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Privacy Policy

The We The People Action Fund Alerts application and the associated WTPAF Alerts website available at https://www.wethepeoplemi.org/ (“WTPAF”) are owned and operated by WTPAF Alerts (“us” “we” or “our”). This WTPAF Alerts privacy policy (the “Privacy Policy”) is intended to inform you of our policies and practices regarding the collection, use and disclosure of any information you submit to us through WTPAF Alerts. This includes “Personal Information,” which is information about you that is personally identifiable such as your name, e-mail address, user ID number, and other non-public information that is associated with the foregoing, as well as “Anonymous Information,” which is information that is not associated with or linked to your Personal Information and does not permit the identification of individual persons.

User Consent

By accessing or otherwise using WTPAF Alerts, you agree to the terms and conditions of this Privacy Policy and the associated Terms of Service you expressly consent to the processing of your Personal Information and Anonymous Information according to this Privacy Policy. Your Personal Information may be processed by us in the country where it was collected as well as other countries (including the United States) where laws regarding processing of Personal Information may be less stringent than the laws in your country.

Regarding Children

Children under the age of 13 are not permitted to use WTPAF Alerts and we do not intentionally collect or maintain Personal Information from those who are under 13 years old. Protecting the privacy of children is very important to us. Thus, if we obtain actual knowledge that a user is under 13, we will take steps to remove that user’s Personal Information from our databases. We recommend that children between the ages of 13 and 18 obtain their parent’s permission before submitting information over the internet. By using WTPAF Alerts, you are representing that you are at least 18 years old, or that you are at least 13 years old and have your parents’ permission to use WTPAF Alerts.

Collection and Use of Information

Personal Information

In general, we collect Personal Information that you submit to us voluntarily through WTPAF Alerts. We also collect information that you submit in the process of creating or editing your account and user profile on WTPAF Alerts. For example, our registration and login process requires you to provide us with your name, valid email address and password of your choice. When you personalize your profile and use the features of WTPAF Alerts, we will collect any information you voluntarily provide, and we may also request optional information to support your use of WTPAF Alerts, such as your year of birth, gender and other demographic information. We collect information in the form of the content that you submit during your use of WTPAF Alerts, such as photos, comments, ratings and other information you choose to submit. We may also collect information about you and your friends, from any social network you may have connected from, in order to provide you with a more personalized experience. For instance, we may collect your user ID or profile information that you have permitted to be displayed through WTPAF Alerts in order to display you as a friend or in association with your profile and collections. When you order our products or services, you will need to submit your credit card or other payment information so that our service providers can process your payment for those products and services. If you choose to sign up to receive information about products or services that may be of interest to you, we will collect your email address and all related information. Additionally, we collect any information that you voluntarily enter, including Personal Information, into any postings, comments, or forums within the WTPAF Alerts community.

Personal Information from Other Sources

We may receive Personal Information about you from other sources with which you have registered, companies who we have partnered with (collectively, “Partners”) or other third parties. We may associate this information with the other Personal Information we have collected about you.

E-mail and E-mail Addresses

If you send an e-mail to us, or fill out our “Feedback” form through WTPAF Alerts, we will collect your e-mail address and the full content of your e-mail, including attached files, and other information you provide. We may use and display your full name and email address when you send an email notification to a friend through WTPAF Alerts or the social network from which you have connected to WTPAF Alerts (such as in an invitation, or when sharing your content). Additionally, we use your email address to contact you on behalf of your friends (such as when someone sends you a personal message) or notifications from a social network or other website with whom you have registered to receive such notifications. We may use this e-mail address to contact you, for things such as notifications of limited edition shop sales and other related information. You may indicate your preference to stop receiving further promotional communications as further detailed below.

Information Collected Via Technology

As you use WTPAF Alerts, certain information may also be passively collected and stored on our or our service providers’ server logs, including your Internet protocol address, browser type, and operating system. We also use Cookies and navigational data like Uniform Resource Locators (URL) to gather information regarding the date and time of your visit and the solutions and information for which you searched and viewed, or on which of the advertisements displayed on WTPAF Alerts you clicked. This type of information is collected to make WTPAF Alerts and solutions more useful to you and to tailor the experience with WTPAF Alerts to meet your special interests and needs.

An “Internet protocol address” or “IP Address” is a number that is automatically assigned to your computer when you use the Internet. In some cases your IP Address stays the same from browser session to browser session; but if you use a consumer internet access provider, your IP Address probably varies from session to session. For example, we, or our service providers, may track your IP Address when you access WTPAF Alerts to assist with ad targeting.

“Cookies” are small pieces of information that a website sends to your computer’s hard drive while you are viewing a website. We may use both session Cookies (which expire once you close your web browser) and persistent Cookies (which stay on your computer until you delete them) to provide you with a more personal and interactive experience with WTPAF Alerts. Persistent Cookies can be removed by following your Internet browser help file directions. In order to use our services offered through WTPAF Alerts, your web browser must accept Cookies. If you choose to disable Cookies, some aspects of WTPAF Alerts may not work properly, and you will not be able to receive our services.

