Our Team

Brad is the Founder and CEO at Fireside where he manages the business as well as the PR and Crisis Communications practices. He is the former executive director of the Congressional Progressive Caucus where he oversaw its legislative, communications and political operations for over 80 members of Congress. He has also been the communications director for various members of the house and Congressional campaigns.

Brad has developed communications and PR strategy for electoral and issue campaigns at every level. He’s worked as a Senior Advisor for several Presidential campaigns, for party committees, large progressive organizations, independent expenditure campaigns and labor unions as well as resistance groups and issue advocacy organizations. He has handled some of the most difficult crisis communications problems during the Trump Era and is a trusted voice among Democratic operatives.

He holds a B.A. in political science from Florida International University and an M.A. in political management from The George Washington University.

Julia has over fifteen years’ of experience with data-driven digital organizing, raising tens of millions of dollars for political campaigns and non-profits. She’s lead teams and programs at organizations like GPS Impact, ActBlue, MoveOn, and the Courage Campaign.

Her expertise is in driving integrated digital programs that are reflective of a strong brand identity and narrative, turning warm leads into donors and volunteers. She’s been a trainer, leader and mentor to countless digital organizers. And she serves on the board of the chapter-based Equality Federation and the Faith in Public Life Action Fund.

Ryan has been working with political campaigns and organizations since 2004. Prior to joining Fireside, he was a principal at GPS Impact where he led the digital efforts for Randy Bryce for Congress, Conor Lamb for Congress, Dr. Kim Schrier for Congress, and Andrew Gillum for Governor in the 2018 elections.

Ryan was the Digital Director for Tom Wolf for Governor in Pennsylvania in 2014, a Senior Writer on the Obama-Biden digital team in 2012, was the Digital Director for Recall Scott Walker campaign in 2011-2012, and he was a Senior Communications consultant to the U.S. Army Wounded Warrior Program (AW2) in 2009.

Sam is a partner at Fireside with over 15 years of experience running paid media campaigns and targeting operations in the progressive movement.

Prior to joining Fireside Campaigns, Sam ran his own consulting firm where he brought his data-driven program management approach to advise advocacy and digital campaigns from California to North Carolina.

As Deputy Independent Expenditure Director, Sam ran the $10 million EMILY’s List all-digital independent expenditure to help motivate and turnout millennial women for Hillary Clinton–one of the largest digital-only campaigns of 2016. In addition, he spent seven years at EMILY’s List as Director of Targeting and Analytics helping to develop innovative testing techniques used in every independent expenditure campaign.

Sam is a sought after trainer and lecturer and has trained hundreds of activists, staffers, and candidates on how to seamlessly integrate data, targeting, experiments, and messaging. He also currently serves on the campaign board of the LGBTQ Victory Fund.

Alana joined Fireside Campaigns as a junior communication consultant in fall of 2020. She graduated from the University of Maryland, College Park with B.A.s in Broadcast Journalism and Government & Politics. Prior to joining the Fireside team, Alana worked as an intern for the ACLU communications team, CNN’s Political Unit and CBS This Morning, among other positions. In these roles, Alana tracked the 2020 election and the Mueller Probe, connected with local and national reporters and helped cover the Brett Kavanaugh nomination. Alana’s previous comms experience also includes work around the criminal justice system and voting rights.

Mike is a B.A. Journalism undergrad and a future M.A. Public Relations student at Quinnipiac University. He joined Fireside in January 2020 as a digital intern who creates graphics for client-use, produces content for the firm’s social media, and assists junior associates with drafting and loading campaign emails.

Mike got his first taste in politics back in 2016 while interning for Sheldon Whitehouse’s re-election campaign in Providence, RI. Since then, he has been committed to advocating for progressive policies and social change.

Ned Cooper is a senior associate at Fireside Campaigns working with the New Florida Majority, the Center for Secure and Modern Elections, and the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee. Ned joined Fireside Campaigns under its previous title, Harta Communications, and has worked on a variety of statewide and national clients including the Yang2020 presidential campaign. He serves as the primary press contact for New Florida Majority, and drafts press releases, media advisories, op-eds and talking points. He works with clients to develop their communications and messaging strategies and conducts reporter outreach and press relations on their behalf.

Prior to joining Fireside Campaigns, Ned worked as an intern in the office of Senator Sheldon Whitehouse. During his time in the Senate, Ned drafted social media content, helped compile press clips and assisted in legislative research projects. He also spent time working in Florida during the 2018 election cycle, working on both Andrew Gillum’s gubernatorial campaign and Bill Nelson’s Senate campaign– organizing, training volunteers and knocking on doors.

Devon Cruz is a Junior Communications Consultant at Fireside Campaigns who joined the team in January 2020. Prior to joining the team, Devon studied at the University of Texas at Austin and majored in Public Relations.

While in Austin, he interned as a Communications Intern on the Justin Nelson for Texas Attorney General campaign where he helped with the campaign’s communications and statewide media outreach efforts. He also interned for the Texas AFL-CIO as a Digital Strategy Intern where he focused on using digital platforms to advocate for workers’ rights in Texas.

Sakita Douglas is a career Human Resources professional and leader with experience across industries including Construction, Healthcare, High Tech, Oil & Gas, Power/Utilities and non-profit. Sakita has spent her career transforming HR organizations to ultimately align with operational outcomes and improve customer experiences. She is a versatile, fast moving and pragmatic leader recognized for adding value to the success of the business. She brings a refined ability to connect quickly with executive leaders, understand the context of their challenges and work with them to develop strategic and tactical solutions. Most recently, Sakita was the Director of Human Resources with PTW Energy Services in The Woodlands, TX (Houston) and led the HR function across North America. Prior to joining PTW, she was a principal consultant with TMR Solutions Group, a consultancy focused on delivering pragmatic HR and Talent solutions to clients facing immediate challenges within their human capital life cycle.

Sakita is a graduate of Texas A&M Commerce, where she received a B.A.in Organizational Leadership. She is actively involved in the Houston Food Bank, T-STEM (Texas Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) College Scholarship and Houston SPCA (Houston Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals).

A native Houstonian, Sakita is an enthusiastic active member of the greater Houston community and enjoys cooking, travel, dog parks and all things Tex-Mex and BBQ.

Adam joined Fireside in September 2020 as a digital intern, assisting various email campaigns across the firm. Prior to joining Fireside, he interned at Blueprint Interactive, gaining experience in email fundraising and paid media, and Revolution Messaging, where he worked on client strategy and mobile programs. Adam has worked with clients up and down the ballot — from local races to presidential campaigns — as well as unions, nonprofits, and other organizations.

As a senior at American University, Adam studies Communications, Legal Institutions, Economics, and Government. He enjoys finding creative ways to communicate complex issues and give people the understanding they need to make informed decisions. Passionate about the environment, youth voter engagement, and gun violence prevention, Adam was a founding member of both March For Our Lives DC and March For Our Lives American University.

Vanja Frazier joined Fireside in October 2019 as a junior digital associate. She is working with candidates like J.D. Scholten (IA-04) and Brynne Kennedy (CA-04) to assist in email campaigns with the goal of raising money and spreading their vision.

Vanja worked on the Nevada Democratic Party’s Coordinated Campaign in 2018, helping elect Democrats up-and-down the ballot in Washoe County, Nevada’s swing district. She has also worked as a call time manager for a DCCC Frontline member of Congress, creating and executing a successful fundraising program.

Vanja graduated from McGill University in Montreal in 2018, and she previously interned in DC for Senators Sheldon Whitehouse and Jack Reed and in Rhode Island for Governor Gina Raimondo.

Malinda Frevert has nearly a decade of experience doing digital work for candidates, electoral groups, and advocacy organizations. She began her career organizing farmers and ranchers against the Keystone XL pipeline for BOLD Nebraska, has worked for electoral campaigns in Minnesota and Ohio, ran the email program at EMILY’s List for four years, and was deputy digital director of the DSCC.

Over the years, Malinda has trained hundreds of progressives on email best practices and created her own curriculum on how to run a performance-driven digital program. She has also organized manager-focused panels to encourage more honest and ethical leadership in the progressive movement.

Erika joined Fireside Campaigns back in April of 2019 when the firm was still under the old branding of Harta Communications. Having been with the firm since the beginning, she has worked on some of the firm’s most successful TV bookings and print pieces with clients like Yang2020, The Indivisible Project, Black Lives Matter, The Alliance for Youth Action, and Run for Something—among others.

Prior to joining Fireside Campaigns, Erika interned for the press department on Jared Polis’ winning gubernatorial campaign in Colorado and worked as a community organizer during the 2016 general election and 2018 midterm election. Erika holds degrees in Journalism and International Affairs from the University of Colorado at Boulder with minors in religious studies and Arabic.

Michelle joined Fireside Campaigns as a Senior Data Associate in summer 2020. She believes in the power of data and analytics to highlight and advance progressive issues. Prior to joining Fireside, Michelle worked as the Democracy Fellow at the National LGBTQ Task Force, where she created 2020 elections outreach materials, and produced a report on the potential role of LGBTQ voters in swinging elections.

Michelle earned a Bachelor’s Degree in International Relations from Penn State (We Are!) in 2015, and a Master’s Degree in Public Policy and Management from Carnegie Mellon University in 2020.

Cameron came to Fireside in early 2020. She works with political candidates up and down the ballot to implement digital-first email programs that reinforce a campaign’s messaging while bringing in cash.

Cameron started in politics as a field office intern on Hillary Clinton’s 2016 presidential campaign and couldn’t return to normal college life after. She interned in the House of Representatives and at the DCCC before joining the DCCC’s digital team at the end of the 2018 cycle, where she ran email programs that helped flip two seats from red to blue.

Ali Javery is a Principal with Fireside Campaigns and has been with the firm since day one. Since joining Fireside, she has been part of a team that has managed successful communications for organizations like the Sister District Project and the National Coalition on Health Care. Ali has played a significant role in the communications strategy around promoting and expanding Automatic Voter Registration across the country in her work for the Center for Secure and Modern Elections. She also plays a role in digital strategy for a number of campaigns.

Additionally, Ali works with the Ballot Initiative Strategy Center, and Bob Menendez for U.S. Senate. She has previously worked with Andrew Yang for President, the Voter Participation Center, the National Coalition on Health Care, Indivisible, and more.

Prior to joining Fireside, she worked for Senator Sheldon Whitehouse as a Communications Assistant for two years, collecting daily press clips and working with local Rhode Island reporters. She worked closely with the office digital media team and with the Senate Democratic Media Center. She also previously worked with Planned Parenthood Federation of America and the Connecticut General Assembly.

Ali earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science with minors in Women’s Studies and Entrepreneurship from the University of Connecticut and a Master’s Degree from Johns Hopkins University in Political Communications.

Dan Molina joined Fireside in July 2020 as a junior digital associate, working with a variety of campaigns and organizations on their digital fundraising efforts. His current list of clients includes Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ), Brynne Kennedy (D-CA-04), and Mi Familia Vota, a Latinx organization with the mission of mobilizing Latinx voters in key battleground states for the 2020 election.

Before joining Fireside, Dan previously interned for Rep. Stephanie Murphy’s (D-FL-07) 2018 re-election campaign as a fundraising intern, before moving to D.C. and interning in her Hill office. After his time on the Hill, he interned at the bipartisan Economic Innovation Group as a research and policy intern, tracking legislation related to economic mobility and labor issues.

A proud son of Central American immigrants, Dan was born and raised in Orlando, Florida. He graduated from the University of Central Florida in 2019 with a B.A. in Political Science and Certificate in Intelligence and National Security.

Claire’s love of storytelling, writing and politics led her to join Fireside Campaigns in the summer of 2020. She’s currently helping the Center for Secure and Modern Elections streamline the voting system (for all voters!) and is working to shape and place the stories of key Democratic leaders.

Prior to joining the Fireside team, Claire worked as an actress in Atlanta, GA. In addition to her PR, Communications and Marketing know-how, she also brings knowledge of camera technique, acting theory and script analysis to best advise clients preparing for TV, radio and podcast interviews.

