Suzanne Kahn is the vice president of the think tank at Roosevelt, where she oversees and helps manage research projects in all think tank program areas. Suzanne works with the think tank’s issue area directors to develop critical research and policy to rebalance power in our society and economy.

Compton DaSilva is the senior people and culture manager at Roosevelt, where he provides both strategic and tactical people partnering support. Compton is primarily focused on creating an environment where employees feel energized, informed, and empowered and on implementing progressive practices to enhance the employee experience.

Casey Williams (he/him) is a recent graduate of Hampshire College, where he studied Political Science with concentrations in Labor Studies and Urban Studies. He channeled these interests into his work as an Emerging Fellow, writing a policy brief focusing on how New York State can build worker power through policy. He is currently pursuing an Advanced Certificate in Labor Studies at the City University of New York School of Labor and Urban Studies.

Catherine Tong (they/them) is a student at the University of California, Berkeley studying comparative literature. They were an Emerging Fellow with the Roosevelt Network the 2023-2024 cohort. Catherine is committed to gaining an interdisciplinary education: They are learning two different languages, took part in a cybersecurity graduate seminar, and completed courses in medical anthropology, biostatistics/R, and more. As a nonbinary Chinese American, they are deeply committed to social impact. They continue to volunteer for Speech & Debate: Global Citizenship, a program they founded as a high school junior that has won national recognition for teaching over 100 3rd–5th graders about stigmatized social justice issues. At Cal, Catherine is a student researcher at Berkeley Law’s MacArthur Award–winning Human Rights Center, investigating worldwide human rights violations and atrocities. Currently, they are working on a project on election interference. Post-grad, they hope to work in finance in the Bay Area. In their personal time, Catherine enjoys reading (49 books in 2023), indoor rock climbing, and visiting museums.

Kirsten Lee Hill (she/her) is an accomplished researcher and consultant specializing in survey design, data-driven storytelling, and impact evaluation. With a Ph.D. from the University of Pennsylvania and over 14 years of experience, she supports non-profits, start-ups, schools, districts, government agencies, and philanthropic organizations in capturing and elevating community voices to achieve meaningful impact. Her client list includes The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, New York City Public Schools, NewSchools Venture Fund, and Virgin Unite, among others. She is also the author of Ask Better Questions: A Simple Guide to Good Survey Design, a top new release that brings her practical approach to survey design to a wider audience.

Brian O’Gara (he/him/his) is an analyst at the Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission (MACPAC), a non-partisan legislative branch agency that provides policy and data analysis and makes recommendations to Congress, the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and the states on a wide array of issues affecting Medicaid and the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP). His work focuses on developing federal and state strategies to improve access to, and the quality of, long-term services and supports (LTSS) for older adults and individuals with disabilities.

Alan Barber is managing director of partnerships at the Roosevelt Institute. Previously, Alan was policy director at the Congressional Progressive Caucus Center, where he led the CPC Center’s policy team as well as the Policy and Research Council, a coalition of think tanks, advocates, and experts dedicated to strengthening the progressive movement.

Asha Anthony is a current 1L day student at the University of the District of Columbia David A. Clarke School of Law. She recently graduated from Howard University, earning her B.A. in Strategic, Legal, and Management Communications. Growing up in Arizona, she has always been interested in the disparity between people of color and affordable housing. Asha is studying to become a civil rights attorney, focusing on fair housing and property law to support those who do not have access to legal representation. During her time at the Roosevelt Network, Asha was a Roosevelt in Washington fellow and interned at the NAACP Youth and College Division during the summer of 2023. This opportunity led to her heightened interest in advocacy and the opportunity to intern in the Human Rights Department at the American Federation of Teachers during her last year as an undergrad.

Jennifer Zhang is the former Economic Policy Coordinator on the Roosevelt Network’s National Student Leadership Team, and served as President of its chapter at Columbia University. She is currently a Director’s Financial Analyst at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, where she spent her first year working in the Director’s Front Office on student loan policy and strategic planning. She is now with the Enforcement Division’s Quantitative Analytics Team, where she analyzes data for evidence of redlining, discriminatory lending, and other legal violations. Jenn previously worked as a Legislative Intern for Senator Elizabeth Warren and as a Consumer Fraud Mediator for the New York State Attorney General. She has also interned for Asian Americans Advancing Justice and the New York State Assembly, and was designated a United Nations Millennium Fellow. Jenn graduated summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa from Columbia University in 2023 with a BA in political science.

Parker Cellura (he/him) is a postsecondary education researcher at MDRC, a social policy research firm. His work centers on generating and assessing rigorous evidence to enhance student support programs at colleges and universities nationwide. This includes initiatives such as math and English course placement strategies, holistic student coaching interventions, and other initiatives meant to positively impact key student success measures throughout student’s academic journeys. Parker often credits his time with the Roosevelt Network as a critical source of inspiration for his continued commitment to higher education. As the former Community College Organizer for the Roosevelt Network and co-author of a report on the adverse impacts of the financialization of higher education, he developed a deep appreciation for the intersection of research and ethical/equitable policy development in postsecondary education.

