Jackie Ramos-Draper is a Research and Policy Analyst at the Early Learning Study at Harvard, where she studies policies to create robust and equitable early education and care systems. She has an Ed.M. in Education Policy from Harvard Graduate School of Education, where she worked on Rhode Island’s 2021 Market Rate Study to inform child-care subsidy rates, and interned as a Research Associate at the American Institutes for Research. Before graduate school, she was a public high school English teacher. Jackie has also worked as staff at the Boston College Women’s Center, and interned with the Women’s Center of Jacksonville and the Women’s Opportunity Center in southern New Jersey.

Rayna Hill (she/her) is a policy advocate and researcher with more than a decade of experience working in grassroots community organizing. She is passionate about creating policy that is informed by marginalized community members with lived experience, and ensuring that elected officials are working to serve and uplift their communities. Rayna graduated from Simmons University with a Master of Public Policy degree, as well as an M.A. in Gender & Cultural Studies.

Nazia Ashraful (she/hers) is a committed advocate and organizer for minority populations and women’s rights. She is the former Director of Government Affairs at the Council on American-Islamic Relations, Massachusetts. At CAIR-MA, she built the first-ever politically focused department to serve the Massachusetts Muslim community. Nazia holds a Masters of Public Health, specializing in Reproductive Justice. She is currently pursuing a Doctorate of Health Sciences degree, focusing on the development of public health curriculum. Nazia believes her true purpose is to pass the mic (and cape!) to marginalized individuals and communities.

Kristine Acevedo is a native New Yorker, first generation Latina, who went to Penn State for a Bachelor’s degree, became an activist & has lived in Boston for almost 20 years. She has been fighting for animal rights, womens’ rights, & environmental justice for over 20 years. Kristine volunteers for many organizations such as Last Hope K9, helped elect Julia Mejia to the Boston city council (by one vote) & is on the Boston Urban Tree Community Advisory Board. In her free time she enjoys reading non-fiction, is a huge baseball fan & a major chocoholic.

Kat Cline is the Associate Director of Massachusetts Women’s Political Caucus. Prior to joining the MWPC, she served as the Congressional campaign manager to Ihssane Leckey in the competitive 2020 CD-4 race. During Shannon Liss-Riordan’s Senate campaign, she was Political and Operations Director. In Cline’s first race, she managed State Senator Becca Rausch’s winning campaign against a four-term incumbent. A graduate of Simmons University, Cline has also been a Barbara Lee Family Foundation Fellow.

Sasha Goodfriend is a community organizer, curating feminist & queer experiences through partnerships with statewide government, community organizations & creatives alike. She works to advance this mission through her roles as Executive Director of the Massachusetts Chapter of the National Organization for Women (Mass NOW), Chair of the Menstruation to Menopause content stream of Our Bodies Ourselves Today, board member with the Transgender Emergency Fund and member of Massachusetts Commission on LGBTQ Youth. Sasha graduated with a B.A. from the Pardee School of Global Studies at Boston University majoring in International Relations with a minor in Women, Gender & Sexuality studies and received her Masters in Public Policy from Simmons University.

Jessica Taddeo (she/her/hers) is a resident of Medford, Massachusetts. She graduated Summa Cum Laude in May of 2023, earning a dual Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Philosophy with a minor in Dance from Roger Williams University. She currently works as a Community Organizer and Campaign Strategist for Our Revolution Medford, working to build a progressive grassroots movement and supporting candidates for City Council and School Committee. In addition, she is a member of On-Stage Dance Company focusing on Modern, Contemporary, and Jazz. During her time at Roger Williams University, Jessica led the College Democrats chapter at RWU, applying an intersectional, interdisciplinary approach to politics and organizing, working at the state, local, and federal levels to bring students’ voices into the political and policy conversations. She worked with faculty, other student organizations, and the Rhode Island community while maintaining a focus on anti-racist, feminist pedagogy to build diverse coalitions on and off campus. While earning her degree, she served as the Field Coordinator at the National Organization for Women, the largest and oldest feminist organization in the country. The most formative part of her education has been her passion for movement. Using dance as a medium for politics, protest, and philosophical inquiry, she seeks inspiration from metaphysical and existential texts, working with themes of identity, humanity community, and autonomy. She uses her lived experience as a dancer to inform all aspects of her life to connect with communities she seeks to bring positive change to.

Naitasia Hensey (she/her) radiates warmth and dedication as a civically engaged and socially conscious attorney. Her exceptional skills in negotiations and client advisement stem from her ability to discern the true desires of all parties involved, making her a standout in the legal realm. In her role as counsel, Naitasia goes above and beyond, skillfully navigating contract negotiations and providing invaluable legal advice to mitigate risks effectively. Her commitment to excellence shines through in every aspect of her work.

Beyond her legal prowess, Naitasia wears multiple hats as the President of Mass NOW, where she passionately dedicates her time to educating others on intersectional feminist issues and championing policies that reflect the diverse needs of women, transgender, and non-binary persons. Her commitment to gender equality extends even further as the creative force behind the podcast “Women of Color: Legal Diaries,” where she amplifies the voices and stories of women of color in the legal profession.