#BootCamp6: Meet this year's class

Emily Achler is an experienced digital and social media strategists, formerly with Ogilvy Public Relations and PBS KIDS. Now she works as a digital strategist for a new gun violence prevention group called Fire Back at Gun Violence. Originally from Chicago, she now lives in Washington DC where she likes to attend concerts & dance parties, write movie reviews, and embrace her inner history buff. 

Follow Emily: @ea_sportz

Myeashea Alexander: I specialize in what I call anthro-media. I merge the disciplines of anthropology, culture and media studies and tech to create contextual design and multimedia works. Flexibility, creativity and a sense humor are traits that I value greatly. I believe nothing is impossible, but perhaps improbable. Follow Myeashea: @afrowonderland

Caroline Anderson: Originally from New Jersey, I went to Bryn Mawr College for my undergrad, and moved to DC five years ago to work for the Friends Committee on National Legislation. After two years there I went to GWU and got my Masters in Media and Public Affairs, and now I work at a small nonprofit called Peace X Peace. I also love going to the theater, doing yoga, running, and baking bread! Follow Caroline: @caroanderso

Lee Anderson: I am a native New Yorker living and working in Washington D.C. as a new media professional. In my spare time I am heavily involved in DC's local music scene as both a blogger and a vocalist. I am super excited to be attending! Follow Lee: @lee_anderson

Ruby Bolaria started her organizer career working on the Obama For American campaign in 2008 in San Francisco. After the campaign she went to Boston to work as a campaign organizer for Corporate Accountability International. She recently moved to NYC and is loving exploring the city but is still a bay area girl at heart! Follow Ruby: @ruby_bee

Michael Bouldin was born in California in 1970 – actually, hatched from an egg – and spent the next twenty years of his life hopping across the globe, wherever America saw fit to station troops for some inexplicable reason. In what was likely a fit of absent-mindedness, he acquired a Masters in Communications, Political Science and Comparative Literature from the University of Mainz in West Germany, probably because it was roughly equidistant to the clubs of Paris, London and Berlin. Along the way, he modeled, tended bar, wrote copy, ran an ad agency, got bored, and moved to New York City. He remains there today, making a living as a wordsmith and creative brain, all the while making sure nobody ever sees that portrait in the attic. Follow Michael: @MichaelBouldin

Kevin Call helps progressive non-profits produce excellent traditional and new media content. To the best of his knowledge, The Raben Group withholds his DC payroll taxes.

Laura Cockram: I am head of campaigns at the largest civil and public service trade union in the UK. I enjoy my job and the people I get to meet through work. I also enjoy watching movies, meeting new people and travelling. Follow Laura: @lozzaram

Vanessa Cordova: Wee policy advocate by day, ginormous news junkie by night; former press officer and spokeswoman for two San Francisco Bay Area counties following a three state stint working field for Hillary for President; launched a rewarding public affairs and government relations career securing land-use entitlements for complex urban redevelopment projects throughout California; fledgling trail runner, aspiring trailblazer; tenacious and committed citizen of the world. Follow Vanessa: @runnessierun

Alesha Daughtrey works at the Center for Teaching Quality, a national teacher leadership organization based in NC. She helps virtual communities of teachers develop the skills and knowledge they need to lead their profession and transform public education. She's a foodie, gardener, basketball fan, and "household staff" for a 17 pound tabby.Follow Alesha: @aleshadaughtrey

Matt Denner is a political organizer and community activist from Ames, Iowa. A veteran of advocacy and political campaigns, including President Obama's Iowa team, Denner has served as a field organizer, fundraiser, and ad-hoc tech director. In 2003, he ran for a city council seat while attending Iowa State University as an undergrad. Outside of organizing, Matt is an avid supporter of the arts, has canoed 83 miles of rapids on the Rio Grande, is a fierce competitor in his local trivia league, and is the only person he knows whom has actually slipped on a banana peel. Matt currently lives in Des Moines and looks forward to helping build a more just and democratic Iowa.

