Nathaly is the founder of Operativo. Previously, she served as Special Assistant to President Joe Biden and White House Director of Partnerships in the Office of Public Engagement and held senior communications roles under President Barack Obama. Nathaly has over a decade of experience creating data-driven communications, policy, and political campaigns for diverse organizations around the world. Before founding Operativo, Nathaly was Vice President of The Messina Group and served in the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives. Nathaly is a native of Peru and resides in Washington D.C. with her family.

Zuraya Tapia-Hadley is a seasoned strategic counselor and communicator with 20 years of experience. She excels in addressing complex policy and communication challenges for Fortune 10 companies and national non-profits. Zuraya has managed and held influential roles in the U.S. House of Representatives and organizations like the Hispanic National Bar Association and the U.S.-Mexico Foundation. Zuraya has served as an in-house lobbyist for companies such as UPS, Meta, and TelevisaUnivision.

Rebecca brings more than 15 years of experience in strategic communications and partnerships to our team.  She has led integrated campaigns and outreach for a variety of organizations to turn voices into movements. She most recently served as Deputy Director of the White House Initiative on Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders in the Biden-Harris Administration; she was previously Communications Director of the Initiative during the Obama-Biden Administration. Rebecca also held public affairs roles at the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services after initially joining the federal government as a Presidential Management Fellow. Rebecca received a master’s degree from Columbia University and a bachelor’s degree from Cornell University.

Adrian Saenz previously served in the Biden-Harris Administration as Special Assistant to the President and Deputy Director of the White House Office of Public Engagement. Adrian also previously served as Senior Advisor to President Obama in the White House Office of Intergovernmental Affairs where he managed relationships with Governors, legislators, and other state elected officials. Adrian also spent nearly a decade on Capitol Hill as a Chief of Staff and Communications Director.  He is a veteran of four presidential campaigns.

Sam is a Senior Advisor at Operativo and an experienced clean energy executive and a national expert in clean energy solutions. Sam currently advises a range of environmental justice, hydrogen, transportation and carbon capture clients on business strategy, government affairs and maximizing opportunities stemming from the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) and Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. He also is the Founder and CEO of Pivot Charging Co., a California-based company focused on developing EV charging stations and infrastructure for medium and heavy duty electric vehicles along port and logistics corridors. Sam has held senior roles at leading clean energy companies: Mosaic, Tesla and SolarCity. He previously worked in the Obama Administration and in Congress.

Kristen is Operativo’s Media Advisor and a public relations and communications professional with over a decade of experience in the U.S media market. Her previous roles include in-house marketing and communications for POLITICO in Washington, D.C., and NPR’s largest Los Angeles radio station, 89.3 LAist. Her projects have received accolades from Spotify, Apple Podcasts, The New York Times, and The Atlantic Magazine, and have won awards including The Webby Awards, International Documentary Association (IDA), and National Arts & Entertainment Journalism Awards, and New York Festivals Radio Awards. Kristen is based in The Hague, Netherlands and looks to rethink and rebuild the way we produce, distribute, and monetize digital content.

Monica is a Communications and Marketing Advisor at Operativo with a strong track record of crafting compelling narratives and leading impactful campaigns. She honed her public relations expertise through her work with prominent Democratic senators, including Ben Ray Luján, Catherine Cortez Masto, and the late Harry Reid. Beyond her government experience, Monica has held senior communications roles in both advocacy organizations and a political action committee, further broadening her expertise.Monica excels in navigating complex, high-stakes environments, with a particular strength in crisis management and strategic response planning. Her diverse experiences living in all three NAFTA countries have provided her with deep insights into cultural adaptability and the value of a global perspective. Recently, she further sharpened her strategic skills by earning a Master’s in Integrated Marketing Communications at Northwestern University.

Malik is Operativo’s Field strategy & Mobilization Partner and the Founder of Ethos Organizing. He brings extensive electoral political organizing experience having previously served as Executive Director of the Ohio Democratic Party and held leadership positions on Hilary Clinton's Presidential campaign and state campaigns for Barack Obama in '08 and '12. Malik has extensive expertise in movement-building and has worked at 1199 SEIU and the Center for Popular Democracy Action. His Midwest, state, and national experience make him a valuable asset to any organization or campaign striving for social and political change.

Elsa is Operativo’s Social Impact partner and Founder of Ideateur, This is About Humanity and Poderistas. She is on the frontlines of mobilizing and partnering with influencers and celebrities in many social justice efforts in the United States. Her recent work includes: Fair Count/Fair Fight, The New Georgia Project, Aliento, Aqui Se Vota, Battleground Texas, the NBA, I am A Voter, Voto Latino and Hillary Clinton’s Presidential Campaign.  Elsa lives in Los Angeles with her husband and three children Alessandra, Valentina and Massimo.

Kalwis is a Senior Associate at Operativo. He brings over a decade of experience in government affairs, public policy, and partnerships. Most recently, Kalwis served as the director of strategic partnerships at Scholarship America, the nation’s largest private scholarship organization. During his time at Scholarship America, Kalwis was featured in the Wall Street Journal and The Hechinger Report for his work. Throughout his career, he has established a track record of forming successful coalitions to pass bipartisan legislation at the state and federal levels–including two bills approved unanimously by the California State Legislature in 2019 and 2022. Kalwis began his career in Washington, DC as the legislative director for the U.S. Student Association.

Shyh is an Associate at Operativo. Her expertise includes, public relations, content creation, and project management for Operativo. She has managed communications for U.S. Representative Ruben Gallego (AZ-3) with the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute, and led marketing campaigns for technology and advocacy clients. Shyh was recently an associate at AlphaSights, Inc where she focused on market research for corporate strategy and due diligence projects for leading consultancies and private equity firms. She is from the Bay Area, CA, and graduated from Gonzaga University with a BA in Communication Studies and Promotions.

Cecilia manages Social Impact projects at Operativo. She has a bachelor’s degree in Journalism and has 7+ years experience in cultural journalism, content writing, social media monitoring and bi-lingual public engagement. She has managed Public Relations and Social Media campaigns for corporate clients and social movements. Her past work includes working press for high-profile international cultural events such as the HAY Festival, known as “The Woodstock of the Mind ''. Additionally, Cecilia has done project management, event planning, content creation, and creative consulting for a well-known publishing company in LATAM. She also has a deep passion for teaching English as a Foreign Language and has taught at various institutions and at all levels and ages. She is bilingual and has a native level in both English and Spanish.

Caroline is Operativo's Public Affairs Fellow, bringing experience in government affairs, strategic communications, and advocacy to her role. Previously, she worked for the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute in the Office of Representative Raúl Ruiz (D-CA), as well as on an immigration lobbying team at Cornerstone Government Affairs. Additionally, she has spent the past four years organizing a grassroots reproductive health organization serving her community in Washington, D.C. Caroline is currently completing her Masters in Public Administration at George Washington University, where she also received a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Spanish.

Min is a Visual design specialist with a keen eye for creating compelling visual assets. Proficient in a range of responsibilities, he excels at producing digital images, illustrations, and implementing graphic designs for diverse projects at Operativo. With solid experience in design, Min brings a unique blend of creativity and strategic thinking to every project. Hailing from South Korea, he graduated from the Academy of Art University with a BFA in New Media.