YVote is led by an intergenerational team of high school students, college students, and adult allies.
YVote programs bring together NYC teens across divides—political, racial, gender, religious, ideological, geographical—for a common purpose: building a community of changemakers to create a better democracy and society.
Executive Director
Randy (he/him) brings over a decade of experience in programming, youth development, and nonprofit leadership, having worked with a host of organizations dedicated to empowering young people, including the YWCA of the City of New York, Oliver Scholars, and Morningside Center for Teaching Social Responsibility. He has held roles ranging from teacher and dean to multi-site director, overseeing academic advising for over 600 high school scholars and managing mentoring, study abroad, and counseling programs. A certified facilitator for the American Lung Association, Randy has led workshops to help individuals quit smoking and honed his leadership skills through the CRE High Performing Managers Initiative. As a consultant, he has supported organizations in program development, curriculum design, and leadership training. A POSSE Scholar and lifelong learner, Randy holds a Bachelor of Arts from Wheaton College, MA, and a Master of Science in Curriculum Development and Instructional Technology from SUNY Albany. In his free time, he enjoys traveling—having visited all 50 U.S. states—staying engaged in politics, and spending time with his family and dog, Pac.
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Program Director
Chris-Ann Barnett (she/her) graduated cum laude from New York University with a B.A. in Politics and Sociology and is a founding member of YVote. She is passionate about the intersections of identity, advocacy, and political engagement and approaches political engagement from a people-first ideology. During her undergraduate career she completed research on the social interactions of Black students attending predominantly white institutions which became her thesis “Racial Socialization and Spatial Awareness in Black Students”. Her research and passions have informed how she approaches activism and organizing as she emphasizes the need for minority voices and representation across all industries.
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Director of Development & Communications
Matt Hernandez is a social impact strategist and political campaign veteran. He earned undergraduate degrees in law and political science and moved to New York City after spending years organizing in his home state of Arizona. As a social impact strategist, Matt conducted research at the intersection of young people, social movements, and culture and used his findings to develop insights-driven solutions to address various organizational objectives. As a former civically-engaged young person, Matt believes in the power of emboldening new generations to take an active role in shaping a democratic ecosystem that reflects the ideals, desires, and needs of an equitable society. Aside from keeping up to date with current events, Matt enjoys discovering new music and movies, spending time near bodies of water, and finding good deals at vintage shops across the city.
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Civic Engagement Manager
Faith Vieira is a dedicated advocate for social justice and equity with over seven years of experience with YVote. As a summa cum laude graduate from Long Island University, Faith holds a Master's degree in Public Administration, specializing in Health Administration. Her academic and professional background has fueled her passion for health equity, believing firmly in the power of youth to enact meaningful change. Faith's advocacy extends beyond traditional boundaries, as she champions health justice and civic engagement. She is deeply committed to creating impactful, inclusive initiatives that address systemic inequalities and empower marginalized communities. Faith's work is rooted in the belief that every individual has the potential to be a catalyst for positive transformation, and she strives to inspire others to take action and make a difference in their communities.
Finance Associate
Walter brings a decade of charter school operational excellence experience coupled with over fifteen years of combined experience in youth development and hospitality to YVote. He is adamant that marginalized youth have the right to an excellent education and resources that will prepare them to pursue their dreams, exploit their talents, and live their lives to its full potential. In short, young people's success is his passion and it brings him great joy to be a positive influence on their life journey. He earned his B.A. in English from Johnson C. Smith University and a Master's Degree in Public Administration from Baruch College Marxe School of Public and International Affairs. In his spare time, he loves spending time with his family and exploring military and African American history.
Facilitator
I became involved in the summer of 2023 because I was interested in politics and civic engagement and wanted to meet other like-minded young people. I’m passionate about immigration Justice, educational equality, environmental justice. My favorite YVote memory is our day of action in the ChangeMakers 2023 summer session where a representative from the NYIC spoke with us about immigration justice and rights. I’m excited to mentor and learn from others about issues related to civic engagement and politics. I’m also excited to meet new people and enhance my public speaking skills.
