ADVOCACY DAY

March 14th at Civic Hall

• 10:30am Training by Advocacy Institute

• 12:00pm Networking Lunch

• 1:00pm Power Panels (details below)

Assemblymember Amanda Septimo

New York State Assembly District 84

Assemblymember Amanda Septimo is a lifelong Bronx resident with a long, rich history of service to the community. Her spirit of activism and community leadership began in her adolescence and can be traced through the entirety of her career. At just 12 years old, Amanda became aware of the prevailing social, economic, and environmental injustices within our community, and soon began to organize around these causes throughout the South Bronx. Playing an integral role in preventing the new jail at Oak Point, getting the Floating Pool to Barretto Point Park, and extending six bus services exposed Amanda to the power of community activism, and the power of a dedication to change.

Amanda went on to receive the prestigious Posse Scholarship, which earned her a full-tuition scholarship to Vanderbilt University. There, she remained actively involved on campus and used the skills and knowledge that she learned at home in The Bronx towards correcting the injustices within her surrounding community. After her years at Vanderbilt, Amanda brought the work of her youth full circle and went on to work with Congressman Jose 47 84th Assembly District E. Serrano as a Community Liaison, before being promoted to District Director at 23 years old.

With this expanded experience and sharpened perspective of government, Amanda went on to work with the Council of School Supervisors and Administrators (CSA) to ensure that school leaders and students have the resources they need to transform every school into a thriving learning environment. After working with CSA, Amanda Septimo fought to bring equity, justice, and true representation to the forefront in the South Bronx by running for State Assembly in the 84th Assembly District. While the campaign was ultimately unsuccessful, the experience allowed Amanda to understand the issues of the community on a granular level and develop common-sense solutions that will ultimately help the South Bronx grow. She won the seat two years later. Today, Amanda Septimo continues the fight to bring true equity in the South Bronx, so that people can get access to the resources, support, and representation they deserve.

Janet Peguero

Deputy Borough President for The Bronx

Janet A. Peguero understands firsthand the value of hard work, public service, and the importance of civic engagement as tools to support a more equitable city. An immigrant from the Dominican Republic who was raised by school aides, Janet’s passion is rooted in serving her community. Janet’s tenure in government began at the NYC Department of Small Business Services (SBS), in the Division of Business Services, where she managed the agency’s pro bono legal services and led the design of the first-of-its-kind Commercial Lease Assistance program. Later, she would serve the Bronx as the Senior Rezoning Manager, working on citywide land use projects focusing on the Bronx and Upper Manhattan. During her time at SBS, she also served as the Bronx Borough Director for Amplify Her, an organization that works to increase the number of women in elected office. 

Janet made history in January 2022 as the first immigrant woman of Dominican descent to become Deputy Borough President for the Bronx under the Gibson administration. As Deputy Borough President, she oversees multiple units, including Land Use, Community Boards, Borough Operations, Health and Human Services, Community Services and Policy. Janet has worked closely with the Bronx Economic Development Corporation and the New York Economic Development Corporation to bring resources to small business owners in the Bronx and reimagine the Kingsbridge Armory. Janet is also a strong advocate for maternal health, working with community leaders and health advocates to bring a birthing center to the Bronx to address Black maternal mortality, provide quality health care, and expand support for doulas. Deputy Borough President Janet Peguero also sits on several boards, such as the NYCEDC Board of Directors and NYC IDA/BUILD, where she influences key decisions on land use, business growth, and community benefit agreements.

Janet is a proud product of New York’s public-school education and an EOP Alumna of SUNY Binghamton, holding a BA in Latin American and Caribbean Area of Studies (LACAS) and Sociology and a 2019 fellow of the Council for Urban Professionals.

MODERATOR: Zunera Ahmed

Board Member - IGNITE National

Zunera Ahmed is a local political organizer and staffer in Brooklyn, NY. Her passion for politics was sparked while serving as a student leader and organizer at Brooklyn College, CUNY after the 2016 election. Her time on campus involved years as a leader in student government, and a member of IGNITE’s New York college council. In 2018, Zunera joined her first campaign as a field manager in the effort to win and flip New York’s 11th Congressional District. Since that successful win, Zunera has gone to manage two campaigns, City Council in 2021 and State Senate in 2022, and won both. As campaign manager, Zunera has always worked successfully to engage with voters and get out the vote in parts of southern Brooklyn that are tough purple areas. Zunera has worked as a staffer in the offices of US House of Representatives, New York State Senate; and currently serves as Deputy Chief of Staff at NYC Council. Her work in government at different levels has always serviced the residents of southern Brooklyn. She serves on the Board of IGNITE National, training young women to be more civically engaged.

ASSEMBLYMEMBER CATALINA CRUZ

New York State Assembly District 39

Assemblymember Catalina Cruz represents New York State Assembly District 39, one of the most diverse districts in the nation, encompassing the neighborhoods of Corona, Elmhurst, and Jackson Heights, as well as parts of Middle Village and Rego Park. Catalina was born in Colombia and came to Queens at the age of 9. She grew up as a DREAMer, living in the United States for more than 10 years as an undocumented American. Catalina was raised by a single mother of four children who worked long hours during the week as a nanny, cleaned offices at night, and sold tamales and empanadas at the soccer fields on the weekends. Inspired by her mother’s perseverance, Catalina has committed her career to fighting for our community to ensure our neighbors not only survive, but thrive.

Catalina is an experienced attorney with nearly 15 years of experience, as well as a leader in worker protections, the rights of survivors of sexual assault, and criminal justice reform. Prior to becoming an Assemblywoman, she served in several significant roles in city and state government. She was instrumental in the development of the landmark "Detainer Law," which safeguards the Constitutional rights of immigrants in New York City, and she contributed to the implementation of the IDNYC Program, which provides all New Yorkers, regardless of immigration status, access to identification and city services.

Since taking office in 2019, Catalina has successfully passed more than 20 new laws aimed at combating food insecurity, reducing the high cost of healthcare, protecting aging New Yorkers, and more. This includes landmark legislation like the Clean Slate Act, the Wage Theft Accountability Act, the Rape is Rape Act, Nourish New York and the Lorena Borjas TGNB initiatives. Catalina has also been a strong advocate for immigrant rights. Drawing from her own experiences as a former undocumented immigrant, she provided a powerful voice in the effort to expand driver’s license access, assisting with the passage of the Drivers License for All Act, as well as playing a pivotal role in passing the José Peralta DREAM Act, which expands access to state-administered scholarships and grants for undocumented students.

Additionally, Catalina helped lead the efforts to pass both the Child Victims Act and the Adult Survivors Act, conducting national outreach to ensure survivors of sexual abuse could seek justice, regardless of when the abuse occurred. Catalina has also helped secure billions of dollars for schools, hospitals, non-profit organizations and libraries within her district through historic state budgets and annual member allocations. Catalina lives in Jackson Heights, Queens. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree from John Jay College of Criminal Justice and a Juris Doctor from the City University of New York’s School of Law. She is admitted to practice law in the State of New York.

SASHA AHUJA

Campaign Director, New Yorkers for Equal Rights

Sasha Ahuja currently serves as Campaign Director at New Yorkers for Equal Rights. She is also an Adjunct Professor at the Columbia School of Social Work, the Graduate School of Social Work at Touro College and the Silberman School of Social Work at Hunter College. Previously, she served as the National Director for Strategic Partnerships at Planned Parenthood Federation of America and the former Chair of New York City's Equal Employment Practices Commission. Sasha is a community organizer who has worked to lead advocacy efforts and campaigns rooted in racial and gender equity. She got her start in the movement for social justice almost 15 years ago at the New York Taxi Workers Alliance. Since then, Sasha has built her career facilitating community-driven policy change in government, in the labor movement and at local and national progressive organizations. Sasha served as Deputy Director of the Policy Division at the New York City Council under former New York City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito where she helped New York City respond to a national call to action to invest in cis and Trans girls of color. At the Speaker's office, she designed and executed the New York City Young Women's Initiative (YWI), a participatory policymaking process to lift up young women and girls of color, engaging +200 advocates, senior officials across City agencies and the Mayor's Office. She holds a BA from the Macaulay Honors College at Hunter College and a MS in Social Work from Columbia University.

Beverly Neufeld

President and Founder, PowHer® New York 

Beverly Cooper Neufeld’s lifework has been dedicated to expanding opportunities for women and girls. Frustrated by the slow progress, in 2015 she launched PowHer®New York: a community working across sectors and issues to energize a movement and accelerate economic equality for women. PowHer®NY, now a Network of over 100 organizations plus dedicated individuals, is a unique model of collaboration pushing a multi-issue, pro-women, anti-racist agenda. A driving force behind New York’s policy reform on key issues including equal pay, reproductive justice, paid family leave, childcare and sexual harassment, the Network played a pivotal role in passage of the 2024 NYS Equal Rights Amendment. Neufeld leads PowHerNY's almost twenty-year Equal Pay Campaign which is influencing business policies and legislative successes like the NYC and NYS Salary History Bans and Pay Transparency Laws. She is currently a member of the NYC Commission on Gender Equity, Equal Pay Today! and the United Nations/ILO Equal Pay Initiative Coalition. As President of BCN Consulting LLC, she works with nonprofits to create change through advocacy, programming, and organizational development. Previously, as Executive Director of The White House Project, she oversaw research on women’s political leadership and helped develop SheSource and Vote, Run, Lead. Prior work for Congresswoman Nita Lowey influenced her passion for finding creative and political solutions to intransient issues.

MODERATOR: Na’ilah Amaru

Vice President of Policy, Advocacy, and Government Relations, Women Creating Change

Na’ilah Amaru is a nationally recognized advocacy and policy strategist with over 20 years of social impact experience in government and non-profit sectors. She is a fierce advocate for building grassroots governing power among underserved populations, women, and BIPoC communities. As the inaugural Vice President of Policy, Advocacy, and Government Relations at Women Creating Change, Na’ilah leads efforts to influence policy decisions advancing racial equity and gender justice. From local neighborhoods to the State House and Capitol Hill, she is a disciplined tactician who has worked tirelessly to transform ideas into action and policy. She uses her platform to strengthen engagement between communities and their government officials, ensuring constituents remain at the forefront of legislative conversations. Previously, Na’ilah held key roles in advocacy and government, including serving as policy advisor to Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed, legislative aide to U.S. Congressman John Lewis, and executive director of the NYC Council’s Black, Latino, and Asian Caucus. Her career reflects a deep commitment to addressing the needs of diverse communities through transformative public policy. A U.S. Army veteran and recipient of the Army Commendation Medal for exemplary service in Iraq, Na’ilah holds three master’s degrees in public administration, policy, and urban planning. She is currently pursuing a PhD in political science at the CUNY Graduate Center, with a research focus on political participation, coalitions, and agenda-setting.

REBECCA BAILIN

Founder & Executive Director, New Yorkers United for Child Care

Rebecca Bailin is the Founder and Executive Director of New Yorkers United for Child Care, a grassroots organization dedicated to organizing parents and would-be parents to win free child care for all children under five. A seasoned organizer and strategist, she has spent more than a decade leading complex, winnable policy campaigns that have secured billions of dollars in public funding and transformed policies for working families. Before launching New Yorkers United for Child Care, Rebecca served as Campaign Manager for the statewide Invest in Our New York campaign. She also spent eight years at Riders Alliance, where she managed grassroots organizing, coalition-building, political strategy, and press for several landmark campaigns. Rebecca has also worked in government, serving at New York City Hall in 2020 to help stop the spread of COVID-19. Later, as a Senior Advisor to State Senator Andrew Gounardes, she collaborated with coalition partners to win billions in funding for CUNY and pass critical legislation benefiting vulnerable workers. Throughout her career, Rebecca has remained committed to building power for everyday New Yorkers and advancing policies that promote economic and social justice. 

MODERATOR: Diana Franco

Vice President - Initiatives, Women.NYC

Diana Franco is Vice President of Women.NYC at the New York City Economic Development Corporation. Diana is a long-standing advocate for women's economic empowerment. A serial entrepreneur by nature, she started her career on the founding team of three successful startups: Latinred, CycleLogic, and Kactoos. Diana also is the founder of Grenout, an agency focused on helping foreign entrepreneurs launch their products and services in the U.S., and co-founder of CoreWoman, a foundation aiming to empower women professionally and economically. Diana served as the Executive Director of Women Entrepreneurs (WE NYC) at the NYC Department of Small Business Services. The City of New York has publicly recognized Ms. Franco's work with two awards, in 2019 for Excellence in Public Service and 2020 for Advancing Diversity and Inclusion.  Like many New Yorkers, Diana is an immigrant, originally from Medellín, Colombia.