Charles is the author of Centrist Manifesto, which helped launch Unite America in 2013. He is a Senior Lecturer in Economics at Dartmouth College. Charles formerly ran for Congress as a Democratic candidate in Illinois in 2009. He is the author of the New York Times bestselling books Naked Economics, Naked Statistics and Naked Money.
Shawn Riegsecker is the CEO and Founder of Centro. He founded the company in 2001 intent on developing the most comprehensive, automated and intelligent software platform for the digital media industry.
Lisa is a political and external affairs strategist and marketing executive with comprehensive experience in corporate, nonprofit and trade association settings. She volunteers as a women's leadership mentor and cancer patient advocate.
Marc Merrill is the Co-Chairman and Co-Founder of Riot Games, the game developer and publisher behind League of Legends, the most-played online game in the world and a key driver of the growth of esports.
Ben is the co-founder of GOOD, a global community of, by, and for pragmatic idealists working towards individual and collective progress. Outside of GOOD, Ben is the Chairman of The Goldhirsh Foundation, an organization built to help social innovators implement and scale solutions to critical societal challenges. A co-founder and board member of City Year Los Angeles, Goldhirsh graduated from Brown University and currently resides in Los Angeles.
Katherine is a pragmatic business leader who cares deeply about U.S. competitiveness and the state of our democracy. As the fourth-generation President and CEO of Gehl Foods, Katherine led an aggressive growth strategy, driving transformations across the company–from management and processes, to facilities and information systems.
Nick Troiano has been involved in the political reform movement for over a decade, including running for U.S. Congress in 2014 as an independent candidate. Nick previously ran a bipartisan fiscal reform advocacy organization called The Can Kicks Back. In 2016, he was named to the "Forbes 30 Under 30" for Law & Policy.
Joel Searby, Senior Strategist
Joel Searby is a veteran consultant with over 10 years’ experience in the realm of political campaigning, government affairs, corporate and non-profit strategic planning, leadership development, and faith-based initiatives. In 2016 he ran Evan McMullin’s independent campaign for President and soon after founded The Sycamore Lane Co.
Tyler Fisher, Deputy Director
Tyler brings a diverse background to his jack-of-all-trades role at Unite America. Past experience includes time on campaigns, at think tanks, and leading grassroots organizations. He has degrees in government and economics from George Mason University.
Kelsie Hower, Development Director
Kelsie has worked in fundraising at all levels for Republican candidates, in Colorado and across the country. She most recently was a Principal at Crimson Strategies, an all-inclusive political and non-profit consulting firm.
Mariah Smithey, Chief of Staff
Mariah’s love of US History and politics brought her to Unite America from the world of tech consulting. She brings project management, recruitment, and supervisory experience from both the private and nonprofit sectors. Mariah is a graduate of Northwestern University with degrees in the History of Art and American History.
Andrew Short, CO Political Director
Andrew is the former Executive Director of the Democratic Senate Campaign Fund, the State Senate arm of the Colorado Democratic Party. There, he oversaw field operations, targeting, candidate recruitment, messaging, and fundraising for Senate Democrats. Prior to that, he was Statewide Field Director for the ACLU of Colorado.
Kyle Butts, Communications Director
Kyle brings broad experience across public affairs to his role with Unite America. A communicator with a political research background, Kyle has previously worked with a diverse set of industries and organizations, from major American manufacturers and trade associations to small advocacy groups, task forces, and start-ups.
Dominick Scafidi, Digital & Field Manager
Dominick has worked on political campaigns for both major parties at multiple levels. Past experience includes time on Capitol Hill, at non-profits, and volunteer recruiting for UFCW Local 881. He has degrees in politics and entrepreneurship from Lake Forest College.
Jake Wiegman, Special Projects Manager
Jake is a graduate of the University of Denver where he studied International Relations and Public Policy. He has spent time with various non-profits, government relations firms and political campaigns. Outside of Unite America, he writes for a student run organization focused on domestic and foreign policy.
Matt Enouen, Sr. Operations Manager
Matt brings a business background to Unite America with previous experience in finance, accounting, operations, and business process improvements and implementation. He is a graduate of the Kelley School of Business at Indiana University with degrees in Finance as well as Entrepreneurship and Corporate Innovation.
Mackenzie Beckel, Development Manager
MacKenzie began at Unite America as an intern in June 2017, beginning full time in May 2018. Her past experience includes working in political and non-profit sectors. She is a graduate of the University of Colorado, Boulder with degrees in Political Science and Business.
Matthew Scoble - VA Political Director
Matt is a native Virginian and attorney with a passion for electoral reform. He has worked for several prominent non-profit organizations during his career focusing on voting rights, civic engagement, and redistricting reform.
Kristina Kotyza, Statewide Field Manager
After seeing first-hand the partisan dysfunction in DC in her work on campaigns and with politicians, Kristina came to Unite America when she realized the American people needed more. She currently manages voter contact for Unite Colorado’s candidate slate. Kristina is an alumna of UCLA Class of 2017. Her first language is Czech and she loves skiing, playing the piano, and opera.