Facilitator
I became involved with YVote last fall, and have loved it ever since! I’m very passionate about environmental justice, and love to support sustainable and environmentally-friendly practices within our communities and government. My favorite YVote memory is our first Saturday of Action from the fall, when I got to meet my home group and participate and a fascinating activity from the People’s Money. As for the summer, I’m really excited to get to know everybody on the YVote team better and also improve my own civic literacy.
Facilitator
I got involved with YVote in the summer of 2022 because I wanted to get to know other civically involved students. I’m super passionate about election reform, reproductive justice, and environmental issues. My favorite YVote tradition is our yearly holiday party, when we get to interact with YVote alumni. I’m excited to get to know the new participants this summer :).
Facilitator
I got involved with YVote in the summer of 2023 through Democracy Camp, and then have been engaged throughout this school year with Changemakers and the NYC Youth Agenda. I joined YVote because as a young person, I wanted a platform to be civically and politically engaged, and I wanted to learn how to create tangible change within my community. I am especially passionate about educational equity and mental health, issues I’ve been able to explore through my participation this past year. My favorite YVote memory was definitely the Holiday Party last winter! I’m super excited to connect with new and familiar YVoters alike this summer :).
Facilitator
Hiii! I got involved with YVote during the summer of my Junior Year, dragged by a friend, now an alumni, who wanted to encourage her friends to become active in their community. From the very first Summer Changemakers meeting I attended, I’ve loved working with YVote, and I’ve loved how passionate everyone was, about the topics that surround us nearly everywhere we turn. Some of the issues I’m passionate about are mental health and income inequality. My favorite YVote memory to date has been the Holiday Party that we had during one of our Days of Actions! I’m so excited to talk on and on with my peers, both old and new!
Facilitator
Hello, my name is Francisca and I joined YVote in the summer 2023. Since I joined I have learned a lot of things about civil engineering and how to become a successful advocate. Also, my public speaking has gotten better and I am also proud of myself because public speaking is something that I used to suffer from but now I'm getting better and better all thanks to YVote. I’m so excited to be a facilitator because that will help me get better at public speaking.
Facilitator
I got involved with YVote Summer 2021 because I was searching for a community where I could further educate myself on civic engagement and meet other students who are passionate about getting involved in youth advocacy. I am passionate about Education equity & healthcare ethic. My favorite YVote memory was Co-organizing the YVote Haunted House of Democracy in 2022. This summer I am the most excited about meeting a new group of youth and hearing the social issues that have brought them to take this step and join YVote. I am looking forward to fostering a diverse, welcoming community!
Facilitator
I have been involved with our programming since fall of 2020, starting with the Civic Fellowship and later joining YVote as a facilitator during summer of 2021. I knew I had always had an interest in politics, but YVote helped me hone in on specific passions such as criminal justice reform and education equity, and provided me with tools/strategies to deeply engage with civics and mobilize others. While I joined YVote for the programming, the people at YVote are truly what made me stay; through this organization, I formed many meaningful friendships and met some of the most impactful mentors in my life to date. I am very excited to meet all of our new changemakers this summer and hopefully help in making their YVote experience as amazing as mine has been!
Facilitator
I have been involved at YVOTE since my sophomore year of high school. I initially joined because I was discovering my passion for politics and advocacy and wanted to be a part of an organization that centered around that. I am very passionate about voter ID laws and human rights crises around the world, which is why I’m studying government and international law in school. My favorite YVOTE memory has to be our day of action. This allowed me to get hands-on experience with the things we are learning at YVOTE and opened my eyes to the work I want to do in the future. This summer, I am excited to meet new people and make YVOTE as fun as possible, just as past facilitators did for me.