We may also enable advertisers and ad servers to promote third-party products and/or services by placing advertisements on WTPAF Alerts. These advertisers and ad servers may use Cookies and/or “Web Beacons” (which are usually small, transparent graphic images) in order to monitor information related to served advertisements. Clicking on such advertisements will direct you to the website of a third-party and the advertiser. This Privacy Policy does not cover the privacy practices of any advertisers or ad servers.

Use and Disclosure of Information

Except as otherwise stated in this Privacy Policy, we do not generally sell, trade, rent, or share the Personal Information that we collect with third parties, unless you ask or authorize us to do so.

In general, Personal Information you submit to us is used by us to provide you access to WTPAF Alerts, to improve WTPAF Alerts, to better tailor the features, performance, and support of WTPAF Alerts and to offer you additional information, opportunities, promotions and functionality from us, our partners or our advertisers at your request. Additionally, we do share your content preferences and other information with the social network from which you have connected to WTPAF Alerts, along with those companies and persons you have asked us to share your information with.

We may provide your Personal Information to third-party service providers who work on behalf of or with us to provide some of the services and features of WTPAF Alerts and to help us communicate with you. Examples of such services include sending email, analyzing data, providing marketing assistance, processing payments (including credit card payments), and providing customer service. We require our third-party service providers to promise not to use such information except as necessary to provide the relevant services to us. This Privacy Policy does not cover the use of your personally identifiable information by such third-parties. We do not maintain responsibility for the manner in which third parties, including, without limitation, social networks, other partners and advertisers, use or further disclose Personal Information collected from you in accordance with this Privacy Policy, after we have disclosed such information to those third parties. If you do not want us to use or disclose Personal Information collected about you in the manners identified in this Privacy Policy, you may not use WTPAF Alerts. Although we currently do not have a parent company, any subsidiaries, joint ventures, or other companies under a common control, we may in the future, and we may share some or all of your Personal Information with these companies, in which case we will require them to honor this Privacy Policy.

In the event we go through a business transition such as a merger, acquisition by another company, or sale of all or a portion of its assets, your Personal Information may be among the assets transferred. You acknowledge that such transfers may occur and are permitted by this Privacy Policy, and that any acquirer of ours or that acquirer’s assets may continue to process your Personal Information as set forth in this Privacy Policy. We may disclose your Personal Information if we believe in good faith that such disclosure is necessary to (a) comply with relevant laws or to respond to subpoenas or warrants served on us; or (b) to protect and defend our rights or property, you, or third parties. You hereby consent to us sharing your Personal Information under the circumstances described herein.

The Ability of others to View your Information

Helping you to protect your information is a vital part of our mission. It is up to you to make sure you are comfortable with the information you choose to provide us and the information you choose to publish. You understand that when you use WTPAF Alerts, certain information you post or provide through WTPAF Alerts, such as your name, profile, comments, posts and ratings, may be shared with other users and posted on publicly available portions of WTPAF Alerts, including without limitation, chatrooms, bulletin and message boards, along with other public forums. Please keep in mind that if you choose to disclose Personal Information when posting comments or other information or content through WTPAF Alerts, this information may become publicly available and may be collected and used by others, including people outside the WTPAF Alerts community. We will not have any obligations with respect to any information that you post to parts of WTPAF Alerts available to others, and recommend that you use caution when giving out personal information to others in public forums online or otherwise. We also share the information you publish with other third parties.

Third Party Sites and Advertising

WTPAF Alerts may contain links to other websites. Please be aware that we are not responsible for the privacy practices or the content of such other websites. We encourage our users to read the privacy statements of each and every website they visit. This WTPAF Alerts applies solely to information collected by us through WTPAF Alerts and does not apply to these third-party websites. The ability to access information of third- parties from WTPAF Alerts, or links to other websites or locations, is for your convenience and does not signify our endorsement of such third-parties, their products, their services, other websites, locations or their content.

Your Choices Regarding Your Personal Information

We offer you choices regarding the collection, use, and sharing of your Personal Information. When you receive promotional communications from us, you may indicate a preference to stop receiving further promotional communications from us and you will have the opportunity to “opt-out” by following the unsubscribe instructions provided in the promotional e-mail you receive or by contacting us directly (please see contact information below).

Despite your indicated email preferences, we may send you administrative emails regarding WTPAF Alerts, including, for example, administrative confirmations, and notices of updates to our Privacy Policy if we choose to provide such notices to you in this manner.

