Noticias, Univision and Telemundo. I finished an Associate’s degree in photography at LaGuardia Community College in Queens and I'm currently working on my Bachelor's degree in Public Affairs at Baruch College. I also started several photo projects in response to anti-immigration sentiment, which I hope to publish in a book one day.

Shireen Nori is an organizer and artist that lives in Duwamish land called Seattle, Washington. Prior to joining Kairos, she worked in the climate justice movement at 350.org as the Senior U.S. Digital Campaigner, co-leading on digital strategy for the 2019 Climate Strikes which brought nearly 7.6 million people out to the streets. Shireen has over a decade of experience working in reproductive justice and abortion advocacy. She is a proud Kairos alum and deeply believes in people power. In her spare time, Shireen can be found skiing, hiking, and eating food that other people have prepared.

MPower Change

Sijal Nasralla is a activist, artist, and community organizer who is humbly settling in beloved community within Durham, NC. Before joining Kairos, Sijal created art insatiably, mobilized direct actions, and led strategic campaigns for a wide range of social justice work happening locally and globally. His work has tinkered at the intersection of electoral politics, Palestinian-solidarity, Black Lives Matter, and refugee/immigrant communities in NC and the Middle East. He comes to the Kairos fellowship with a passion towards learning, impact, and utilizing digital strategies to make mass work happen in nuanced and beautiful ways.

Win WIthout War

Tara Tabassi has been a grassroots organizer for over a decade, from building national strategies to end police militarization with the War Resisters League to community organizing with LGBTQ youth of color with FIERCE NYC. Besides dismantling the Military Industrial Complex one campaign at a time, Tara believes in the power of community gardens, healing with plant medicine and telling stories through graphic illustration.

OUR Walmart

Cazembe Murphy Jackson is a Black, Working-Class, Southern, Non-binary, Trans person. He is a social justice organizer who believes that ordinary people are capable of doing extraordinary things when we work together for a common goal. He is a commitment to loving himself so deeply that others are inspired to love themselves just as deep. Cazembe is a storyteller, trainer, facilitator, strategist, and writer. He works across movement sectors with many organizations and coalitions including Movement for Black Lives, National Network of Abortion Funds, Southerners on New Ground, and Black Lives Matter Global Network . In his free time, he enjoys listening to a fun mixture of trap and gospel music while reading political non-fiction on his Kindle.

Shalae “Shaguaro” Flores served as the Digital Organizer for Living United for Change in Arizona (LUCHA) during her time as a Kairos Fellows. Shalae is a mixed-Afrolatina born and raised in the Phoenix area. She graduated from Arizona State University with a BA in Geography. Her research centers on water, migration, and social movements. She became an organizer and activist through No Más Muertes, an organization providing humanitarian aid to end the death and suffering happening in the U.S.-Mexico borderlands. In 2018, she was a part of Arizona Center for Empowerment’s campaign that registered more than 20,000 people to vote. Now Shalae uses digital platforms to create access to knowledge and power. Her mission is to marry qualitative (heart and story) and quantitative (metrics and patterns) data to understand the impacts of social movements and to further the work for liberation. She loves performance writing, creating playlists, ancient symbols, raves, and her two cats, Olivia and Río.

#SomosLasPlantasQueCrecenSinAgua

Brian was born and raised in Santiago, Dominican Republic, by two loving parents alongside two younger siblings. His family moved to the U.S. in pursuit of better higher education opportunities. He lived three years in New York and since then has lived in Georgia. His passion for community organizing started early on in his undergraduate career at the University of West Georgia and developed during the 2012 election. After graduating with a BA in Political Science and Philosophy, he worked with the Georgia House Democratic Caucus, the Georgia Association of Latino Elected Officials, and now is proud to be part of the Georgia Shift team as a Digital Organizer. Bachata and brunch are his ideal pair and make his soul happy.

#PlatanoPowerToThePeople

Jabari was born in Detroit to working class African Americans who are descendants of slaves. A family steeped in the unions and the civil rights movement, Jabari was always taught to fight for folks who were more oppressed or less fortunate. He wants to use his art talents and technical skills to organize folks towards a world that is about equity and the respect of labor for all. During his time as a Kairos Fellow, Jabari was a Digital Organizing Fellow at New Florida Majority.

Nashiha is a Chicago-based organizer fighting to build a world we all want to live in and for future generations to thrive in. She is the co-founder of Dissenters, a new national anti-war youth organization fighting against endless war. Nashiha enters the digital realm of organizing after spending 7+ years organizing on the ground and building power in her communities with Students for Justice in Palestine, Asian Americans Advancing Justice-Chicago, and National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum (NAPAWF). She is inspired by leadership that uplifts and nurtures rising leaders, and the idea organizers make the impossible possible. Currently, Nashiha is a Digital Organizer with Grassroots Collaborative.

