Mohammed is a graduate of the Colin Powell School at The City College of New York, with a B.A. in Political Science. He helped establish and was President of the Roosevelt Institute Chapter, and was elected Executive Vice President of the student body. Mohammed has previously worked for U.S. Senator Gillibrand, U.S. Congressman Rangel, and NYC Council Speaker Quinn. Mohammed has also worked in The White House, the New York Attorney General’s Office, and the Center for American Progress. He is currently the External Affairs Manager at the Center for Court Innovation, which promotes new thinking about criminal justice reform. On a voluntary basis, Mohammed served as an Organizer and a Finance Council Member with Hillary for America, is a New Leaders Fellow at the Carnegie Council, and is the Political Director for the New York State Young Democrats.
Growing up in the Bronx, Malik learned early the grit and bravado it takes to survive poverty and struggle. This made the occasional trip to Manhattan, and in particular Harlem, a rare luxury. Harlem and Uptown was this vibrant and dynamic place, almost out of a movie. The people and the prestige evoked a sense of aspiration, which Malik could never quite shake. From the Bronx, Malik attended Colgate University, where he studied Political Science and Theater. After graduation, he jumped right on the trail for the Andy King, Bill Thompson, and Bill De Blasio campaigns. This led him to join NY Attorney General Eric Schneiderman's Office on his recruitment team rising to the role of Deputy Director of Operations for Recruitment. By this time, he had finally made Manhattan his home and became an active member of the Uptown community. Malik currently serving in the De Blasio administration as Manager of Talent Acquisition for NYC Housing Preservation & Development (HPD). The consummate people person and strategist, Malik will brings years of experience to MYD, where his top priority will be amplifying and empowering the voices of diverse communities and attracting them to the great works of MYD.
The 2016 election cycle emboldened Henri to stop listening and start participating. He joined the Manhattan Young Democrats following the 2016 election to get involved and immerse himself in an environment that would encourage his passion and conviction for progressive values. While his career has centered on digital media for brands, Henri will use this to disrupt the idea of ‘politics as usual.’ Growing up in a poor, conservative household in Maine, Henri learned early on that being different meant experiencing challenges. Yet, this adversity shaped him into a staunch advocate for human rights. In addition to his work with MYD, he works as the Downstate Communications Director for New York State Young Democrats, the youth arm of the NYS Democratic Party, where he hopes to amplify the voice of young democrats throughout New York. He will channel his experiences and vision to further elevate MYD as an effective collaborator in the fight for equity and justice.
Born and raised in New York around a politically inclined family, Grace was interested in politics from a young age. After graduating from Skidmore College in 2013 with a B.A. in English and International Affairs, and a minor in Government, Grace moved home and joined one of the Mayoral campaigns as a field organizer. She now works for U.S. Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney as her Deputy Chief of Staff and New York Press Secretary. She also served as the Congresswoman’s Campaign Manager in 2014. Grace is an Executive Board Member of the Lexington Democratic Club, and a member of the Ansonia Democrats. She is currently pursuing her Masters in Public Administration at Baruch College.
Christina wants to connect our membership with the political arena. She brings to MYD a passion for advocating for fair pay and treatment for workers, especially interns. As a student at NYU, she negotiated with NYU officials to revamp its internship policies, now requiring employers to verify that their internship positions comply with U.S. Department of Labor guidelines. She also testified in front of the New York City Council Civil Rights Committee to extend protections against discrimination and harassment to unpaid interns, which Mayor Bill de Blasio signed into law in April 2014. She is currently working with Rep. Grace Meng’s (D-NY) office to pass the Intern Protection Act (H.R. 2034)–federal legislation that would extend these same protections to interns.
Edgar is a graduate of Columbia University where he obtained his Master of Public Administration and Master of Science in Social Work. Originally from Ceres, California, Edgar’s passion for politics and policy stem from the historic events of the 2008 election cycle, in which President Obama became the nation’s first Black president and California’s anti-LGBT Proposition 8 passed. Since then, Edgar has focused his efforts on combating inequality and promoting social equity. He is a former Congressional Hispanic Caucus Fellow where he interned in Secretary Solis’s office at the Department of Labor in Washington D.C. He worked as a community organizer in Miami, Florida for President Obama’s 2012 reelection campaign. Additionally, he was given the 2013 Volunteer Impact Award by the country’s leading LGBT organization, the Human Rights Campaign, for his dedication to the LGBT community in San Francisco. Currently, Edgar is a Project Manager at the New York City Economic Development Corporation.
