Brian DiPaolo
After working for several years as a writer for a news journal, Brian decided to join the nonprofit sector so he could help to address social problems instead of just writing about them. He began his nonprofit career at PHI, where he raised funds in support of advocacy efforts to improve eldercare services and the quality of home care jobs. A native of NYC, Brian has lived in four of the five boroughs. In his spare time, he is working on what he hopes will be the definitive horror movie set on Staten Island.
Charlotte Dodge
Charlotte’s experience as a “sandwich generation” caregiver adds depth to her policy analysis and grassroots advocacy skills. Previously, she worked as the Advocacy Coordinator for the National Alliance for Caregiving and in Senator Tammy Baldwin’s office. Her work is rooted in inspiration from her grandmother, a trailblazer who worked in the White House and still plays the piano flawlessly at age 90.
Susannah Dyen
Susannah Dyen has worked as a community organizer, policy analyst, data manager, and coalition coordinator. She believes that those that live and work in a community should define its future, but need the power to do so. A self-avowed data nerd, she has read the entire NYC zoning code. One of her theme songs, Keb’ Mo’s “she just wants to dance” sums up her love of both dancing and the blues.
Vanessa Faraj
Vanessa has organized low-wage restaurant workers with 9to5 Working Women, worked on the legal teams of indigent clients facing capital punishment in rural Georgia, and helped build multi-lingual, community-based infrastructure with refugee families.
Sarita Gupta
Sarita is co-director of Caring Across and executive director of Jobs With Justice. She is a nationally recognized expert on the economic, labor and political issues affecting working people, particularly women and people employed in low-wage sectors, and on home care. As a member of the “sandwich generation,” Sarita is grappling with the care issues facing more and more Americans, balancing caring for young children with caring for aging parents.
Nathan Henderson-James
Before joining the campaign, Nathan spent nearly 25 years organizing with poor people’s organizations, including ACORN and the Center for Popular Democracy. For the last ten of those years, he worked hard to help people-powered groups integrate data and digital tools into their face-to-face organizing approaches, including running the digital program for the Home Defenders League.
Janet Kim
Janet believes passionately in the power of story to advance social change. Her diverse background ranges from consulting for brands like Citigroup and UnitedHealthcare, knocking on doors for Bill deBlasio, and producing radio for WNYC and teaching for The Moth.
Josephine Kalipeni
Her expertise includes grassroots and faith organizing, consumer engagement, and equity policy in health, education, and international affairs. She initially worked in family crisis case management and social work, experiencing the hardships of families navigating broken systems. This lead her to advocacy and policy development work.
Antonia Madian
Antonia joined Caring Across Generations as an Intern in June 2015. Prior to working at Caring Across, she worked as the Operations Manager at Close the Gap CA, an organization that recruited progressive women to run for office in California. Antonia became interested in doing work that supported caregivers after seeing care relationships unfold in her own family.
Namatie Mansaray
Namatie Mansaray hails from the DC metropolitan area. With a B.S. in Political Science from Bowie State University and a M.S. in Public Policy from Drexel University, she brings her own caregiving experience and military lens. She holds a stateside portfolio of MI, HI, and OR and paid leave relationships.
Rahel Mekdim Teka
Rahel Mekdim Teka is a community organizer, facilitator, and writer based in Oakland, CA. She is passionate about building power from the margins, story-telling, and Ethiopian food. As a member and former Organizing Chair of BYP100-NYC she strives to bring a Black Queer Feminist lens to all aspects of her life. In her spare time Rahel watching movies, reading, and exploring new cities, bars, and restaurants. If you ever need to buy her forgiveness, books written by Black women and tequila based cocktails are the way.
Paul Ogwal
As a Veteran, Paul spent years working in operations, logistics, technical training and digital communications. Paul co-founded UrbanGOTV, a Chicago based consulting firm. His most influential heroes are his parents, who have always fostered hard work and dedication.
Ai-jen Poo
Ai-jen is co-director of Caring Across and is the executive director of the National Domestic Workers Alliance. She has been organizing immigrant women workers in New York since 1996. She is the author of The Age of Dignity: Preparing for the Elder Boom in a Changing America and a 2014 recipient of the MacArthur “Genius” Award.
Kevin Simowitz
Prior to joining the campaign, Kevin worked as the Organizing Director at Maine People’s Alliance, where he coordinated federal issue campaigns for the organization. Kevin also helped lead the Rebuild Maine field campaign, a coalition supporting progressive candidates for state legislative offices and a gubernatorial candidate in 2014.
Mae Singerman
Mae enjoys designing systems, experimenting with processes and ensuring positive work culture as the Caring Across team wins big changes for families, seniors and workers. Mae has created and expanded Caring Across’s internal workings as the team has grown from a staff of 4 to 15 and growing. Previously, she worked in the Jewish social justice movement, as Coordinator at the Jewish Social Justice Roundtable. As a mom to two young children, she is exploring racial justice and parenting. She misses the warm salty air of her hometown, Miami Beach, Florida and loves Project Runway, celebrity gossip and DSA (Democratic Socialists of America).
Kia Smith
Kia is all about creating content that establishes connections. With nearly a decade of digital communications experience, she has a passion for using media to impact and document culture. Combining her love for digital storytelling and advocating for social justice led her to join the Caring Across Generations team in 2018.
Ishita Srivastava
Ishita is a multimedia producer and cultural strategist who believes strongly in the power of storytelling to move hearts and minds and create lasting social change. With 8 years experience working at the intersection of social change movements, media, and pop culture, Ishita came to Caring Across from Breakthrough, where she produced digital campaigns on gender, race, and immigrant rights issues in the U.S. and abroad.
Ben Veghte
Ben is passionate about using public policy to foster conditions in which people can care for their loved ones without sacrificing their economic security or careers. He previously led research at Social Security Works and served as VP for Policy at the National Academy of Social Insurance. His care story is his mom, who battled Parkinson’s for the past 15 years until she passed away this year. Collaborating with idealists who believe it is possible to create the world you want to live in — and are effective at doing so — inspires him.