Staff

“Exercising self-compassion is the first step of social change. To provide meaningful care for others you must first care for yourself. But once you care for yourself, it’s important to extend that care to others!”

Deanna Hobbs (she/her/hers) is passionate about positive social change and initiating important community conversations. She has found purpose within the realms of environmentalism, youth voter engagement, healthcare access, food justice, and women empowerment. Throughout her life she has lived in Alaska, Washington, and Idaho, and now resides right outside of Washington, DC. Deanna loves being immersed in nature, and also enjoys dessert shops, finding new vegetarian recipes, and reading poetry.

“If it doesn’t challenge you, it doesn’t change you.”

Kathleen Kelso (she/her/hers) has a background in content creation, editing, and gender equality advocacy. Whether in her hometown of Richmond, Virginia, southern Tennessee, the mountains of Spain, or the coast of Morocco, she is constantly seeking out the tough conversations that challenge us to reflect on ourselves and learn from others. She came to Galvanize USA out of this very passion for the growth that happens when we come together with open minds and hearts, ready to listen and share. Kathleen speaks Spanish, French, and Moroccan Arabic and spends nearly all her free time trying to train her very stubborn puppy, Crush.

“We’re going to win this war not by fighting what we hate but saving what we love.” – Rose Tico, Last Jedi

Laurie Schipper (she/her/hers) has a background in social work and for most of her career has worked in the anti-violence movement, working to empower women and girls, and prevent interpersonal and community-based violence. Growing up on a rural northeast Iowa farm, Laurie spent her days playing with her cats and dogs, helping can garden vegetables, and growing to appreciate the strong connections between the women in her life. When Laurie’s not thinking and listening about ways to create safety and abundance for everyone, she is working on sewing and knitting projects and cooking for family and friends. Laurie has two grown sons and spends most of her free time playing with her three young grandsons and traveling with her husband, Brent.

“Real change, enduring change, happens one step at a time.” – Ruth Bader Ginsburg

Jasmine Allred (she/her), equipped with a Statistics and Data Science degree from UC San Diego, has always been driven by a passion for coding and analytics, aiming to harness the power of data for positive change. Fueled by the transformative impact of data, Jasmine is proud to continue leveraging data for meaningful outcomes at Galvanize USA. Beyond data analytics, she enjoys tackling jigsaw puzzles, playing ultimate frisbee, and volunteers as a coach for the women’s ultimate frisbee team at UCSD.

“Community is about commitment, consistency, and compassion.”

Co Alvarez (she/her) believes that you can solve most problems with a well-organized spreadsheet and a color-coded system. As a former fundraiser, she brings over five years of experience in project management, relationship-building, and strategy to the team. Born, raised, and further educated in California, she now calls Seattle home alongside her partner and dog Taro. When not working you can find Co exploring the Pacific Northwest or reading a book.

“Sometimes when you feel like you have something to lose, you actually have everything to gain.”

Emily Cavanaugh (she/her/hers) was born in Chicago, IL on a winning day for the Cubs—an auspicious start. Her early years were full of playing violin, dance, very good dogs, excellent math teachers, and an insatiable appetite for books in the northern suburbs of Chicago. With her career, she has focused on women’s issues and dreams of a world in balance, where everyone has what they need to thrive. After long stints in California and Washington, DC, she returned to the midwest in 2020. When she’s not behind a spreadsheet, you can find her on a bike, at a dance class, reading in a cozy chair, or exploring the natural world with her husband and toddler.

“We all believe in something better for ourselves and our communities. What’s important is finding your hope and then helping others to realize theirs.”

Hannah Curtis (she/her/hers) has a background in public health, community-engaged programming, policy analysis, wedding planning, and theater. She grew up in Michigan where her favorite memories are of family camping trips, Disney sing-alongs in the car with her sister, and tubing on Lake Michigan with her girlfriends. Hannah loves working collaboratively with other women to give back to her community, a value instilled in her by her mother and grandmother. When she is not chasing after her toddler, Hannah enjoys hiking, baking, and reading historical fiction. She lives with her husband, daughter Thea, new baby Ari, and two cats, “Oscar” and “Gracie Anne.”