André is the Civic Engagement Fellow at the New York Immigration Coalition. He hopes to use his experience in grassroots organizing and campaign coordination to grow opportunities for young Democrats to get active on progressive issues. André discovered his passion for advocacy as an undergraduate in The City College of New York’s International Studies program. If he’s not at a rally or registering voters, you can find André (and his twin brother) digging a band at a venue downtown.
Ally joined Manhattan Young Democrats in 2015 and served as Policy Director in 2016. She was born in Manhattan, and after 15 years away, she is glad to be back! Ally’s interest in politics was piqued when a mayoral election in her hometown resulted in a tie and the race was ultimately decided by flipping a coin. From that event, she learned first-hand that each and every voice or vote matters, and knew that she wanted to help spread that message to those around her. While studying at McGill University in Montreal, Ally founded a chapter of Democrats Abroad that engaged the 2,000 American students on campus in political activities, including providing resources and support for absentee voter registration. In college, she also interned at Rock the Vote in Washington DC. Ally currently works as a Program Coordinator at Project Sunshine, where she works with corporate volunteers to improve the well-being of children facing medical challenges.
Abhinav Chintakunta works as a Validation Consultant for Sandoz Pharmaceuticals in Long Island, NY. He previously worked as a Fundraising Intern for NYS Comptroller Tom DiNapoli’s re-election campaign, and was also an intern for the Bureau of Tax and Economic Analysis at the NYS Comptroller’s office. Abhinav graduated with a Bachelors in Biomedical Engineering from the City College of New York. He served as the Vice President of Academic Affairs for his college, through which he established merit-based scholarship programs for international and low-income students. Additionally, he was also the college Ambassador for promoting Bloomberg Aptitude Test designed by Bloomberg LP.
Brian is a Philadelphia native who came to New York via Washington, D.C. in 2015. A campaign, government affairs, and Capitol Hill veteran, Brian currently works for the New York Stock Exchange, and is focused on the implications of legal and regulatory policy on United States capital markets. A Penn State graduate, Brian is also pursuing a Master of Business Administration degree part-time at Fordham University, with a dual concentration in Finance and Management.
Spencer believes the decisions we make together are the most important. He is excited to participate by building MYD a new website. Previously he studied Film/TV at NYU, bicycled 7000 kilometers across Africa, and lived on a sailboat in NY Harbor. He works from his tiny home as a web developer, adjacent to thirteen chickens, three stray cats, and twelve friendly humans.
Kyle has focused his life on advocating, educating, and building consensus. A St. John’s University and Thomas Jefferson School of Law graduate, he honed his legal skills in the areas of family and administrative law, public policy, and politics. During this time Kyle served as Attorney General of the National Black Law Students Association, leading NBLSA’s advocacy initiatives. He organized a lobby day to urge Congress to support enhanced prosecution of hate crimes—resulting in the signing of legislation by President Obama. As AG, Kyle also successfully led the effort to amend NBLSA’s constitution, broadening their anti-discrimination policies to cover disability and sexual orientation. Kyle has served as a paralegal professor, Legal Volunteer at Hillary for America, and judge for youth debates. His professional experiences include work in legislative, judicial, and city government. Currently, he is the Executive Director of the New York State Black, Puerto Rican, Hispanic, and Asian Legislative Caucus.
Born and raised in New York City, Jamie grew up with NY politics. He remembers attending events at a young age and exchanging lines with some of the city’s and state’s most iconic public servants as his father threw events for statesmen such as the late Governor Mario Cuomo, Congressman Joseph Crowley, Congressman Gregory Meeks, and many others. In 2012, Jamie moved to the Financial District in Manhattan to attend Pace University for his bachelor’s degree. During his time in Manhattan, Jamie joined the Downtown Independent Democratic Club, in which he currently serves on the Executive Committee, as well as the Tilden Democratic Club. He spent the summer of 2014 in Queens to work on John Liu’s campaign for NY State Senate. In 2015, he recruited several candidates to run for NY County Committee to represent the 65th AD where he was then appointed to the County himself by a local District Leader. Upon graduating from Pace University with a BBA majoring in finance/minoring in economics in 2016, Jamie joined his family’s private equity investment firm, International Finance & Development Corp., as a Managing Director.
Kim served on the board of MYD from 2010 to 2014 in roles ranging from Community Service Director to President. In 2014 she founded the Four Freedoms Democratic Club on the Upper East Side, and in 2015 was elected District Leader in the 76th Assembly District. When she’s not politicking, she sings karaoke and steers satellite receivers for Bloomberg TV.