Facilitator
I got involved with YVote as a summer Changemaker in 2021. I had always been interested in politics, but I joined YVote to gain an outlet to meet like-minded peers and take action around that passion. I started as a facilitator with Democracy Camp in 2022, and I am passionate about environmental justice and economic mobility. My favorite YVote memories are the policy breakfasts we put on with the NYC Youth Agenda, a policy advocacy coalition. I’m excited to meet this fresh new cohort and take in your opinions and experiences this summer, especially in such a pivotal political year.
Facilitator
I originally got involved with YVote in January 2020, back when YVote meetings were called “Pizza and Politics Forums.” I was looking for an outlet to meet other people my age I could discuss politics with in a nonjudgemental way, rather than debating or arguing with others which felt all too prevalent in our political climate. From voter registration drives to participatory budgeting to the Youth Agenda, I’ve loved YVote because I’ve been able to connect with people from so many different backgrounds and made so many meaningful connections through this organization. I’ve worked on many issues during my time with YVote, and I’m most passionate about climate/sustainability.
Co-Founder and Executive Director, 2017-2024
Sanda is passionate about helping young people understand their individual and collective power, at and beyond the ballot box. In response to the complex times we're living in, the vulnerability of democracy being demonstrated, and the desire to support young people in being on the front lines of change, in 2017, she co-founded and directed cross-partisan youth civic engagement nonprofit YVote/ Next Generation Politics, aiming to equip leaders of tomorrow for their roles and responsibilities as citizens shaping a more just world and in July 2024, she became Executive Director of Project Pericles, a higher education non-profit committed to fostering the next generation of civic leaders through innovative curricula and faculty leadership that empower students with the skills to address society’s grand challenges. Sanda has held leadership roles in education and youth development for over 25 years, in the public sector at the New York City Department of Education, in education philanthropy at the Ford Foundation and the Goldman Sachs Foundation, and in nonprofits including Facing History and Ourselves, the Boston Private Industry Council, and The Teachers Network. Sanda is proud to serve on the founding Board of Directors of Generation Vote and The Hope Reichbach Memorial Fund and on the National Reader Advisory Board for Chalkbeat.
Co-Founder and Lead Facilitator, 2017-2021
Melody, a native New Yorker and proud graduate of NYC public schools, is deeply committed to justice and believes in young people's capacity to lead within their communities. Following the 2016 Presidential election, she collaborated with a team of educators and professionals to launch YVote, a program aimed at expanding civic participation opportunities for youth. Melody earned her B.A. in Political Science with a concentration in Education Policy and Leadership from Villanova University. Her advocacy work began at Class Size Matters, where she worked with parent and teacher activists to address issues in education such as school overcrowding. She then joined the Ya-Ya Network (YAYA), bringing her passion for youth justice as a facilitator, organizer, and eventually Director of Youth Development. At YAYA, Melody gained valuable experience training and mentoring youth leaders engaged in community-focused campaigns. She continued her nonprofit work with organizations like College Access: Research and Action before relocating to Florida in 2021 to become a Social Studies high school teacher in Broward County Public Schools.
Board of Advisors
Patrick Joseph is the Grants & Policy Manager for NYC Census 2020 — a first-of-its-kind initiative established by Mayor de Blasio to ensure a complete and accurate count in the 2020 Census. Before joining the NYC Census 2020 office, Patrick advised Borough President Brewer on education issues affecting Manhattan schools as the Senior Education Policy Analyst for the Manhattan Borough President’s Office. His policy experience and interests include the intersection of civics and education; school desegregation; school funding; culturally relevant education; and the school-to-prison pipeline. Prior to his career in policy, Patrick served as a public school teacher in New York City. Patrick holds a master’s degree in Educational Leadership, Politics and Advocacy from New York University, a master’s degree in Special Education for grades 7-12 from CUNY’s Hunter College, and a bachelor’s degree in English from Boston College.