Zach Dryden: Originally from Florida, Zach has been living and working in the Washington, DC area for about 3 years. By day, he works for Young People For, managing a fellowship program for college activists and organizers. Zach is interested in queer, feminist, and anti-oppression activism and organizing. He lives in the Mt. Pleasant neighborhood with his grumpy cat.Follow Zach: @zdry

Kelly Fitzpatrick: I am a recent graduate of Miami University (Ohio) and grew up in Sandusky, Ohio. I moved out to the D.C. Metro area back in May and was bit by the campaign bug in September when I joined a state Delegate race in VA.

Claudia Friedetzky: In 2007, I founded a neighborhood climate action group in Brooklyn, NY. Based on that experience, I wanted to work on environmental issues full-time. Since 2011, I have been working as the Conservation Representative on water protection for the Maryland Chapter of the Sierra Club.

Tara Gibson is an Obama 08 alum, a West Wing addict, and mom to the best dog ever- Roxy! Originally from Lancaster, PA, I've been living in Richmond, VA for the last 8 years. Follow Tara: @TaraGibsonVA

George Graham: Military brat here who has been living in DC for the past 6 years. Came for Undergrad at Howard U where I studied Communication and Culture. Working now for a small nonprofit as Development and Communicattions Associate managing all fundraising and social media activities. Follow George: @ant_off_da_rcrd

Mark Hefflinger is a Los Angeles-based writer, photographer and activist who has written about technology and the digital media industry, music, politics and LGBT civil lefts. Mark got his start in electoral work with the storied No on Prop. 8 campaign in 2008, and since then has worked with organizations including Vote for Equality.

Colleen Hodgetts is a media activist and fair trade food enthusiast based in San Francisco. She has proudly worked with online feminist media campaigns, survivors of domestic violence, international labor lefts organizations, and students of all age groups. Before graduating from Georgetown University, she attended NYU’s Tisch School for the Arts, so you are just as likely to find her singing and dancing as protesting.Follow Colleen: @colleenhodgetts

Joy Horowitz: Worked on the '08 Obama campaign, having taken a year off from my journalism gigs to do so. I'm a former staff writer for the Los Angeles Times and my work has been published in the New York Times, Time, the New Yorker and most recently, Sierra Magazine. I've published two books -- a memoir and environmental investigation into a cancer cluster -- and graduated from Harvard and Yale Law School. Also mother of three grown kids (my techie gurus) and one doggie, avid hiker, yoga lover and cook. Married to my college sweetheart for 35 (arggh!) years. Time to kick some ass politically, so I look forward to organizing in 2012 and developing my online chops. Follow Joy: @joyhorowitz

Melissa Josephs has been the Director of Equal Opportunity Policy at Women Employed in Chicago for 22 years. Follow Melissa: @sororal2

Christina Jutting: I am an adventure-loving-married-Arizona-native-vegan who has worked with coffee and people for years. I graduated with two degrees in Public Relations and Sociology from Arizona State University. I am eager to dice into New Media for many reasons but most importantly to continue my work with human lefts and environmental lefts.Follow Christina: @cjutting1

Seth Kaye is another NOVA kid living in DC, Seth is a soon-to-be-recent grad of the University of Virginia (which he can only be so proud of because they still don't pay a living wage. #activistproblems). He is a self-styled fierce advocate for LGBTQ equality and spends most of his day behind a screen. Seth uses #hashtags on #facebook, kvetches a lot, and totes hearts abbrvs to the dismay of his friends.Follow Seth: @Sethekaye

Ben Kidd: I have been traveling the country working on various campaigns since 2008. Most recently I worked for the Democratic Party of Wisconsin. Follow Ben: @CaptainKidd

Will Klatt: I'm a labor and community organizer, based of out of Columbus Ohio. I'm currently the state director of the Ohio Student Association, and have been involved in the student power movement for the last 10 years.