Henry Means (he/him) is a recent graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Madison and recent emerging fellow with the Roosevelt Network. His passion for history, urban planning, and environmental justice motivated him to research the racist history of highway planning while studying with Roosevelt. Currently, Henry is an organizer with the Washington State Democratic Party.

Anna Hyslop is a junior at the University of Oklahoma studying economics and energy policy. During her freshman year of college, she founded Students for Local Action, the first student-led interest group dedicated to policy creation and lobbying at her university. Her interests in law and environmental justice have led to roles at the ACLU of Oklahoma, the U.S. Department of Energy, and the White House. Her academic scholarship focuses on the role of localities in accelerating a global energy transitions through legal mechanisms. In her free time, Anna can be found running, mountain biking, or boxing.

Inica Kotasthane (she/her) is a student at Barnard College of Columbia University pursuing a double major in Economics and Sociology. On campus, she works for the Columbia Justice Lab, is a print editor for the Columbia Undergraduate Law Review, and is social media editor for the Columbia Federalist, the university’s satire newspaper. This summer, she was a Roosevelt in Washington (RIW) Fellow and interned with the Institute for Women’s Policy Research in Washington D.C. Previously, she was a research assistant with the Emerging Adult Justice Project (EAJP) at the Columbia Justice Lab, a Roosevelt Network Forge Fellow, and an intern with the New Jersey Division on Civil Rights (NJ-DCR). Inica intends to go to law school after graduation with a focus in public interest law. She is dedicated to defending progressive policy solutions across all levels of government to advance economic and social equity.

Willie White III is a junior at Howard University, studying Political Science with a minor in Sociology. As a dedicated student leader, they serve as a COAS Flagship Ambassador and COAS Council Logistics Director, using their skills to support both the Howard community and the surrounding areas. As Vice President of the Howard University Speech & Debate Team, Willie shares their experiences as a Black student, man, brother, and son through public speaking and interpretation events. They have interned with the Democratic National Committee, African American Mayors Association, and Media Matters for America, gaining expertise in event coordination, media analysis, and policy research. As a Roosevelt Institute RIW Fellow on the Race & Democracy Track, Willie furthered their commitment to social justice by working with Media Matters and authoring an Op-Ed on challenges facing Black voters in Georgia.

Michael Regnier (he/him) is a senior at the University of Alabama studying political science and economics. His involvement with the Roosevelt Network began last spring as a member of the 2024 Roosevelt in Washington Fellowship, through which he interned at think-tank Groundwork Collaborative and published an op-ed with the Alabama Political Reporter. After graduating in May 2025, Michael plans on attending law school with the goal of pursuing a career in consumer protection and competition law.

Michelle Holder is an Associate Professor of Economics at John Jay College, City University of New York, and was an Urban Institute One Million Black Women Research Partnership Scholar in 2023. She is also a Senior Fellow with the Roosevelt Institute in New York. Her research focuses on Black workers and women of color in the American labor market. Michelle has testified before the U.S. Congress as well as the City Council of New York on issues such as the gender wage gap, prohibiting discrimination based on unemployment status, infrastructure investment, and Black men and employment. Michelle has also appeared on, or been quoted in, major media outlets including CNN, MSNBC, NPR, PBS, the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, the Washington Post, The Lily, the New York Amsterdam News, El Diario, The Atlantic, The New Yorker, The Economist, TheGrio, Politico, The Guardian, USA Today, The 19th, Marketplace, MarketWatch, Bloomberg and Vox. Her first book, African American Men and the Labor Market during the Great Recession, was published in 2017 by Palgrave Macmillan, and her second book, Afro-Latinos in the U.S. Economy, co-authored with Alan Aja, was published in 2021 by Lexington Books, an imprint of Rowman & Littlefield.

As a fellow at the Roosevelt Institute, Diana Reddy studies unions, labor regulations, and the work of the National Labor Relations Board. Diana is an assistant professor at the UC Berkeley School of Law. Her research focuses on the regulation of work as a site where critical choices are made about the relationship between American economic commitments and its democratic ideals. Before becoming a professor, Diana represented labor unions and workers at the AFL-CIO, Altshuler Berzon LLP, and the California Teachers Association. Diana holds a PhD from Berkeley, a JD from NYU, and an MA from Stanford University.

Beverly Moran upended the widely held belief that the United States tax system is race neutral. Her insights created a movement that is helping to change how we think about law and race. Despite being rejected by every think tank, foundation, and government agency that she approached with her research question, Professor Moran was able to construct a data base using Census information from the Survey of Income and Program Participation (SIPP) and then interrogate basic provisions of the Internal Revenue Code in order to show that black taxpayers who live in the same place, have the same education, marital status, and number of children, work the same type of job, and earn the same income, pay more taxes that their white counterparts.

