Who We Are

Founding Partner

Eli Kaplan

Rolling Stone Magazine has recognized Eli as a millennial who is “making a mark” on how the left wins elections. That’s because for the past 12 years, