• Press Release

EMILYs List Announces its Inaugural Class of the Ignite Change Fellowship

July 29, 2020

For Immediate Release
July 29, 2020

EMILYs List Announces its Inaugural Class of the Ignite Change Fellowship 

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, EMILYs List the nation’s largest resource for women in politics, announced its inaugural class of the Ignite Change Fellowship. Stephanie Schriock, president of EMILYs List, released the following statement: 

“Every day women are stepping up to lead, and these community activists stand out for their commitment to serving the communities that often go unheard. From across 16 different states and DC, they represent the next generation of progress that will be made when people from diverse backgrounds have a seat at the table. EMILYs List is proud to select them for our inaugural class of Ignite Change fellows, and we look forward to seeing what bright futures they have ahead.”

 The following people will participate in the inaugural Ignite Change Fellowship cohort:

Asha Larson-Baldwin, SC
Bre Maxwell, SC
Chelsea De Jesus, NY
Cheyenne Green, OK
Christina Watkins, CA
Destiny Cox, DC
Guneez Ibrahim, TX
Hang Ngo, MA
Iman Ali, KY
Jacqueline Perez Valencia, CA
Janay Hawthorne, PA
Jasmine Ortiz, MA
Jessica Elliott, NY
Kathryn Vanway, WV
Kimberly Toots, AR
Kimberley Egonmwan, IL
Laura Kilbury, IL
Luz Martínez, DC
Michelle Billie, MD
Miriam Ochoa-Garibay, CA
Nicole Hemenway Bratz, WA
Ninna Diaz, NV
Nora Olabi, TX
Philisea Matthews, SC
Raie Gessesse, MN
Samantha Montano, MA
Sianna Boschetti, DC
Tajahnae Stocker, KS
Tatiana Munoz, IL

The Ignite Change Fellowship is a nine-week virtual initiative to train women and non-binary community leaders and advocates to prepare them for a future run for office. This virtual opportunity will give fellows the tools they need to turn their passion for community activism into change using political power.

EMILYs List, the nation’s largest resource for women in politics, has raised over $600 million to elect pro-choice Democratic women candidates. With a grassroots community of over five million members, EMILY's List helps Democratic women win competitive campaigns – across the country and up and down the ballot – by recruiting and training candidates, supporting strong campaigns, researching the issues that impact women and families, and turning out women voters to the polls. Since our founding in 1985, we have helped elect 150 women to the House, 26 to the Senate, 16 governors, and nearly 1,100 women to state and local office. Nearly 40 percent of the candidates EMILYs List has helped elect to Congress have been women of color. During the historic 2017-2018 cycle, EMILYs List raised a record-breaking $110 million and launched a record independent expenditure campaign. We helped elect 34 new women to the House, including 24 red-to-blue victories; enough seats to have delivered the U.S. House majority alone. Since the 2016 election, more than 55,000 women have reached out to EMILY's List about running for office laying the groundwork for the next decade of candidates for local, state and national offices.