Claire is passionate about racial, social and economic justice; she’s dedicated her work to raising awareness on behalf of those ideals. Outside of work, she volunteers with Back on My Feet, an organization that promotes running to build routines, boost confidence and break the cycle of homelessness.

Prior to joining Fireside, Ariel interned at multiple advertising and communications agencies in Charlotte, Chapel Hill and New York City. As a student, she worked on a campaign to establish an LGBTQ+ Friendly Clinic at the Duke Family Medical Center in Durham, NC. More recently, she helped lead a research study focused on UNC’s communication efforts regarding an on-campus Confederate Monument.

Ariel Natt joined Fireside in the fall of 2019 as a junior digital associate. She is a graduate of the University of North Carolina and holds a degree in Media and Journalism with a minor in Social and Economic Justice.

Ariel is passionate about digital communications, social media and marketing and how these channels can impact social change.

Sam Parker is a Senior Digital Strategist with Fireside Campaigns, joining in November 2019 and executing digital strategy for a number of Senate and Congressional campaign clients.

Prior to joining Fireside, Sam worked at Revolution Messaging as a Digital Strategist, working on email and mobile strategy for clients such as the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, Elizabeth Warren, and the Independent Drivers Guild. He also served as Managing Director of The Rival, a nationwide digital publication for college students, and worked in admissions for General Assembly, a tech and coding school. He graduated from The George Washington University in 2017 with a B.A. in International Affairs.

Dinanda Pramesti joined Fireside in February 2020 as a junior communications associate. She is working with organizations like Alliance for Youth Action, Spread the Vote, and New Florida Majority drafting pitches to reporters, press releases, op-eds, and conducting press relations.

Prior to joining Fireside Campaigns, Dinanda worked as a contractor for Elizabeth Warren’s 2020 presidential campaign for a brief period of time as well as a communications fellow for FWD.us, working on comprehensive immigration reform and criminal justice reform.

Dinanda also has organizing experience during her time in college at George Mason University, working with undocumented students and Virginia state legislators to pass immigration reform in the state.

Abhi Rahman is a progressive communications and rapid response strategist with more than 10 years of experience helping progressive candidates and causes win daily messaging battles to lead and win campaigns. Prior to joining Fireside Campaigns, Abhi served as the Director of Strategic Communications for the Texas Democratic Party, the most covered state party in the country. As the communications director for the Texas Democratic Party, Abhi served as the main spokesperson and press liaison for the organization, as well as primary writer on communications materials, such as press releases, op-ed’s, talking points, advisories, and internal and external memos. Prior to that position, Abhi worked for Stacey Abrams’ historic Gubernatorial campaign in Georgia. In this position, he served as an on-the-record spokesman, top in-house communications strategist, and as a primary writer for both Leader Abrams and the Georgia Democratic Party. Previously, he served as the Communications Director for two of the busiest Reps on Capitol Hill, first for Rep. Henry Cuellar, then for Rep. Josh Gottheimer in the United States House of Representatives. He spent the 2016 cycle as the Deputy Communications Director and Research Director for The Franklin Forum. Abhi owns a Master’s Degree in Public Policy with an emphasis in Political Communications from George Mason University and attended undergrad at Colorado State University.

Dan Shaw joined Fireside in the spring of 2019 and has played an impact role in assisting efforts on, the DLCC, Jon Hoadley for Congress and several digital campaigns for Senators and members of Congress.

Dan began his political activism in 2014 working on a congressional race on Long Island, since then, he’s worked on state and federal campaigns every cycle. Dan was a DCCC fellow and graduated from SUNY Albany’s Rockefeller College of Public Affairs and Policy.

Dan has dedicated his professional, academic and personal life to become a political operative capable of curving corporate influence in American elections, guaranteeing access to healthcare, combating wealth inequality and ushering in a new era of government aid to disenfranchised and under-supported communities.

Anya joined Fireside in May 2019 and has worked on voting rights with the Center for Secure and Modern Elections, resistance groups like Sister District and Indivisible, and as part of a team handling digital communications for Black Lives Matter. Anya specializes in social media strategy and has helped to devise plans for organizations like the National Coalition on Healthcare.

