WHEN: 06.03.14 | 6:30-9:30 pm
WHERE: The Washington Post
1150 15th St NW #4, Washington, DC 20071
With Millennials being a deciding factor in the past two Presidential elections, this demographic is undeniably changing the course of politics. Power Forward will convene some of the Nation’s most influential Millennials to provide their insight on the influence of Millennials on the current political climate.
The mission of The Can Kicks Back (TCKB) is to educate, organize and mobilize young Americans in order to promote a sustainable and generationally equitable federal budget. TCKB provides a platform for Millennials to take action on fiscal issues. TCKB’s list of accomplishments include executing a national Generational Equity Tour and championing the bi-partisan INFORM Act.
CLINTON YATES, Moderator
Clinton Yates is a D.C. native and an online columnist for The Washington Post. Clinton covers a variety of issues about the city, pop culture and politics, and is a frequent cable news commentator. Clinton recently launched “My Take”, a daily commentary, on WTOP Radio.
ASHLEY SPILLANE, President, Rock The Vote
Ashley Spillane comes to Rock the Vote with over ten years experience in electoral politics. Known for her innovation and leadership, Ashley most recently served as Executive Director of The Atlas Project, spearheading the development of an interactive web platform that provides political and non-partisan organizations access to the raw data and tools needed to develop smart, strategic programs at the local, state and national levels. While running Atlas, Ashley simultaneously served as the Executive Director of democratic GAIN, the national membership association for over 50,000 political professionals.
Raffi Williams, Deputy Press Secretary, Republican National Committee
Raffi is Raffi Williams is Deputy Press Secretary at the Republican National Committee where he handles youth press and conservative press. He has been named one of the “10 Black Republicans You Probably Don’t Know But Should” by Black Enterprise Magazine and has been profiled by Buzzfeed, BET and the Grio. Prior to working for the RNC, Raffi worked for the Republican Study Committee as the Deputy Communications Director, and was the Communications Director at Benishek for Congress.
KRISTEN ANDERSON SOLTIS, Vice President of the Winston Group
Kristen is Republican pollster and strategist with experience in strategic communications and in on-air/in-print political commentary. Described as a “leading millennial pollster,” Kristen Soltis Anderson is the GOP’s go-to person for studying voting patterns. As a vice president at the Winston Group, a Republican polling and consulting firm, Anderson advocates using new types of data to gauge public opinion. Kristen was featured by TIME magazine as a “30 Under 30 World Changer”.
ATIMA OMARA, President of the Young Democrats of America
Atima Omara currently serves as President of the Young Democrats of America (YDA). She is the first African American and fifth woman President in YDA’s 81 year history. Atima has worked over a decade in Democratic and progressive politics, working for then Governor (now US Senator) Mark Warner of Virginia and serving as staff on over 8 federal, state, and local Democratic campaigns in Virginia and across the country. Atima has also worked for or consulted to various progressive non-profits with a particular focus on women and youth’s political participation & leadership, reproductive justice, health care, communities of color, and how gender and race are reflected in popular culture. Her writings on these topics have also been featured in national publications such as Huffington Post, Ms. Magazine, Women’s Enews, RH Reality Check, and the Shriver Report.
AMY TANNENBAUM, Chairwoman of the Women’s Information Network
Amy Tannenbaum is the Chair of the Women’s Information Network, an organization for pro-choice Democratic women in the DC area focused on development in the personal, professional, and political arenas. She has volunteered extensively with organizations supporting youth and women in DC, including City Year Young Heroes, the D.C. Rape Crisis Center, and Higher Achievement. Amy is passionate about workplace justice for women, and in her day job works for policy change to expand educational and employment opportunities for women and girls. She is excited to speak about millennial women and voting, particularly about the diversity of the group under the umbrella term “millennial women,” and how every issue is a women’s issue.
BRANDI RICHARD, President National Urban League Young Professionals
Brandi currently serves as President of the National Urban League Young Professionals (NULYP), an auxiliary of the National Urban League, supporting 64 chapters nationwide and reaching over 1.7 million young professionals. NULYP gave over 50,000 volunteer hours and $380,000 to Urban League affiliates in her first year in office. She previously served as Southern Region Vice President of NULYP and President of the Urban League of Greater Dallas Young Professionals. Brandi is a civil servant, working over 9 years in the federal government and currently serves as a Program Specialist for FEMA National Processing Service Center Enterprise Communications.
STEVEN OLIKARA, President and Co-founder of the Millennial Action Project
Steven is the lead founder of the country’s first national nonprofit organization dedicated to disrupting political gridlock with innovative, post-partisan Millennial leadership. In this role, he oversees all strategy, programs, development, and operations. Steven organized the bipartisan Congressional Future Caucus, co-chaired by Reps. Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI) and Aaron Schock (R-IL), the nation’s first Millennial-led Congressional Caucus. He has been featured in NBC’s Meet the Press, MSNBC’s Morning Joe, C-SPAN’s Washington Journal, ABC News, BuzzFeed, The Hill, and other national news outlets.
ALEXANDRA SMITH, National Chairman, College Republican National Committee
Alex Smith is serving as National Chairman of the College Republican National Committee (“CRNC”). Alex, a native of Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, is a graduate of The Catholic University of America, where she graduated magna cum laude with a degree in Politics. Prior to being elected as National Co-Chairman for the 2012 cycle, Alex served as Chairman of the D.C. Federation of College Republicans. During her tenure as State Chairman, she organized multiple deployments for candidates along the east coast.
RYAN SCHOENIKE, Co-founder & Executive Director, The Can Kicks Back
Prior to joining The Can Kicks Back, Ryan co-founded and led WeCantPayThatTab.org, a website designed to create a dialogue between policymakers and young Americans on the debt and deficit issues. With strong experience in market analysis, he has engaged with policymakers and Millennials in a variety of forums to discuss fiscal challenges, including testify before the National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform. Ryan has a background in economics and has worked for a variety organizations in the energy field.