Javiera Alarcon is a lifelong Montgomery County, MD resident with an undergraduate (Spring 2006) and graduate degree (Spring 2012) from the Government & Politics department at the University of Maryland, College Park. This past election cycle, among other campaigns, she worked to re-elect Council member Hans Riemer (Montgomery County At-Large), and also assisted on the official side with policy and outreach. She was previously an Assistant Director for the College Park Scholars International Studies Program. She is an enthusiast of community action at the local level but also have a strong commitment to global causes.
Nicole Barden has organizing experience with Public Citizen and the Obama campaign, and has a Masters degree in Public Policy (MPP) from the University of California-Berkeley. She was also the co-salutatorian at Spelman College, where she did her undergraduate degree in English.
Violeta Duncan received her master’s degree in urban planning from Columbia University, concentrating on participatory planning and local procurement practices in Kenya. She writes the monthly Community-Wealth.org newsletter and maintains the community-wealth.org blog, in addition to supporting feasibility studies and other community wealth building research.
Eva Fury grew up in Seattle, WA, and earned a BA in Studio Art from Bard College. She is an artist and a youth ultimate frisbee coach. Among other positions, Eva has recently worked as a graphic designer, a legal assistant, a substitute teacher, and an afterschool program leader. She is passionate about working with themes of social justice, youth empowerment, art making, and athletic activity. Eva believes that good design comes from community-centered collaboration and intersectional analysis.
Emily Ianacone received her BFA in Graphic Design from the Rochester Institute of Technology. She worked in Philadelphia for six years as a graphic designer and art director, creating graphic identities and branding materials for a range of local and global clients. After moving back to Rochester, Emily spent three years teaching Public & Social Service Design at RIT where students were teamed up with local nonprofits. Most recently, she worked in Advancement Communications at University of Rochester developing print and online materials for fundraising initiatives. Emily serves on the board for Girls Rock! Rochester, a nonprofit summer music camp for girls that works to build self-confidence and leadership skills through music creation and performance. She handles their year-round marketing needs as their volunteer Creative Director and teaches the band art workshop during the week of camp.
Larissa Johnson has dedicated her life to working with and for communities; helping people create sustainable, walk-able, bike-able, healthy neighborhoods that cultivate hale and hearty children and invigorate the communities’ livelihood. Prior to receiving her MPA in Environmental Science and Policy from Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs she worked predominately in the field of nutrition, physical activity, and chronic disease prevention and what she gleaned through her work is that the environment is at the center of literally everything we do in life. She is a huge proponent of working smarter, not harder and the only way to accomplish big things with limited funds and limited time is through partnerships. As a leader within the Climate Movement in Maryland, she is working to cultivate meaningful relationships that will benefit Marylanders from the mountains to the coast and across political and socioeconomic subgroups.
Dannielle Lipinski graduated from University of Maryland Baltimore County with a degree in Environmental Studies and minors in Legal Policy and Economics. She has lived in Maryland her whole life but managed to travel to Australia and cuddle koalas. She lives in Catonsville with her husband and their son.
Mara Machado is from Brazil and since 2006 has been working with nonprofit and grassroots organizations in Brazil, Morocco, Egypt, India and USA. While pursuing her Bachelor’s Degree in Public Policy and Management at University of São Paulo, she was the Director of Student Associations that fought for reforms in the educational system to strengthen the role of the universities as agents of social change addressing the social, economic and political challenges in the country. While in Brazil she has worked implementing the first community banks in São Paulo, developing fundraising strategies and training for nonprofits, supporting program development and managing partnerships. In Egypt she joined the Youth Initiatives Team at UN Women focusing in supporting university student’s engagement and in India, she worked at a social business incubator that foster entrepreneurship and innovation.
Ethan Miller has been involved in local and national social justice organizing projects since his time in high school in Rockville, MD. There, he started organizing in solidarity with workers as a part of United Students Against Sweatshops and continued this work throughout his time at American University. Since graduating, Ethan has worked in digital communications for Maryland Working Families and was an union organizer with SEIU local 500. Additionally, Ethan is a volunteer leader with Jews United for Justice, working to pass paid sick leave legislation in Annapolis. In his spare time, Ethan enjoys hiking in the beautiful mountains of western Maryland with his camera.