You may change any of your profile information by editing it in the profile settings page. You may request deletion of your Personal Information by contacting us at help@wethepeoplemi.org, but please note that we may be required (by law or otherwise) to keep this information and not delete it (or to keep this information for a certain time, in which case we will comply with your deletion request, only after we have fulfilled such requirements). When we delete Personal Information, it will be deleted from the active database, but may remain in our archives.

Feedback

If you provide feedback to us, we may use and disclose such feedback for any purpose, provided we do not associate such feedback with your Personal Information. We will collect any information contained in such feedback and will treat the Personal Information in it in accordance with this Privacy Policy. You agree that any such comments and any email we receive becomes our property. We may use feedback for marketing purposes or to add to or modify our services without paying any royalties or other compensation to you.

Security

We are committed to protecting the security of your Personal Information. We use a variety of industry-standard security technologies and procedures to help protect your Personal Information from unauthorized access, use, or disclosure. Even though we have taken significant steps to protect your Personal Information, no company, including us, can fully eliminate security risks associated with Personal Information.

Contact and Revisions

If you have questions or concerns about our Privacy Policy, please contact us at help@wethepeoplemi.org. This Privacy Policy is subject to occasional revision at our discretion, and if we make any substantial changes in the way we use your Personal Information, we will post an alert on this page. If you object to any such changes, you must cease using WTPAF Alerts. Continued use of WTPAF Alerts following notice of any such changes shall indicate your acknowledgment of such changes and agreement to be bound by the terms and conditions of such changes.

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LOCATION

440 Burroughs St,
Detroit, MI 48202

CONTACT US

information@wethepeoplemi.org

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Charity Turnboe

Detroit EJ Organizer

Charity is a Native Eastside Detroiter dedicated to community organizing through supporting grassroots movements and the concerns of local Detroit residents. With a deep understanding of local challenges, she has been engaged in advocacy work alongside their sister in unions since middle school, fostering empowerment and resilience among Detroit residents for campaigns. Charity aspires to create a Detroit where residents have equitable access to resources, promoting empowerment and inclusivity. Committed to collective action, she collaborates with community members to build a brighter, more just, and sustainable future for Detroit.
 

Yvonne Navarrete

Policy Director

Yvonne Navarrete is the Policy Director for We the People Michigan. She was born in Chihuahua, Mexico, and immigrated to Detroit, Michigan at the age of two. Her experiences growing up undocumented in Detroit have driven her to fight to hold governments accountable & invest in the power of her community. She earned a B.A. in Public Policy from the University of Michigan where she organized for Latinx and undocumented student issues. She then went on to earn her M.A. in Urban Education Policy from Brown University. She now lives and organizes in Detroit at the intersection of immigration and education justice as a core team member of MIStudentsDream.

Diego Navarrete

Migrant Leader School Coordinator

Diego is an undocumented organizer and proud Southwest Detroiter. He was born in Mexico and migrated with his family at a young age to Detroit, Michigan. As an undocumented immigrant and DACA recipient, Diego has been an advocate for immigrant rights and social justice. He has been an active organizer since the age of 14, empowering other youth in Detroit to engage in local politics and advocate for issues affecting their communities around education, immigration, and economic justice. Diego is a recent graduate from Harvard College, where he studied Government and organized with undocumented members of the Boston community. He is passionate about empowering undocumented folks and building avenues of political participation for immigrant communities.

Layla Elabed

SE MI Organizer

Layla is a lead regional organizer with We The People in Southeast Michigan. She is a proud daughter of Palestinian immigrants, number twelve of her fourteen brothers and sisters, and mother of three fierce future social justice warriors. Layla has been a long-time advocate for intimate partner violence and sexual assault prevention, environmental justice issues, voter rights, and movements that amplify justice, and the voices of black and brown communities. She continues to engage the collective power of her ancestral roots and her learning to shift and empower marginalized communities for equitable and sustainable change. To counter burn out, Layla makes time to spend with family and friends, and eating good food.

Elnora Gavin

SW Michigan Lead Organizer

Elnora is a poet, author, playwright, publisher, activist and consultant. She was born and raised in Benton Harbor, MI and graduated from Benton Harbor High School in 1994. After graduating from Howard University with a Bachelors of Arts Degree in Legal Communications with a minor in Business Management, Elnora continued working as a contracts assistant for a management services consulting firm in the Metro DC area as a logistics coordinator for the Department of Health and Human Services. Her volunteer service with the Howard Chapter of the Big Brother Big Sister Program ignited her calling to return home and work as an educator in both traditional and alternative environments. As a convening partner for the Race2Equity Benton Harbor Hub and Co-Founder of the Peace4Life Student Organization, Elnora facilitated healing workshops, community events and strategy sessions to address key areas of local concern with regard to destabilization efforts of public schools in both the City of Benton Harbor and across the State of Michigan. In collaboration with residents, racial equity leaders, and supporting organizations, Elnora worked to establish alliances that empowered public school advocates and students to successfully change the political narrative that was driving school closures.