Board of Advisors
Fiona Lin brings over 15 years of leadership experience in the education sector, primarily launching new programs and functions at high-growth, non-profit organizations. She joined Achievement Network in 2012 to scale its human capital functions, establishing a six-person team and tripling the organization’s headcount in under three years, before then launching its Org Effectiveness team, reporting on ANet’s impact in accelerating school and student success and building a team of data scientists. Prior to ANet, Fiona spent a decade working at TNTP (The New Teacher Project), first as a founding partner in its teacher certification business line, where she managed teams partnering with urban districts, higher ed institutions, and state departments of education to train and certify over 2,000 new teachers, including a third of all new teachers in post-Katrina New Orleans schools.
Board of Advisors
Laura Patterson is an Associate Partner at Promise Venture Studio. Before joining Promise, Laura worked on the Education Research and Insights and Community teams at Teachers Pay Teachers (TpT) by day, and as the Program Director to Revive the Dream Institute, a fellowship for professionals looking to make an impact in the education space, by night. Prior to joining TpT, she served at the NYC Department of Education as a Special Projects Manager for the district's Office of Innovation and Education Technology and the Analyst for the Office of Strategic Planning. She began her career at Scholastic, where she performed a variety of functions including managing the company’s book donation program. In addition to broad experience with education organizations as staff, Laura has co-organized Startup Weekend EDU and consulted with or volunteered for several local ed-based nonprofits including 100Kin10, 4.0 Schools, and the Opportunity Network. Laura received her BA in Sociology at Tufts University and her MPA in Nonprofit Management from New York University.
Board of Advisors
Michael Preston is the Executive Director of the Joan Ganz Cooney Center at Sesame Workshop, a research and innovation lab that works to advance children’s learning and development in the digital age. His work has focused on using technology to improve teaching and learning, supporting student agency and interest, and creating models for systemic change. Previously, he co-founded CSforALL, the hub for the national Computer Science for All movement, and led digital learning initiatives at the New York City Department of Education and at Columbia University. He earned a PhD in Cognitive Science in Education from Teachers College, Columbia University.
Board of Advisors
Jeanne Rotunda has had extensive experience as a school designer, leader, and coach. Over the nineteen years as principal of West Side Collaborative, MS250, she restructured and innovated a progressive school for Title 1 middle school students. Before her work at WSC, she designed, established and led the Wadleigh Alternative Arts School, a 7-12 public school in Harlem. Jeanne has focused on building collaborative school communities through developing teacher team structures and empowering teachers in multiple leadership roles. Working with a colleague, she implemented a middle school lab-site for citywide inter-visitations and was a facilitator for the NYC DOE Office of New Schools. Her schools have been widely recognized for implementing innovative programs, promoting student involvement in learning and building organizational structures.
Board of Advisors
Charles has more than 25 years of experience helping leaders of complex multi-site organizations achieve transformational results that have a social impact. Charles is author of The Education Imperative (for Leaders Working in and with Central Office): A Tool for Transforming your District Community into a Thriving Ecosystem and The Education Imperative (for Parents, Educators, and Community Members): Ensuring Your Child Thrives in School and Life. He is in the early stages of launching the K-12 System Transformation Accelerator, a technical assistance organization that strengthens the capacity of leaders and stakeholders to transform the systems supporting students in K-12 public schools. Charles has served as Vice President for Strategy, Finance & Operations with the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching; Deputy Superintendent of the Seattle Public Schools, the largest school district in the state of Washington; Program Officer for the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation; Chief Strategy Officer for the Denver Public Schools; and Assistant Superintendent for Accountability for the Duval County Public Schools.
Board of Advisors
Dr. Deidre Franklin is a counseling psychologist and dedicated advocate for under-resourced youth, with over 20 years of experience supporting their college aspirations through out-of-school programs. She currently serves as the Chief Program & Equity Officer at Oliver Scholars, where she has expanded the organization’s social-emotional and psychosocial offerings and extended its reach to support students through college. Prior to joining Oliver Scholars, Dr. Franklin served as Chief Program Officer at the YWCA of the City of New York, overseeing social justice programs for young people across the city. She also held the role of Managing Director of Youth Development and Counseling at the Harlem Educational Activities Fund (HEAF), where she designed culturally responsive curricula and counseling services for middle and high school students pursuing college access. A native New Yorker and Howard University graduate, Dr. Franklin holds a Master’s Degree from Harvard University and a Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology from Teachers College, Columbia University.