“Life is very short. What we have to do must be done in the now.” —Audre Lord

Dinah Dale (she/her) grew up in a small town in Arkansas. She earned her college degree at William Woods University in Fulton, MO and her law degree from Washington University School of Law in St. Louis, MO. She has devoted most of her career to working for socioeconomic justice in the political and nonprofit areas as an advocate and development professional. Dinah lives in Minneapolis and enjoys live music, all kinds of theater, writing creative nonfiction, and, most of all, spending time with her two sons.

“What you do makes a difference, and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make.” – Jane Goodall

Dani Dichter (she/her) has a background in educational equity work and electoral campaigns. Throughout her career, she has fostered her passion for ensuring that our democracy is inclusive, representative, and works for everyone. Dani lives in Los Angeles and when she isn’t building pipelines, you can find her tending to her houseplants or updating her Taylor Swift rankings spreadsheet.

“Alone we can do so little, together we can do so much” – Helen Keller

Rachael Firestone (she/her/hers) has a background in political science and psychology. She is passionate about using mixed methods to answer research questions that can help drive towards positive, real-world impact. She grew up in Alabama, where you don’t get married during football season. Rachael currently lives in Nashville with her husband Taylor and two dogs Jack and Jill. Outside of work, Rachael enjoys hiking, exploring the Nashville area, and cultivating her indoor jungle of houseplants.

“The greatness of a community is most accurately measured by the compassionate actions of its members.” – Coretta Scott King

Alex Greenler (she/her) has a background in digital media, graphic design, and communications. She grew up in rural Wisconsin where she developed a deep passion for community building, positive social change, and finding new perspectives through art and creation. Though a Midwesterner at heart, she loves currently calling Seattle home with her two cats, Poppy and Webster. When Alex isn’t deep in a design project, she can be found altering used clothing, finding beautiful views, and planning elaborate theme dinners with her friends.

“If enough people think of a thing and work hard enough at it, I guess it’s pretty nearly bound to happen, wind and weather permitting.” – Laura Ingalls Wilder

Laura Hardner (she/her/hers) has a background in social psychology and has always tried to use her research to make the world a better place, focusing on issues of diversity, representation, and prejudice. She grew up in Erie, PA—a swing county in a swing state—where she discovered her passion for social activism. Outside of work, Laura can be found reading a good book, putting together a jigsaw puzzle, playing video games, or trying to perfect her top secret homemade brownie recipe. She also has a prized collection of library cards from every town she’s lived in (and still uses them all to check out e-books). She now lives in Pittsburgh, PA with her two spoiled cats, Noodle and Sushi.

“We have the entire universe in common Let’s not let our differences Set us apart.” – M. Banks

Jillian Laux (she/her) has over ten years of experience managing fundraising activities for nonprofit organizations.  A passionate human rights advocate, Jillian is driven by the belief that all beings are innately entitled to a life of dignity and respect. An avid lover of the written word, Jillian spends her free time reading and is working on a collection of poetry. She also enjoys running, hiking, and yoga. Jillian currently lives in San Diego with her partner and their many animals. 

“One of the most vital ways we sustain ourselves is by building communities of resistance, places where we know we are not alone.” —bell hooks

Urooj (she/hers) is an experienced coalition builder with a strong background in civic engagement strategy, policy advocacy, and network coordination. She specializes in fostering consensus and growing infrastructure on both national and local levels. Her work has centered on how to serve those who lead and build power in their communities. Urooj worked on immigration policy and public engagement for US Senator Tim Kaine. She has also worked with Palestinian refugees in the West Bank and resettled refugee families and asylum seekers at the U.S. Southern Border. Born in Multan, she’s the daughter of immigrants and part of the Pakistani diaspora that has taken her family through South Asia, Ireland, and now the US. Urooj loves the mountains (any nature, actually!), old school Desi music (and Iron Maiden, and Rihanna. . .), her cherished plants, and bakeries.