Nelly Fuentes

Statewide Immigration Strategist

Nelly is a regional organizer with We The People in Southwest Michigan. She is a native woman of Mesoamerica who migrated to the Michigan region at the beginning of the century, landing in Kalamazoo in 2006.  She believes in the human right to free migration within Turtle Island and is passionate about migrant liberation efforts. Anti-colonial practices and healing are at the center of her organizing vision. As part of her healing practices, she invokes the guidance and wisdom of her ancestors through the art of tortilla making.

Caitlin Homrich-Knieling

Lead Organizer

Caitlin is the Deep Canvass Coordinator with We The People based in Detroit. Organizing found her while she was doing her MA in Anthropology at UMass Amherst in 2014-2016. She is originally from the rural, working class “Thumb” of Michigan, and she roots her motivation to fight for multiracial liberation in the lives of her loved ones there. Her vocation is using the practices of curiosity, storytelling, honesty, and love to build bridges with people of different life experiences and perspectives, and training others to do the same. She is a new mama and devotes her spare time to Catholic prayer practices, giving astrology readings, renovating her home in Detroit, and visiting her family.

Megan Hess

Rural Organizing Director

Megan is the Rural Organizing Director with We The People based in Sault Ste. Marie, as well as a volunteer community organizer nested in rural America, and a former journalist. With an educational background in literature, she’s deeply interested in personal stories and storytelling, and how narrative can empower and disempower. Megan is also a member of the Sault Tribe of Chippewa Indians, a mother, and a water protector and pulls a chair to the table for Native rights, intersectional feminism and environmental justice. Megan balances her work life with chocolate, yoga, and time on Lake Superior.

Sargeant Donovan-Smith

Data Director

Sargeant (Sarge) is the Data Director at We The People–MI. She found her way to data science, first as a high school math teacher in New York City, and later as a research analyst examining student outcomes at the City University of New York. Sargeant has an MA in mathematics education from Teachers College and an MA in anthropology and history from the University of Michigan. She has also been involved in anti-racist, anti-fascist, and PIC abolition organizing in New York City and Ann Arbor for the past 10 years. 

 

Sargeant draws on her experience as a teacher, organizer, and educational researcher in her role as Data Director at We The People–MI. Her goal is to design accessible data systems that help community organizers build organizing power across Michigan.

Alex Hill

Research Director

Alex is the Research Director for We The People. In his work, he highlights the intersections of power, privilege, and race in regards to health equity, access to basic needs, and the social implications of medicine. Previously, Alex has worked in statewide health policy organizing at MICHUHCAN, academic health disparities research at Wayne State University, and public health data and policy at the Detroit Health Department. He teaches in urban studies, public health, geography and data visualization. Alex has a map for everything and is passionate about research justice, data literacy, and counter-mapping.

Tanisha Clay

Social Media Strategist

Tanisha Clay (Pretty Fire) is a classically trained actress, professional theatrical director and a co-founding member of Face Off Theatre Company. Most recently she directed Absentia at Ohio University and is excited to make her return to the stage. She is a virtuosic artist, creative photographer, spoken word poet, teacher, influencer, storyteller, and media entrepreneur currently working on publishing her first book of original poetry. BLACK POOL OF GENIUS Volume I and launching Tanisha Clay Creative Services,LLC as a media brand. The subversive black girl artist considers herself to be a modern day griot focusing on telling stories that redefine and re-appropriate “BLACK AMERICANA” highlighting and finding the beauty in the contradictions, pain and pride within “our stories” and thus hoping to discover and re-claim the beauty within her own. She has used acting, poetry, dance, and photography as modalities for making sure her creative vision and voice are seen, heard and felt. In her own words Tanisha expresses, “To me the art and the artist are one. As I seek to unlock and express what is contained in my own heart and to heal and celebrate my own beauty and spirit.”

Kamau Jawara

Southeast MI Lead Organizer

Kamau is a politocultural organizer from Detroit’s east side with passions for community and storytelling. Kamau uses political education & cultural strategy to support concentrations of Energy Justice, Leadership Development, & Co-Governance. In order to build SEMIsaic, our unified dream of organized residents of Southeast Michigan, we must be persistently curious and care for each other. That is to say, movement must start with developing the power & solidarity of black Detroiters.

Catalina Rios Hernandez

Cultural Strategy Lead

Catalina was born in Mexico but considers Detroit, Michigan her home. A concept that she is slowly reclaiming. She has been organizing around different social justice issues, especially immigration for more than a decade. The root of how she approaches her movement work is making social justice accessible and believes in the power of art and culture to create that bridge. Her art practice is poetry but also enjoys painting and caring for plants. She loves visiting the Detroit river and taking walks in Belle Isle, especially during sunset.

