Meet the Team
ranen miao (he/him)
co-founder
Ranen graduated with his Bachelor’s in Political Science, Sociology, and Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies from Washington University in St. Louis in 2023. He has interned across multiple government agencies, non-profits, and campaigns, including two Congressional offices, the EEOC, the ACLU national and Missouri branches, and Pro Choice Missouri. Currently serving as a public interest paralegal, Ranen is passionate about protecting democracy, civil and human rights, and equity for all. He is proudly a Point Scholar, Prism Scholar, and Truman Scholar.
isaac james (he/him)
co-founder
Isaac James graduated from the University of Texas at Austin in May 2022 with majors in Government and Plan II Honors and a minor in LGBTQ+ Studies. After graduation, Isaac worked in New York City as a Coro Fellow in Public Affairs and served as a White House Intern in the Biden-Harris Administration. Currently studying at the University of Oxford on a Rhodes Scholarship, Isaac is reading for a Master of Studies in Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies and a Master of Public Policy to become a more effective advocate for LGBTQIA+ communities at the intersection of policy and politics.
jenna smith (she/her)
director of programming
Jenna is a Robertson Scholar at Duke University and the University of North Carolina Chapel-Hill. A passionate advocate for criminal justice reform, she serves as the President of the Duke Justice Project, a facilitator of Restorative Justice Durham, and teaches a for-credit course at Duke University entitled Faces of Durham Re-Entry. Deeply focused on uplifting the LGBTQ+ community, she serves as the founder of the LGBT History Project and the Programming Director for OutVote. She has worked as a reporter for the Chicago Tribune, a documentary intern in the Mississippi Delta, and a research assistant for the Durham Black Burial Grounds Collaboratory. She has been honored as a Point Scholar, Vital Voices Visionaries Fellow, and an Eva Clayton Fellow by the North Carolina Democratic Party.
jo lew (they/them)
director of coalitions and outreach
Jo (they/them) is an incoming Human Rights Studies M.A. candidate at Columbia University and a queer, API activist with experience in campus and community organizing in Texas. As a Southern Methodist University (SMU) graduate with degrees in human rights, political science, and public policy, Jo has dedicated their life to advocacy work and activism through work and education. They served in multiple leadership positions at SMU and created the “Queer Qollective”, a collection of projects aimed at increasing the well-being of LGBTQIA+ students, including housing, recordkeeping, and infrastructure policy. Additionally, Jo created and led organizations for SMU's BIPOC and first-generation communities to increase sense of belonging for all students on campus, especially those who were historically underrepresented across the university. With a strong background in community building and activism, Jo is inspired to build bridges across communities and create a stronger, unified platform that advocates for all marginalized peoples.
camille serrano (she/they)
director of communications
Camille (she/they) is a queer woman of color with a background working in advocacy nonprofits and political campaigns. During the 2022 election, Camille assisted in social media for Beto O’Rourke and digital fundraising for Lina Hidalgo. Before working as a communications operative, Camille attended Fullerton College and transferred on a full-ride scholarship to the University of California, Los Angeles. Currently, Camille is obtaining her Masters in Communication at Johns Hopkins University. As a proud queer Korean Pilipina, Camille is a firm believer in utilizing the digital space to mobilize and empower on the path to social change.
armando montero (he/him)
director of strategy and development
Armando Montero is a recent graduate of Barrett, the Honors College at ASU with degrees in Political Science, Economics, and Mathematics (Statistics) and now works as a Senior Planning Analyst in the Office of the Senior Vice President for Educational Outreach and Student Services. In 2020, Armando was elected to the Tempe Union High School District Governing Board where he graduated in 2019, becoming the youngest person to sit on the board in district history at 19 years old and currently serves as the President for the second consecutive year after service as Vice President in 2022. As a result of his leadership on the Board, he was elected to represent Maricopa County on the Board of Directors of the Arizona School Boards Association for 2023 and 2024. In 2022, Armando was selected as 1 of 58 students across the nation, representing Arizona, as a Truman Scholar—the living memorial to President Harry S. Truman based on a commitment to a career in public service, leadership potential, and outstanding academic achievement. Armando also works as an Affiliate Post-baccalaureate Fellow with the American Council on Education after interning with them in Washington, D.C. Previously, he has worked on legislative and organizing work with several local and statewide organizations including the Arizona Students’ Association, Arizona AFL-CIO, March for Our Lives AZ, and other local and statewide campaigns as well as a Policy Analyst in the Office of University Affairs at ASU while a student.