Board of Advisors, General Counsel
Syeidah McBride was born and raised in Mt. Vernon, New York. She earned her B.A. in Sociology with a minor in Business from SUNY Albany in 2011, followed by a dual MBA and JD from Union Graduate College and Albany Law School, respectively, completing both in 2016. After graduating, Dr. McBride began her teaching career as an Activity Specialist, later serving as an Education Specialist and then as an Adjunct Professor in both Criminal Justice and Business Management. She currently teaches courses including Constitutional Law, Introduction to Criminal Justice, Business Law, and Business Law for Digital Media. Outside of education, Dr. McBride is also a Celebrity Wardrobe Stylist and founder of Styled By Sy LLC, with nearly a decade of experience in the fashion industry. Her work has taken her across the globe, collaborating on editorial projects, brand campaigns, and red carpet styling for a range of clients—from public figures to everyday professionals. In 2021, she hosted her first master class, You Can Buy Experience: Sy’s Wardrobe Styling 101.
Board of Advisors
Sully Diaz (she/her) is a transformative social justice educator and strategic nonprofit leader committed to advancing equity, youth empowerment, and systems change. As Director of Program Operations at Morningside Center for Teaching Social Responsibility, she leads large-scale initiatives that integrate culturally responsive SEL, restorative practices, and racial equity into school and afterschool communities across New York City. With over a decade of experience in youth development, Sully brings a visionary yet grounded approach to operational strategy, professional development, and partnership cultivation. She has led cross-functional teams, supported educators, and designed sustainable programming that centers the voices of students, families, and school communities. Beyond her organizational leadership, Sully is a dedicated mentor and thought partner. She actively engages in community dialogue and education-centered initiatives that uplift identity, belonging, and access—especially for Black and Brown youth and historically marginalized communities. A proud native New Yorker and Posse Foundation Alumna, Sully holds a B.A. in Sociology from Middlebury College and an M.A. in Youth Studies from the CUNY School of Professional Studies. She identifies as DominiRican (of Dominican and Puerto Rican heritage) and brings both lived experience and deep commitment to justice, making her a sought-after advisor and collaborator in both grassroots and institutional spaces.
Board of Advisors
Gilbert Cruz is a strategic sales leader with over a decade of experience driving business development across the health tech and SaaS sectors. He has a proven track record of accelerating revenue growth, forging high-impact partnerships, and bringing disruptive technologies to market. Gilbert has worked closely with early-stage startups to build and scale go-to-market strategies, including his time at GoodCell, a biotechnology company, where he partnered with employers to deliver innovative genetic testing and stem cell storage solutions. As the founder of BuyFSA, he launched a platform that empowers individuals to maximize the value of their pre-tax health benefits. Currently, Gilbert leads mid-market and enterprise sales at Notion, a category-defining SaaS company transforming the way teams operate and collaborate. He earned his degree from Wheaton College (MA), where he was a POSSE Foundation Scholar.
Board of Advisors
Nathaniel Kelliehan is a social impact leader with a strong background in strategy development, partnership building, and community engagement. With over seven years of experience across human resources, philanthropy, and employee relations, he brings a deep understanding of organizational effectiveness and sustainable impact. As an advocate for underrepresented communities, Nathaniel has advised on initiatives that drive meaningful change, leveraging his expertise in project management, stakeholder collaboration, and event execution. He currently serves as Manager of Social Partnerships & Philanthropy at Ralph Lauren, where he leads efforts to advance the company’s social impact initiatives through strategic partnerships and philanthropic programming. Nathaniel holds a master’s degree in Human Resources from Temple University and is committed to fostering inclusive, purpose-driven work that expands reach and deepens community impact.