Hoai An Pham

Digital Organizer

Hoai An Pham is an organizer based in Ann Arbor, MI, where she was born and raised as a first generation Vietnamese American. As a disabled abolitionist, she has worked in movements around immigration, labor, climate, prisons, and racial justice, with the goal of building long-term, welcoming community. She is currently the Digital Organizer for We the People-MI and also the manager of her twenty-six Sims.

Eli Day

Communications Director

Eli is a Detroiter. He’s most grateful for his city’s people, and their fierce determination to survive and build a more beautiful world — both across the many corners of the city they love and beyond them. He spent years bouncing between work as an organizer, congressional policy aide, and communications adviser. Most recently, he’s been working as a journalist, spotlighting working-class movements for racial and economic justice at spots like In These Times magazine, Mother Jones, Playboy, Vox, the Root, and more.

Terry Blastenbrei

HR Director

Terry Blastenbrei serves as WTPMI’s HR Director. A St. Louis native and longtime nomad, he made Michigan his permanent home in 2018, settling in St. Clair Shores. After many years in operations and human resource management, Terry moved into nonprofit and political work in 2016. It was in this sphere that he found he was able to truly bring humanity to human resources, building and sustaining organizations with a genuine respect of their employees. In his downtime, he loves collecting colored vinyl records, traveling, watching hockey and spending time with his wife and their two cats.

Michelle Davidson

Operations Manager

Michelle is the operations coordinator with We The People-MI. She provides support for the organization with a strategic focus on equity, the quality of life, and diversity and inclusion. Michelle’s passion involves working with community leaders to organize, host and collaborate on community events that empower individuals.

Michelle earned her Bachelors of Social Work from Oakland University and received her Masters of Social Work from Wayne State University.

Rhonda Powell

Operations Director

Rhonda Powell is the Statewide Operations Director for We The People-MI, which is focused on community organizing and seeks to build a multi-racial, working class constituency across the state rooted in economic, racial and social justice. She is also the founder and Vice-Chair of Metro Equity Collaborative, a nonprofit organization in Macomb County working to build advocacy and power in civics, economics, education and social justice.

In Rhonda’s previous role, she served as Director of the Macomb County Health and Community Services Department. She is the first African American appointed as a Director in Macomb County.

Rhonda has an extensive history of leadership experience which also includes; Director of Macomb Community Action Agency, Deputy Director of Michigan’s Aging and Adult Services Agency, Director of Macomb County Senior Services and Director of MCREST. Rhonda has received multiple awards for her strategic leadership and vision, including the 2019 Athena Award from the Macomb Chamber Foundation.

Rhonda has been committed to the work of advocacy, equity, inclusion, and organizational development for over 20 years. She is a certified Sixth Sigma Green Belt, holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Siena Heights University, and a Master of Science degree from Capella University, both of which are concentrated in Human Service.

MARIA IBARRA-FRAYRE

Deputy Director

Maria is the Deputy Director for We the People Michigan. She immigrated to the U.S. from Mexico when she was nine years old, and grew up Southwest Detroit and Dearborn. Maria has been fighting for immigrant justice for over a decade, including organizing with undocumented immigrant youth, deportation defense, and building mutual aid systems that center the leadership of women of color. Maria graduated from the University of Detroit Mercy with a degree in English, and has a Masters of Social Work from the University of Michigan. In her free time Maria likes drinking expensive tea, playing with her puppy, Coriolis, and trying to publish her poetry.

Kate Atkinson

Tech Coordinator

In her work Kate has a large interest in tech accessibility and helping the team with all their needs. Kate has a broad range of skills from a history in private software development. She is proud to work at WTPMI and to apply her personal values and professional skills to support the organization. Kate is located in the Keweenaw Peninsula of Michigan, and in her free time enjoys gardening and sewing projects.

Maya Milton

Field Organizer – Detroit

Maya is a lifelong Detroiter and womanist. The foundation for her desire for action was seeing the examples of black womanhood and her family’s engagement with politics. This influence manifested her destiny of participating in fighting for equity and accountability, which she has been able to do by creating politically motivated theatre and, more recently, with direct action.

 

Maya will graduate from Wayne State University with a BA in Sociology in Spring 2023 and plans to pursue movement work after. Her adoration of Detroit’s singular signature and the subcultures that come with it is what inspires her to uplift the voices of Detroiters. She feels divinely blessed to be one of many Gen-Z people building a world they feel proud to leave behind.

 

Maya believes in experiencing joy whenever doable. Anytime she gets a chance, she’ll take an incredibly long walk, read tarot, immerse herself in theatre, or eat as much vegan soft serve as possible.