#ThrivingOverSurviving

Jessica was raised in South Central Los Angeles and is now an Inland Empire community member. She earned a BA in Anthropology and a master’s in Public Policy at University of California- Riverside. During her time in academia she was inspired by community members and scholars to work on collaborative projects that prioritize community members and their expertise on health and wellness projects. Since then, she has cared for friends, family, and community through food and gardening. She is proud to continue her time with the Inland Coalition for Immigrant Justice as a digital organizer for the well-being of immigrant communities.

#MiComidaEsMiSalud

Born and raised in New Jersey, Raynise is an educator who cares deeply about creating equitable educational spaces for children of color. Raynise’s interest in education came after doing an internship in Saint Paul while attending Macalester College, which led to teaching physical sciences in communities of color for three years. Raynise enjoys baking, strength training, and learning random science concepts. Raynise was placed at Girls for Gender Equality during the fellowship.

#blerd

Chrissy M. Etienne is a Haitian immigrant, and a long-time organizer who believes in the power of truth, nuance, and mindfulness. Currently, Chrissy is a Digital Strategist at Equality Federation. Coming from organizations and programs such as the Audre Lorde Project and Believe Out Loud, Chrissy has been working for the collective liberation and reparative healing of black, brown, and LGBTQIA-identified folks. Chrissy believes in the power of community resources to ensure that none of us ever get left behind. When not attending to communities or doing movement work, Chrissy is cooking in the kitchen with a horde of ancestors directing the ratio of the ingredients. Chrissy is also a poet and writer.

#TheRevolutionIsHonest

Tevin was born and raised in Gulfport, MS, and attended the University of Mississippi, majoring in African American Studies. After graduating, he worked at a private college and in the nonprofit world, where he traveled around the Arkansas and Mississippi Deltas to aid in community development. Tevin was on the Campaign team at Daily Kos during the fellowship. He is also a volunteer at the Mississippi State Conference NAACP, where he gained invaluable experiences, relationships, and motivation to become more involved in shaping a better Mississippi. Tevin considers himself a foodie and believes that food can be a powerful resource to bring people together for a common cause. He is a sugar grit eater and enjoys French dressing on pizza.

#freedomwings

Yoliswa is a Digital Strategist with a strong passion for advocacy and social/economic impact both in the U.S. and Africa. A South African native, Yoliswa’s passions have led her to a diverse professional background. She is the Co-founder of Ndosi Strategies, a New York–based consulting firm bringing together innovative Africans from the continent and diaspora. She is also the Digital Organizer for the UndocuBlack Network, an organization working at the intersection of immigrants’ rights, racial justice, and criminal justice. Yoliswa is a former United Nations Intern, a Fellow with the CAC-African Congressional fellowship, and interned in the Congressional office of Charles B. Rangel (NY-13). Yoliswa has been a Dream.US Scholar recipient and a Harvard research assistant for the first national study on DACA. She has worked in the nonprofit and community development sector for more than seven years as a Development Associate with Shared Interest, Executive Director of Imbizo Host Committee-NYC, and consultant for Nalane.

#BloomWhereYouArePlanted

Jessie Gloria combines various academic interests with real world experience and approaches political situations through diverse perspectives. She focuses primarily on the opportunities of community organizing to change the way people whose voices are not often listened to understand their power. Jessie is currently a Digital Fellow with the Texas Organizing Project.

Nur (they/them) is an organizer and activist based in Durham, NC. With almost a decade of grassroots, community organizing experience, they work to empower new organizers, the working-class, and black/brown communities in the struggle for liberation. Through Kairos, Nur joined Coworker.org as a campaign strategist. Formerly the NC Lead Organizer with the National Domestic Workers Alliance, they served as a board member and base-building organizer for Durham For All, as well as previously organizing with SEIU. Nur joins the Kairos fellowship with excitement and eagerness to bring their campaign and community organizing experience to the digital realm. They have a passion for leadership development and hands-on learning.

D. J. Hudson is a queer, non-binary Black unicorn living and organizing in Nashville, TN, who has been involved with movements for racial, gender, and economic justice in the South since 2007 and is currently a member-leader of Southerners on New Ground. D. J.’s life has been dedicated to the liberation of Black, Brown, queer, trans, and working class people in the U.S. South and beyond. D. J. also has three years of experience working in libraries, and is currently exploring what the information science world can teach movements and vice versa, while pursuing a library degree at UT Knoxville. D. J. recently joined the staff of MediaJustice as a Kairos Fellow, and is hype about diving deep into the digital world and nerding out for the people’s liberation.

#DigivolvingTheMovement