Sean Lathrop is a small town guy, born and raised in Northern Minnesota who now lives in Saint Paul, MN. Sean has been an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) for eleven years and has been a police officer for five years. With that background he is very focused on basic human lefts as well as the treatment provided to the mental health community. Due to personal history, he is extremely interested in workplace discrimination in regards to the LGBT community. He currently enjoys training and spending time with his five year old yellow lab.

Ash Lauth is Energy Action Coalition’s Tar Sands Campaign Organizer. Before joining EAC, Ash was the Oil and Gas Organizer in Bismarck, North Dakota fighting hydraulic fracturing, land exploitation by oil corporations, and the Keystone I tar sands pipeline.Before North Dakota, Ash was part of the rigorous training program Green Corps in 2010, and is currently working on her Master’s in Environmental Studies at Prescott College. Ash loves the outdoors and being involved in the community. She’s a four time NCAA Division III National Championship rower, skilled climber, and daredevil skier. Ash is a master costume maker and a crazy-good dancer. She’s also an aspiring trick roper (otherwise known as lasso-ing) and can hog tie you in 9 sec flat, no lie.Follow Ash: @rawhideroper

Camden Lee is currently a Digital Strategist at New Partners Consulting Firm, a progressive political consulting firm. At New Partners, he focuses on digital media, social networking, gyraphic design, and online advertising. Prior to New Partners, he interned in the Office of Congressional and Intergovernmental Affairs at the United States Department of Labor tracking legislation and preparing information for congressional testimonies. While he was in college, he was a community organizer for the Maryland DREAM Youth Committee. Camden has also worked on Asian American and Pacific Islander issues at OCA and the Asian American Justice Center, specifically focused on immigration and youth empowerment. Camden is a graduate from the University of Maryland with a degree in American Studies.Follow Camden: @camdenlee

Leanne Link is the communications assistant at the Center for Teaching Quality (CTQ), a national education nonprofit located in Carrboro, North Carolina. There, she works on social media, blogging, and media outreach. She previously worked in the publishing industry in New York City, then moved to DC to get her M.A. in English at Georgetown. Originally from Buffalo, Leanne spends her free time enjoying the sunny North Carolina weather, traveling, and reading any book she can get her hands on.Follow Leanne: @ll_ink

Tom Lotito: I'm that fun combination of activist and nerd. I've been active in the LGBTQ community on topics like workplace discrimination, intimate partner violence, and lobbying representatives. Looking forward to working with everyone at BootCamp!Follow Tom: @tmlotito

Heather Martens: I have been executive director at Protect Minnesota since 2009, and I have been lobbying on gun violence issues since 2003. My previous careers include daily newspaper reporter/editor,elementary and middle school teacher, and market researcher. On the side I've served as state house campaign manager and neighborhood board member/activist. I live in Minneapolis with my husband and two daughters, 12 and 15.Follow Heather: @protectMN

Justin McAffee is an associate at the Ramirez Group, a PR firm in Las Vegas, Nevada. Justin is also the publisher of several blogs, including The Nevada View and GOPStupidity.com. Follow Justin: @McAffee

Eric Ming is an organizer from Wisconsin who bleeds green and gold. Previously worked as an organizer for Russ Feingold's Senate campaign in 2010 and on the Wisconsin recalls last year. Follow Eric: @ericming5

Tuan N'Gai: I'm an Author, Publisher, Activist and Social Justice Minister. More notably, I am the founder of Operation: REBIRTH, an organization dedicated to ending religious abuse and oppression of all marginalized people. I currently live in Las Vegas, NV. Follow Tuan: @tuanngai

Lance Orchid: I'm a progressive organizer working in the gun violence prevention movement. In my role I work with state level gun violence prevention organizations to help them improve their strategies for capacity building through grassroots organizing, media outreach, and new media. Follow Lance: @lanceorchid

Marly Pierre-Louis is a Brooklyn based activist and is currently the Communications Organizer for Brooklyn Movement Center. She is a graduate student in Urban Planning at Hunter College in NYC and is the proud mama to a 6 month old baby boy. Follow Marly: @MOPLX

Ana Polanco: I'm living at the intersection of organizing, current events, culture, lefts and the sweet things in life. I think I'm seriously dating Brooklyn but Madrid is looking good. But my true love is yoga.