Harley Mocker grew up in western New Jersey near the foothills of the Appalachians. He graduated from Rutgers University with degree in Political Science and a minor in Cultural Anthropology. During his time in college he participated in his local Democratic party and served as the Democratic Committee Chairman of his town. After graduating he moved south to DC where he began working as a peace and justice organizer with the Washington Peace Center. From there he was introduced to the Restaurant Opportunities Center where he sits on their Member Leadership Board and participates in the strategy conversations conducted by the National Leadership Network. In addition to the Restaurant Opportunities Center, Harley works on the New Economy Maryland project which is an arm of the Institute for Policy Studies dedicated to promoting transformational change from the current economic and social status quo to one that puts people and planet first.
Jacqueline Robarge has spent more than two decades working to end gendered violence and oppression. Her work has included peer-led trauma healing and justice projects, lgbt rights, white anti-racism organizing, consulting and training, action research, and a range of human rights advocacy in San Francisco and Baltimore. She is currently the Executive Director of Power Inside, a Baltimore harm reduction and human rights organization for women and girls.
Anna Spisak became a designer by accident. She began her career by working as an experience designer at Andculture a digital and experience design agency, upon graduating from Susquehanna University, where she studied communications and studio art. Immediately prior to beginning at MICA, Anna worked as a design strategy consultant for technology startups. As a designer, Anna is invested in exploring the relationships and intersections among: civic innovation, community organizing, education reform, skills-based learning, technology + new media, fostering entrepreneurship, storytelling, making Design accessible to the general population, and the ever-evolving role of designers in contributing to a sustainable social economy.
Larry Stafford began his career in public service at the age of 17 with the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN). Stafford joined ACORN against a proposal that would have closed down low-income apartment complexes in marginalized communities within Prince George’s County. After helping to defeat the proposal, Stafford has since gone on to work on numerous electoral and issue campaign throughout the country. Larry currently serves as the Executive Director for Progressive Maryland, an advocacy organization that works towards building power for working class Marylanders. At Progressive Maryland, Larry leads the organization’s legislative efforts, organizing program, and strategic partnerships.
Clara Summers graduated in 2014 from the University of Washington, Seattle, cum laude with a double major in Eastern European Studies and Honors Anthropology, as well as a minor in Environmental Science. As the daughter of two Methodist pastors and a Quaker conservation biologist, Clara has always seen a strong connection between faith and justice. Her years in Indonesia as a child, combined with a study abroad program in Australia, have impressed upon her the reality and gravity of climate change. She is particularly interested in advocacy and has experience lobbying at both the state and national level.
Cecilia Velasco is a recent graduate from the University of New Mexico (UNM). She graduated Summa Cum Laude with dual degrees in Psychology and Family Studies. Her college experience was enriched through her campus and community involvement. She successfully campaigned with the UNM Dream Team to extend in-state tuition at UNM to Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals recipients, mentored first year UNM students, registered people to vote and fought alongside students and community to keep college scholarships accessible for vulnerable populations of New Mexico. Each experience has contributed to her strong interest and passion for social justice, civic engagement and mentorship. As the New Mexico Fellow at IPS, Cecilia hopes to further explore her interest areas of immigration and education policy, while also learning about other human rights issues. She looks forward to acquiring new skills that will equip her to better serve her community in New Mexico.
Ian Schlakman has worked on many New Economy initiatives in the Baltimore / DC area. He was a board member of the Baltimore BNote, a local alternative currency. He help found a TimeBank and worked on the software that runs TimeBanking with TimeBanks USA. He’s also been involved with several racial justice groups including the Baltimore Black – Jewish Forum and the Associated Black Charities Board Pipeline Fellowship. Most recently he was the Green Party’s nominee for Congress in the Baltimore area.
Javiera Alarcon is a lifelong Montgomery County, MD resident with an undergraduate (Spring 2006) and graduate degree (Spring 2012) from the Government & Politics department at the University of Maryland, College Park. This past election cycle, among other campaigns, she worked to re-elect Council member Hans Riemer (Montgomery County At-Large), and also assisted on the official side with policy and outreach. She was previously an Assistant Director for the College Park Scholars International Studies Program. She is an enthusiast of community action at the local level but also have a strong commitment to global causes.