Olu Rouse (he/him) is a February One Scholar and honors student at the illustrious North Carolina Agricultural & Technical State University. He is majoring in Political Science and Economics. With this education, he intends to use his career to combine fiscal policy and racial justice to create an American society that is equitable and inclusive. Olu was a 2024 Forge Fellow where he completed his policy analysis presentation on local reparations program in the United States.

Andy Zhang (he/him) is a junior at the University of Connecticut pursuing dual degrees in economics and environmental sciences. At UConn, Andy works as a Sustainability Intern within the Office of Sustainability and is the Founder and President of the UConn Chapter of Plant Futures. Outside of UConn, Andy works as a Food Policy Intern with Friends of the Earth. Passionate about progressive policy and food advocacy, Andy is dedicated to pursuing a career focused on creating equitable and sustainable food systems through innovative policy solutions.

Leila Pedersen (she/her) currently serves as the City of Raleigh’s Innovation Team (i-team) director through the Bloomberg American Sustainable Cities initiative. Her approach to public sector innovation is informed by her experience building cross-sector coalitions that leverage participatory design, data analysis, and communications to cultivate care, creativity, and collaboration. Prior to her current role, Leila founded Triangle Solutions Consulting to support public and social sector clients in achieving meaningful results and sustainable impact. Her work managing campaigns, publishing research, passing landmark legislation, and directing public and philanthropic funding was featured in the Washington Post, the San Francisco Chronicle, the News & Observer, and more. Leila was introduced to the Roosevelt Institute as an undergraduate at UC Berkeley, where she became the co-president of the campus chapter. After serving as a Summer Fellow with the City of Chicago’s Department of Community Development, Leila became the director of the Washington DC Summer Academy. Leila continues to engage with the Roosevelt Institute today as a Forge Fellow mentor and Roosevelt Society participant.

John (he/him) is the special assistant to the director of Baltimore City’s Mayor’s Office of Employment Development, Baltimore’s workforce development agency. He administers the city’s local hiring law along with assisting on other various other projects as assigned by the agency director. John was the chapter president of the University of Maryland Chapter of the Roosevelt Institute Campus Network from 2011 to 2013. Highlights of his time with Roosevelt include publishing in 10 Ideas, hosting policy workshops, and helping organize with other DC region chapters. Since then, he has been active in the alumni network, helped host virtual events, and attended Hyde Park several times.

Akshita Kannan (she/her) is a sophomore at NYU studying Economics and Data Science with a minor in public policy. She is originally from North Royalton, Ohio. She joined the Forge Fellowship and Roosevelt Network in June 2024. She has always had an interest in the intersection of policy and economics, and hopes to pursue a career that explores this intersection.

Colin Street (He/Him) is a sophomore at West Virginia University majoring in Political Science, Environmental & Energy Resources Management, and Multidisciplinary Studies (Rural Community Development, Data Science, History). On campus, he partnered with the WVU Law School to preform a solar feasibility study of the university’s facilities, and is now using that data to mobilize students, faculty, and alumni to push for WVU to invest in roof top solar. His interests in using the energy transition to develop rural communities has landed him positions with justice-focused organizations, EPA Mid-Atlantic, and the Untied States Senate. As a Forge Fellow with the Roosevelt Network, he worked on a team that investigated the efficacy of policy solutions designed to expand public power through government financing of community solar projects. Looking forward, Colin plans to work in the nonprofit sector and state government to continue advocating for a just energy transition in West Virginia.

Alexia Nastasia (she/her), is from a family of first generation immigrants from Romania in Eastern Europe to the United States, and her family currently resides in the Saint Louis metropolitan area which is situated at the intersection of Missouri and Illinois and at the confluence of the Mississippi and Missouri rivers. In Saint Louis, she earned the International Baccalaureate diploma as well as the Seal of Biliteracy for Romanian, French, and Spanish, and was an apprentice for the Teens Make History program of the Missouri Historical Society for over three years as well as a summer intern for the United Way through the Bank of America Student Leaders Program in 2022. During the 2022-23 school year, Alexia took a gap year to live and learn in Dakar, Senegal as a participant in the U.S. Department of State’s Kennedy-Lugar YES Abroad Program.

Aana Shenai (she/her/hers) is a Sophomore at Loyola University Chicago studying Environmental Science who is passionate about environmental activism, progressive policy, and research. Working as a camp counselor at a local farm’s summer camp sparked Aana’s passion for environmental advocacy. She hopes to use her STEM background to bridge the gap between scientists and policymakers. She also believes that collective action through enacting policy is the best way to create sustainable systemic change. After college, Aana hopes to have a career in public service that connects research with policy. Aana was a part of the 2024 Forge Fellowship Cohort on the Climate Justice Team. With her group, she created and presented a critique of a policy brief focused on energy democracy.

Team Members: 

• Colin Street, West Virginia University 
• Andy Zhang, University of Connecticut
• Aana Shenai, Loyola University Chicago
• Alexia Nastasia, Boston University

Team Members: 

• Olu Rouse, North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University 
• Akhsita Kannan, New York University 
• Melanie Cabrero, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill