Erin Vilardi, Founder & CEO

Erin Vilardi is the Founder and CEO of VoteRunLead, the nation’s largest and most diverse training program for women to run for office and win. She first launched VoteRunLead as Vice President of Program and Communications at The White House Project, where she served as the VP of Program and Communications. She has served as a Leadership Development Consultant for a range of clients, including Fortune 100 companies, global girls’ initiatives and the U.S. Department of State, reaching women leaders in a dozen international cities. Vilardi is the co-author of the the Athena CORE10© – an innovative set of leadership competencies for 21st century women leaders based on the latest research and gender analysis for the Athena Center for Leadership Studies at Barnard College. She has appeared on the mainstage at Personal Democracy Forum, on CNN, BBC, and Fox News and her work was featured in O, The Oprah Magazine, Marie Claire, New York Magazine as well as numerous international and domestic articles on women and leadership. She is an Executive Producer of Ann Richards’ Texas, a documentary about the late pioneering governor.
Contact: info@legacy.voterunlead.org

 

Amanda O’Donnell, Chief Operating Officer

Amanda O’Donnell is a finance and operations expert who helps innovative and high-growth organizations build capacity to scale and significantly increase impact. She is passionate about empowering women and girls in leadership, bridging digital divides, and increasing diversity in our democratic systems. Amanda is thrilled to have joined VoteRunLead in 2017 as the organization’s first Chief Operations Officer.Prior to VoteRunLead, Amanda built over a decade of experience in the technology sector: as a founding member, CFO, and Partner at Control Group, where she developed financial and operational strategies that enabled the company’s transformation from startup to industry leader to acquisition and merger; and as SVP of Finance at Intersection, a Sidewalk Labs company committed to improving the urban experience, and the team leading LinkNYC.  Throughout her time in the industry, Amanda has been a leader of Women in Technology initiatives. Amanda graduated summa cum laude from the University of Massachusetts with a degree in Environmental Science and earned her MPA from NYU-Wagner. She has been a Board Member of MOUSE, a national youth development nonprofit, since 2015.  She is also a proud mom of two native New Yorkers. She resides in Brooklyn, works in Harlem, and loves to travel with her family to far-flung places with just one backpack and a Lonely Planet guide.
Contact: amanda@legacy.voterunlead.org

 

Faith Winter, National Program Director

Faith Winter is currently a Colorado State Representative, Executive Director of Emerge Colorado and consultant for VoteRunLead. Faith has spent her entire career inspiring people to action whether it is the thousands of women she trained to run for office at The White House Project, the young voters she turned out in 2004, or engaging her constituents on important issues facing Westminster. In 2004 Faith was named one of 30 people under 30 showing political leadership by the Youth Vote Coalition, in 2008 she was named one of the top ten most influential women in Denver by the Denver Examiner, in 2010 she was named Woman of the year by Colorado Business and Professional Women northwest chapter, in 2012 she was named one of the up and coming women leaders to watch by the Denver Post, and in 2014 the Colorado Democratic Party named her rising star. Faith loves organizing because she believes the best way to create change is by building power through people. Faith is a VoteRunLead alum from Colorado Go Run.
Contact: info@legacy.voterunlead.org

 

Maria Elena Garcia, Special Projects Manager

Maria Elena Garcia is the Special Projects Manager at VoteRunLead. Maria Elena previously interned for VoteRunLead as a Junior Project Manager in the summer and fall of 2017, managing our National 2017 training and alumnae outreach. She recently graduated from Barnard College of Columbia University with a BA in Sociology. Maria Elena is also a scholar in Barnard’s Athena Scholars Program, a program dedicated to training and studying women in leadership. She is dedicated to serving and empowering marginalized communities, particularly communities with women of color. She hopes to pursue a Masters in Public Policy and maybe one day you’ll see her in office.
Contact: maria@legacy.voterunlead.org

 

Mark Vilardi, Events & Operations Manager

Growing up, Mark lived in a household filled with strong women, solidifying his passion for and belief in gender equality. For over a decade, Mark has worked almost every possible position in the hospitality and restaurant industry in New York City, fine-tuning his management and organizational skills. Mark is an advocate for LGBTQ and equal rights, and currently pursuing a degree in social work. His free time is spent volunteering, riding his bike, and enjoying a glass of rosé.
Contact: mark@legacy.voterunlead.org

 

Tyler Shaffer, Lead Graphic Designer & Social Media Manager

Ty Shaffer is a conceptual, visual designer with a love for branding, typography, and creative direction. Ty is a graduate of the Columbus College of Art & Design, from where he earned his BFA in Advertising and Graphic Design. After completing his co-op as a design intern at The Switch: National Anti-Human Trafficking Network, he relocated to New York City. He’s excited to be a member of the VoteRunLead team, where he can continue to focus his design career on social justice and equality.
Contact: ty@legacy.voterunlead.org

 

Starre Haas, National Program Manager

Starre Haas is the National Program Manager at VoteRunLead. She earned dual degrees in Accounting & Finance, obtained her Masters in Public Service (MPS) at the Clinton School of Public Service, and is a graduate of the Women's Campaign School at Yale University. Starre is an expert in women's empowerment, southern women's engagement & leadership, women's political & professional leadership, networking, and civic engagement. Formerly, she has served as a Gender Equity Development Associate with the Women’s Foundation of Arkansas, a Commissioner for the Little Rock City Beautiful Commission, an Advisory Committee Member for the Little Rock Capitol Zoning District Commission, and as President-elect of the Downtown Little Rock Neighborhood Association. Her focus on advancing women in leadership is directly tied to a practice of participation in her home state of Arkansas, where she resides with her husband and two daughters, Ella & Scarlet.
Contact: starre@legacy.voterunlead.org

 

Marissa Reyes, Program & Fundraising Fellow

Marissa Reyes is currently a Senior at Barnard College of Columbia University in New York City. She is majoring in Political Science with a focus on American Politics. Throughout her undergraduate career, Marissa has managed a campaign for the first ever Latina to run for a local school board position in her school district, spoken at SXSW, interned for the ACLU of Washington in Seattle, Washington and recently finished a summer internship with the Senate Diversity Initiative under Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer in Washington DC. Marissa is passionate about public education reform, immigration policy reform, and equalizing access to higher education. When she’s not studying in the library, you can find Marissa jogging in Central Park or sharing a laugh with friends. Marissa is excited to be learning and working alongside the VoteRunLead team this fall.

 

Mae Viccica, Program & Communications Fellow

Mae Viccica is a junior at Barnard College majoring in Political Science and minoring in Statistics. Her studies focus on the intersection of politics and data in American government. She is a member of the Athena Scholars program and on the student advisory board of the Athena Digital Design Agency, both of which empower women in the areas of leadership and coding literacy. Previously, she has worked for Senator Kirsten Gillibrand as an operations and outreach intern. She also interned in Communications at the Clinton Foundation this past summer. Mae is from Salem, Massachusetts and is excited to work with VoteRunLead.

 

Anne Castaldi, Program & Fundraising Fellow

Anne Castaldi is a senior at The City College of New York majoring in both political science and international studies. Through her studies, Anne’s primary focus has been on international women and children’s rights advocacy. After graduation, Anne plans to enroll in law school to pursue a career as an immigration lawyer. Throughout her undergraduate career, Anne worked as a restaurant manager and beverage director. Through her education and management background, Anne hopes to exercise her passion for women’s rights advocacy at VoteRunLead.

Eliana Scully, Program Fellow

Eliana Scully has always had a passion for activism, having volunteered with Child Protective Services, the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, the Library for the Blind, and her research in Rehabilitation Counseling. Eliana is currently a student at UA Little Rock pursuing a degree in Economics and Psychology. She hopes to move onto getting a Masters in Behavioral Economics in order to help people function to the full extent of their ability. Eliana is pursuing a career in research, social justice, equality, and mental health. In her free time, Eliana enjoys hanging out with her friends, playing with her cats, and making guacamole.