Elizabeth Chiaravalli

HR Coordinator

Elizabeth facilitates human resources and organizational development, working to build groups’ capacity, courage, and relationships. Though she has worked with a variety of businesses and organizations, her heart is in supporting grassroots organizations protecting themselves from pollutive infrastructure in high-stakes, high-risk, low-resource campaigns, strategically leveraging power to meet community goals. Currently, Elizabeth is finishing her master’s in Human Resources and Labor Relations where she continues to explore how groups of people can organize themselves in empowering, meaningful, effective, and decentralized ways. Concurrently, Elizabeth loves making and teaching pottery, foraging, tapping maple trees, paddling, and walking with her elderly pug named Basil.

Miles Naasir Reuben

Cultural Strategist

MILES NAASIR REUBEN is a award-winning independent filmmaker, screenwriter, cultural strategist and graphic designer. Deeming himself a modern-day “Renaissance Man” – Miles chooses to expand his reach in every form he sees fit, striving to create lived-in experiences that build community, culture and spark conversation through filmmaking, brand and event building, and graphic design.

Ruby Miller

Upper Peninsula Organizer

Ruby Miller, originally from a small farming community in Mid-Michigan and now residing in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, is a dedicated community organizer and advocate. With a Bachelor’s degree in Fine Arts (sculpture) from Grand Valley State University and an Associate’s in Welding Technology from Grand Rapids Community College, Ruby’s hands-on education and working-class background shape her holistic approach to community leadership building. Passionate about uplifting the rural working-class and queer community, Ruby believes in embracing creativity, diversity, courage, and collaboration to create vibrant futures for rural areas. She continues to create and show artwork, and stays active exploring the beautiful landscape along Lake Superior.

Tristen Jessup

SW Michigan Organizer

Tristen is a lifelong resident of southwest Michigan and and a graduate of Western Michigan University with Bachelors and Masters degrees in behavioral psychology. She is an outspoken trans woman and proud member of the Queer and Trans communities of southwest Michigan. She is a former clinician and educator, and she has dedicated her personal time and energy over many years to fighting for working-class liberation in our city and beyond. She is firmly progressive and actively opposed to racist, misogynist, ableist, homophobic, and transphobic discrimination of all kinds, and she is especially dedicated to ending class-based oppression and exploitation whenever and wherever it rears its ugly head. Tristen lives in eastern Kalamazoo with her adoring husband, teenaged stepsons, and beloved pets.

Kenneth Jackson

Grants Coordinator

Kenneth Jackson is a native of Benton Harbor, Michigan who began his career by helping the homeless population. From August 2019 to August 2022, he served as the Grant & Compliance Manager at Emergency Shelter Services. While there, Kenneth was invited to participate in a committee facilitated by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services called the Continuum of Care Equitable Results Team (CERT). In 2022, he served as Treasurer for the city of Boroda Michigan and Grant Accountant for United Way of Southeast Michigan. He also worked as an Accountant for the Michigan Forward Fund from January to December 2022.

 

Kenneth graduated in 2019 from Lake Michigan College with an Associate of Arts in Music in Benton Harbor, Michigan. He is currently attending Siena Heights University, pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in Community and Human Services with a minor in Accounting. Kenneth has experience working with several different grants including ARPA ESG Community Block Grants, Supportive Housing Grants, United Way Grants, and many others

Jade Prange

Policy & Research Intern

Jade is a policy and research intern with We The People Michigan. She is from Kingsley, but moved to Lansing to study public policy at Michigan State University. Jade is passionate about uplifting disadvantaged people living in rural communities. At age 16 she began working to support her family. Without a driver’s license she would walk or bike 12 miles round-trip to reach her place of employment. Through this experience she learned that hard work alone was not enough for most to achieve upward mobility. The shame that we are made to feel for our struggles to survive is not only destructive, but is directed the wrong direction. Instead of seeing these issues as personal failings, we should question the society that willingly sacrifices the lives and futures of the disadvantaged so that a privileged minority can continue to enjoy extreme wealth and opportunity. Jade believes that access to quality education, food, transportation, and healthcare are all fundamental elements of a dignified life. She began organizing around environmental and economic justice which culminated in her first bid for local office at age 21. Jade believes that it is possible to build communities that support and uplift all people. After completing her education she hopes to continue organizing in Northern Michigan to help this dream become a reality.

Sam Mena

Policy & Research Intern

I am a junior at the University of Detroit Mercy currently working to obtain a Bachelors of Science in Biochemistry with a concentration in Chemistry research as well as a minor in political science. I was born and raised in the city of Macomb by a single mother and am part of a mixed legal status family. It wasn’t until I began to attend Detroit Mercy that I realized that I could pursue my passion and drive for social justice and community wellbeing while still reaching my goals as a women of color in STEM. I decided to do an internship with We The People MI to become more familiar with policy work as well as to learn from those who have engaged in community organizing for some time now. I hope to use the skills I learn during this time to help my community fight for justice by creating the world that we know we deserve to live in.