“The worst thing you can do is nothing.” —Terry Pratchett

Emily Robinson’s (she/her) first exposure to civic engagement began at age 6, when she “helped” her parents gather petition signatures by catching frogs in the nearby pond. Since then, she’s been passionate about finding the stories that bring people together to take action for progress. An East Coast transplant, Emily loves a challenge, from taking on a complicated baking project to competing (and losing) on Jeopardy. When she’s not out trying to see as much of the world as possible, Emily can usually be found biking through the park, starting a new knitting project, or doing the daily crossword over a cup of tea.

“We all have a role to play in creating the communities we seek.”

Kelly Starr (she/her) loves listening . . . to people’s stories, music, podcasts, the sound of laughter, you name it! She has spent most of her career working to end domestic violence and sexual assault as a social worker, researcher, public policy advocate, and communications strategist. Kelly was born and raised in the suburbs of Chicago with many siblings and pets. She now calls Seattle home and can usually be found watching sports, exploring the beautiful Pacific Northwest, or trying to find creative ways to get her two teenagers to want to spend time with her.

“You are moving in the direction of freedom,
and the function of freedom is to free somebody else.”
—Toni Morrison

Yasmin Torabian (she/her) grew up in Washington DC going to social justice protests and creating art with her community from a young age. She earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in sociology and anthropology from Goucher College in Baltimore, MD, in which she focused her studies on confronting inequality and structural violence. She began her career in nonprofit development by contributing to a monthly academic journal for women and activists in Iran. She has since then worked in marketing, tech education, and design, but is always driven by her innate passion to uplift the voices of others and enrich her community at large. As a mother of two, most of her free time is filled with cycling, skateboarding, reading, painting, and embracing childlike wonder in the city she still calls home. 

“All that you touch, You Change. All that you Change, Changes you. The only lasting truth is Change.” – Octavia Butler

G Tucker (they/them) is an artist and organizer with a background in digital media, graphic design, and advocacy work. They graduated from Pitzer College with a Bachelor of Arts in Gender and Feminist Studies, where they focused on building systems of support and education for gender-diverse youth. Driven by a passion for community-building and collective liberation, G is dedicated to using art and design as a catalyst for empowerment and mobilization. Born in Seattle and raised on Maui, HI, G loves the ocean and seeks to be near it every chance they get.

“If we try and understand each other, we may even become friends.” —Maya Angelou

Ariel Volk (she/her/hers) loves learning about other people and cultures, believing that we have more in common than what sets us apart. Driven by this passion and her commitment to public service, Ariel has spent her career advocating for democracy and human rights issues, including access to reproductive healthcare and US funding for the United Nations. Born and raised in Ohio, Ariel lived in Washington, DC and New England for several years before returning to her Midwest roots. When not working, she can be found planning her next trip, cleaning and organizing (for fun!), curled up with a book, or hiking with her husband and energetic Goldendoodle.

“I am a very strong believer in listening and learning from others.” – Ruth Bader Ginsburg

Jacquelyn Westermark (she/her) grew up in the suburbs of Philadelphia where she learned the community values of brotherly (and sisterly) love. She believes that a healthier, more balanced society is attainable through unwavering dedication to that ideal. Jacquelyn brings a background in fundraising and consulting to her role. Outside of work, you can find her exploring parks with her dog, reading a good book, or daydreaming about future travel plans.

“We all do better when we all do better.“

Kristin Wheeler (she/her) is the chief strategy officer for Galvanize USA, where she spearheads the organization’s research, campaign, and partnerships strategy. Since joining in 2020, Kristin has played a pivotal role in reaching and influencing millions of moderate women through data-driven interventions.

Before her time at Galvanize USA, Kristin made significant contributions in community and public affairs while working for the National Park Service. Her role involved supporting the integration of public health and public lands systems. With two decades of experience as a grassroots organizer, non-violent direct action campaigner, and strategic advisor, Kristin brings a wealth of expertise from both the non-profit and government sectors. Outside of her professional pursuits, Kristin resides in rural Washington state with her wife and a growing family of animals.

Alli Willis (she/her) loves helping other people tell their stories and communicate what they’re passionate about. She’s ghostwritten for community leaders, blogged with the natural food community, and told Gen Z’s stories while serving in the world of higher education. Alli is committed to being a good neighbor and building strong communities locally, online, and across the country. Alli can usually be found goofing off with her cats or working on strange art projects in Bellingham, Washington.