Nora Rasman: white queer young woman committed to justice, love and change. experience working with domestic and international NGOs as well as on the Hill; interested in creating a different collective vision through identity development, arts and organizing.

Meghana Reddy - born & raised in Southern California, long time resident of the Bay Area, and now hopelessly trapped in NYC. Have spent most of my formative years labor & coalition organizing with USSA, SEIU, and Jobs with Justice, made the horrendous mistake of going to law school, and, after spending a year opening up the Washington, D.C. office for the worker center, ROC United, have decided to switch it up and try out communications. I also love the art of papier mache. Follow Meghana @rocunited

Mike Rispoli is the Campaign and Media Strategist for Accessnow.org, an international NGO that promotes open access to the internet as a means to free, full and safe participation in society and the realization of human lefts. Before joining Access, Mike worked as a political reporter and newspaper editor in New Jersey, and also worked in business development for startups in NYC.Follow Mike: @accessnow

Maria Roach: A frustrated journalist who took to social media to keep real issues in the foreground. I've been in the business a long time, but feel I learn something new every day. Ed Bradley was my role model and I had the distinct pleasure to work with him -- heaven! Follow Maria: @riaro

Carmen Robinson is a community accountable scholar activist educator seeking soulmates/teammates/comrades interested in making life more enjoyable for more people and spreading opportunity like wildfire. She's doing some digital work for a wonderful org called HIPS. Please follow us @HIPSDC. Please like us too: http://www.facebook.com/pages/HIPS/165509978872Follow Carmen: @do_gooder

Tracy Rohrbach is originally from the northern suburbs of Chicago and currently resides in southeastern Wisconsin. She started working in New Media on the Gianoulias for Senate campaign in Illinois as an intern. She is currently the New Media Director for Rob Zerban who is the Democratic challenger to Rep. Paul Ryan in Wisconsin's 1st congressional district.Follow Tracy: @WI_1Dem

Michael Saldarriaga is an Orlando, FL, native, and a recent grad of Boston College. He worked previously as the Marketing & Partnership Fellow at Voto Latino, and currently works as the New Media Assistant for Reform Immigration FOR America and the Campaign for Community Change. Follow Michael at @MSaldy

Nichole Sessego: Nichole is coming from Arizona, she got her first taste of new media last year while interning at the DOJ. This is her second time around with NOI, and is very excited to be doing BootCamp! Follow Nichole: @MsSessegs

Joy Spencer is an HIV Educationist/Activist recently turned digital food marketing & youth project director. I'm finding my way through a new field and educating as I learn about the impact of targeted marketing on the food choice environment of youth as they live their lives online. Follow Joy: @joyful9802

Lizzy Stephan is from Warwick, New York and now lives in Denver, Colorado working as a Public Interest Fellow at the Bell Policy Center. She recently graduated with a degree in Sociology from Colorado College, where she worked on a variety of sustainability, endowment, and ballot-related issues. When she’s not working or trying to beat her Google Reader’s unread count, she likes to hang out with her friends, cook veggie food, run, and snowboard.  Follow Lizzy: @lizzystephan

Bridget Todd: I teach courses on writing, social justice, and activism and Howard University and work as an organizing fellow at the Sunlight Foundation.

Loryn Wilson is a blogger living in Los Angeles California. She spent ten years in Washington DC doing communications for non profit and for profit clients. She enjoys Mad Men, basketball, music, and cooking.Follow Loryn: @Loryn24