Isabella Mahuad

Detroit Organizer

Isabella is a Detroit Organizer with We the People, and has been living throughout southeast Michigan for the past 9 years. She graduated from Oakland University in 2023 with a B.A. in International Relations, focusing her studies on Latin American political movements. During this time, she worked in promoting student retention through various roles and advocated for her fellow Latinx students. Isabella is passionate about building community and recognizes the power that comes from collective action. She brings these values to her organizing in order to create more equitable spaces where everyone has a voice. In her free time, Isabella enjoys spending time with her loved ones, creating art, and being in nature.

Amanda Siggins

Northern Michigan Organizer

Amanda Siggins is a Northern Michigan Organizer in the Traverse City area. Her and her husband have 3 kids with whom they love to spend time together outdoors. 

 

She has been an activist since she was 17, with a focus in Women’s rights, human trafficking awareness, homelessness prevention, and voting rights. 

 

Amanda has a deep drive to connect with people on issues that help to heal generational trauma and to raise the next generation with a focus on equity and equality. 

Yvette Drayton

Financial Coordinator

Yvette is the Financial Coordinator for We The People-MI. She develops and maintains the organization’s accounting and payroll processes, as well as ensures pertinent record keeping and supports the annual audit process. Prior to joining We the People – MI, Yvette held careers that helped to nourish her nurturing nature. With over 30 years of education and experience in Finance/Accounting and community engagement, she has worked in industries from large companies and government agencies such as Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, and the State of Michigan, to the privately owned Detroit Job Corps Center. She brings a team approach to assisting with accounts and uses her expertise to help to educate individuals and organizations on acquiring and managing debt.

Miguel Ridriguez

Managing Director

Miguel Rodriguez joins We the People as Managing Director. Born and raised in unincorporated East Los Angeles, he was shaped by the rich, multi-generational history of student activism and social justice organizing that sprung from his hometown.  

 

Miguel started organizing as a response to anti-immigrant legislation in California and through this work, became committed to building power from the bottom up. As a young adult he made a radical decision to move to Chiapas, Mexico—home of the Zapatista Movement—where, for ten years, he worked on building a solidarity network of BIPOC organizers sharing and learning from each other and directly from Indigenous Zapatista communities.  

 

Miguel holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from UCLA and has spent the last decade dedicated to youth leadership development domestically and internationally. He brings deep project management experience to We the People and offers a breadth of knowledge built from working alongside organizers tackling social inequities in the US, Canada, Latin America and the Caribbean. 

 

Having recently landed in Michigan, Miguel is excited to embed himself in the long history of organizing in the state and looks forward to learning and growing from the gifts, skills and talents of people from this beautiful state. When he finds time, Miguel enjoys one of his many hobbies– collecting comic books, gravel-biking, gardening, hiking and baking.  

Marita Ky

Policy and Research Analyst

Marita is a Policy and Research Analyst for We the People. She was born in Cambodia and moved to West Michigan at 11-year-old. Marita earned her B.A at the University of Michigan, dedicating her studies on the Socioeconomic Contexts of Healthcare and Health Policy. She believes that our collective existence and liberation are bound together. Working with We the People allows her to materialize her passion for justice and study in policy to cultivate realities of justice and peace for our collective existence. Outside of work, Marita loves biking, spending time on Lake Michigan, and going to live music events with friends.

Tori McGeshick

UP Organizer

Tori McGeshick (She/her/hers) is from Getegitegaanig formally referred to as the Lac Vieux Desert Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians. Tori prides herself in being a mother of two, and having the responsibility of raising the next generation. Tori earned a Bachelor of Arts & Science of Applied Speech Communication with a concentration in Advocacy at Ferris State University. She also earned a Masters of Legal Studies, Indigenous Peoples Law  at the University of Oklahoma. In order to further engage in grassroot work throughout Indian Country, she completed the Native Organizers Alliance Organizing Fellowship and the Native Justice Coalition Organizing & Outreach Internship. Tori envisions herself as a voice for her people, as well as Mother Earth; by embodying traditional, spiritual, and cultural aspects throughout her journey as an organizer, she continues to honor her ancestors.

Maya Milton

Detroit Organizer
Maya is a lifelong Detroiter and womanist. The foundation for her desire for action was seeing the examples of black womanhood and her family’s engagement with politics. This influence manifested her destiny of participating in fighting for equity and accountability, which she has been able to do by creating politically motivated theatre and, more recently, with direct action.
 
She will graduate from Wayne State University with a BA in Sociology in Spring 2023 and plans to pursue movement work after. Her adoration of Detroit’s singular signature and the subcultures that come with it is what inspires her to uplift the voices of Detroiters. She feels divinely blessed to be one of many Gen-Z people building a world they feel proud to leave behind.
 
Maya believes in experiencing joy whenever doable. Anytime she gets a chance, she’ll take an incredibly long walk, read tarot, immerse herself in theatre, or eat as much vegan soft serve as possible.