Ryan Trumbauer is a sophomore at New York University, majoring in Politics with a minor in Metropolitan Studies. Ryan was born in St. Petersburg, Russia, grew up in Lexington, South Carolina, but is beginning to call New York City his second home. His interests in politics began the day he learned to read. Ryan is an active member of the Model United Nations and serves as the Treasurer for NYU College Democrats. Outside of NYU, Ryan also serves as the New York City Region Chair for College Democrats of New York. Ryan believes in fighting for all Americans despite their socioeconomic status or background. Democracy only works when all of its citizens can engage in the process.
A yellow-dog, third-way, free-trade Democrat in the vein of LBJ, Alex seeks to win elections and install Democrats in office. Alex proudly cast his first Democratic vote in a local Palm Beach County poll; a district that provides him good memories, yet a lingering perturbation over the 2000 election results. It was during the tumultuous times of the Bush years that Alex began his political journey, founding the Young Democrats of Palm Beach Central High School, which he assiduously grew to one of the largest YD clubs in the state. He has worked on gubernatorial primary campaigns, toiled on student-body President runs and paged in the Florida Senate. A voracious reader and a dogged politico, Alex prides himself on reading The Economist cover to cover on a weekly basis. He has spent his professional career in financial services, fundraising and consulting.
Raised in Mount Vernon, New York, Natasha’s interest in politics is rooted in her passion for social justice that she developed while involved in the Intergroup Dialogue Project at Cornell University. Serving as both a student and facilitator for classes focused on socioeconomic status and race/ethnicity, respectively, she realized the impact government policies could have on helping resolve issues of inequality. She brings an array of program planning experience to her position, having worked as a Resident Advisor, External Philanthropy Chair in her sorority and Events Chair for the Roosevelt Institute chapter at her college. She has a B.S. in Human Development from Cornell University and currently works as a grant writer for a nonprofit in Manhattan.
Born in Ecuador, Andrés spent his childhood between Ecuador and Chile. At 18, he moved to NYC, alone and with low English proficiency. Remarkably, though, Andrés achieved his undergrad and grad degrees in political science. Through his experiences, Andrés came to understand the needs of society. This eventually evolved into a passion for helping others, and work for the betterment of all people. During his college years, Andrés joined his college’s student government, became President of the school’s political science club, interned with NY Assemblyman Danny O’Donnell and worked for NY State Senator José Serrano. He was also part of the Mission of Chile to the United Nations, advocating on behalf of the Chilean delegation’s foreign policy team. This advocacy ultimately led Andrés to become a lobbyist. He currently works for Capalino+Company, where he lobbies on behalf of organizations from private to non-profit.
Louie Woodall is a financial journalist and freelance graphic designer based in Harlem. He previously served as editor and designer of ‘Anticipations’, the in-house journal of the British think-tank The Young Fabians, while living in London. He currently co-edits The Upstander blog, documenting the Anti-Trump movement in New York and chronicling the revival of the American Left.
Caileigh comes from an artistic and politically-minded family, and has been active in public service and politics from a young age. After graduating high school in the top 5% of her class, she earned her B.F.A. in Acting at the American Musical & Dramatic Academy. After college, she co-founded the 501(c)3 non-profit IBG Inc., an organization that connected high profile entertainers with underfunded causes and micro-charities. When she is not on stage or in front of the camera, Caileigh can be found volunteering her time with a variety of organizations, including Broadway Cares, Actors Fund, New York Cares and GallopNYC. Caileigh also works as a teaching artist, bringing the arts to New York City’s public school children, and is developing a new 501(c)4.
Hailing from Southfield, Michigan, Kyra Littlejohn is a Client Executive with the Burson-Marsteller Public Affairs and Crisis practice, in New York. Prior to joining Burson-Marsteller, Kyra worked as an Assistant Account Executive with FleishmanHillard, in New York, providing support to the agency’s technology practice. Before joining FleishmanHillard, Kyra held positions with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Washtenaw County, The Michigan Young Democrats, The Century Foundation, and the St. Mary’s Center for Terrorism Law. Kyra graduated from St. Mary’s University of San Antonio, Texas, with a Bachelor of Arts degree in english-communication arts and a minor in political science.
Larson is a recent graduate of New York University, where she received her B.A. in political science and journalism. She is currently the Deputy Press Secretary and a caseworker for Congresswoman Carolyn B. Maloney. Before joining the staff, she interned for Rep. Maloney for two years in New York and Washington while pursuing her undergraduate studies. During college, she was also a Senior Editor for NYU’s student newspaper and interned at several anti-trafficking nonprofits. Larson has a particular interest in working to fight sex trafficking, and her senior research on the prevalence of trafficking the criminal justice system was published last fall. She is a proud Texan and plans on attending law school in the near future.