She is an alumna of George Mason University. She is a self-proclaimed “military brat” who grew up overseas in Europe for 12 years. Before Fireside, she worked as an intern for Buffalo Agency, a sports marketing agency based in Reston, VA.

Emily joined Firside Campaigns in November of 2018. She has managed PR strategy and press outreach for clients like the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee, Run for Something, Spread the Vote, Florida Rising, Jon Hoadley for Congress, and National Vote at Home Institute. During Emily’s time with Fireside, she has managed large press events, Congressional campaign rollouts, and the successful product launch for Action Builder, a new relational organizing toolset by Action Network.

Emily moved to Washington D.C. from Florida where she was born and raised. While in Florida, Emily worked as a grassroots organizer on campaigns and organizations like the 2012 Obama Re-election Campaign, Ruth’s List FL, Charlie Crist’s gubernatorial campaign, Pat Kemp for County Commission, and Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign in 2016. Emily received her Bachelor’s degree in Communications and a minor in Women’s and Gender Studies from the University of South Florida in Tampa, Florida.

Will joined Fireside in the spring of 2020, working with the Dr. Al Gross for U.S. Senate campaign, Center for Secure and Modern Elections, DC Vote, We Can Vote, Common Defense, and the Ballot Initiative Strategy Center.

Will’s work prioritizes expanding voter participation and access—all to build a more just political system that looks more like the people it serves. He previously worked on the communications team at Common Cause and as a researcher for Represent Us, aiding their missions to hold power accountable and root out political corruption. Will also spent time on Capitol Hill as an intern for Senator Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island and Congressman Richard Neal of Massachusetts.

Will holds a degree in Political Science and Journalism from the University of Massachusetts Amherst, and grew up in a military family—bouncing between Florida, California, Rhode Island, Italy, and Guam.

Shania Stephen joined Fireside in June 2020 as a junior digital associate. Before joining the Fireside team, Shania began her political activism back in 2014 when she first interned for the Monmouth County Democrats in New Jersey. She then went on to spend her undergraduate career interning for members of Congress as well as various work with nonprofits. She most recently spent most of her time working at the AARP Foundation, tackling the economic and racial disparities that highlighted the issues that came with why the coronavirus has disproportionately affected marginalized communities.

Shania has dedicated her professional, academic, and personal life to activism that focus on highlighting and tackling the racial and economic inequalities that are currently present in society. She is passionate about civil rights, criminal justice reform, and racial equality. As a recent Political Science and American Studies graduate from The George Washington University, Shania will continue in her studies as a current MA Political Communication candidate at The American University.

For nearly 20 years, Francoise has worked to strengthen democracy and win progressive victories. As Vice President of Digital Strategy at Fireside Campaigns, she works in partnership with clients to meet their goals using innovative digital strategies. Before joining the Fireside team, Francoise worked to strengthen democracy around the world by training civic partners in emerging democracies on digital tools and tactics with the National Democratic Institute. While at Every Voice, she worked on important victories to change the way money flows through politics. And at Voto Latino, she led the organization’s effort to digitally register more than 600,000 voters ahead of the 2020 election.

Francoise graduated from The George Washington University with a degree in International Affairs. She is a passionate member of the Bey Hive and has seen Beyonce in concert four times.

Mariel joined Fireside as a Digital Fundraising Intern in September of 2020 after graduating from the Fashion Institute of Technology with a Bachelor’s in Fine Arts in May 2020. At her alma mater, she pioneered progressive projects as President of Urban Studio, a student organization that provides professional development for emerging artists. With Urban Studio, Mariel conceptualized/curated Homegrown at The Museum at FIT, a home and community-themed art exhibition which showcased the diversity and multiculturalism of New York City. In August, she organized Urban Studio’s Instagram art fundraiser “Facing Change 2020” which raised over $700 for the NAACP Legal Defense Fund and Trans Women of Color Collective. Mariel also participates consistently in the New York City elections, actively assisting voters as a Poll Worker. Through her creative and professional roles, Mariel consistently prioritizes her commitments to social and economic justice, the democratic process, environmental preservation, and the betterment of her local community.