Nia Wells

Data Associate

Nia is a Highland Park born, Detroit organizer, community activist, and data professional. Her family’s participation in the civil and women’s rights movements, seeded in her a passion for activism that has only grown over time. Before becoming a Data Associate, Nia spent multiple years as a field organizer mobilizing voters throughout southeast Michigan.

Nia attended the University of Alabama where she earned her bachelor’s degree. While in school, she organized fellow students around issues like voting rights via electoral campaigns. She is passionate about spreading knowledge and deconstructing the mistrust of political systems within communities of color. In her current role as a Data Associate, Nia aims to use data to help organizers better reach voters and community members around vital community issues.

Diego Vasquez-Salgado

Data Associate

 

Diego Vasquez-Salgado is a Data Associate with We the People MI, based in Detroit. Diego was born in Temixco, Morelos, a small town in central Mexico in 1997, before migrating to the U.S. at the age of 2. As a result of his life  experiences, Diego feels strongly about the importance of fighting for human rights, labor rights, and all the rights of all people of color. 

 

Diego earned his Bachelor’s Degree at the University of Detroit Mercy in Business Administration with a concentration in Marketing. After college, he started in the movement as a volunteer canvasser for many different campaigns, including some with We The People-MI. In his current role as a Data Associate, Diego contributes to our organizers’ work and campaigns across Michigan, and helps organizers use data to share stories about their organizing efforts and to build stronger communities across Michigan. 

Cornell Batie

Finance Director

Cornell C. Batie oversees We The People MI / We The People Action Fund’s finance and accounting operation. He’s a strategic leader with 30 progressive years of leveraging leadership talent in the areas of operations, finance, and
procurement.


Cornell is a high-level executive with extensive experience in running operations in both for-profit and not-for profit entities. He has a strong background in board governance; providing consultation to diverse groups of senior executives and Board of Directors on complex business strategies, board effectiveness, and developing successful corporate governance processes.


Cornell is a native Detroiter who holds two undergraduate degrees in Management and Accounting from the University
of Detroit Mercy, and a Masters of Business Administration in Finance and International Business from Wayne State University.

 

He is exceedingly skilled in tailoring his coaching style to unique personalities and situations, empowering staff to execute on key strategies, and driving excellence. His ability to assimilate company missions, identify key stakeholders, navigate through silos, and deliver results gained him the Spirit of Detroit and Crain’s CFO of the Year awards. Other award recognitions include the State of Michigan Special Tribute and Michigan Chronicle’s Men of Excellence.

Rachel Udabe

Policy & Research Analyst

Rachel is a Research and Policy Analyst with We the People Michigan. She is a new resident of Detroit; hailing from Los Angeles, her big Mexican family instilled a respect for education as a vehicle to change the future. Upon graduating from the University of Southern California with Bachelor’s degrees in Political Science and Public Policy, she taught English as a Fulbright recipient in Taiwan, absorbing the educational and community-based culture of the rural county she considers her second home. After 2.5 years, Rachel returned to the States and earned her Master’s degree in Education Policy and Management from Harvard University while teaching in urban areas around the country, comparing her aspirational academic curriculum with stories of students’ sobering realities impacted by systemic discrimination and institutional disenfranchisement. She moved to Michigan to contribute to a vibrant and passionate environment with this organization working to create happy and healthy communities for all. 

Aarica Marsh

Administrative Coordinator

Aarica Marsh is the Administrative Coordinator for We the People Michigan. Aarica has worked with local, state-wide, and national campaigns and organizations on a wide variety of strategies, including field, fundraising, operations, and communications. Aarica is a first-generation university graduate who worked for more than a decade in the food service industry which cultivated her love of food and also her drive to create a more equitable world for working class people. Aarica enjoys spending time with her 13 nieces and nephews, gardening, going to local shows, and meeting people. She currently lives in Hamtramck, MI with her partner and their three cats.
 

Celina Madden

Digital Strategist

Celina is a digital creative and strategist based in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Born in China and raised in the Chicagoland area, Celina‘s cultural and life experiences have deeply informed her creative process as a queer international adoptee. She has worked in and with movements centered around reproductive justice, survivor and victim advocacy, and immigrants’ rights. When she’s not on the internet, you can find Celina cooking for her chosen family or immersed in a pile of books. 

Art Reyes III

Executive Director

Art is the founding Executive Director of We The People. He was born and raised in Flint, MI and hails from three generations of proud UAW members. Before WTP, Art was the training director at the Center for Popular Democracy, where he led national training programs for organizers, lead staff, and executive directors. He spent much of 2016 working in Flint responding the water crisis and helped launch Flint Rising. Previously he led Michigan Voice, a statewide civic engagement organization. He has a BA from Michigan and MPP from Harvard where he taught a community organizing class with Marshall Ganz. He’s filled with random facts about the state of Michigan and lives with his wife Ashley, baby Emilio, and gigantic puppy named Kona the Coney Dog.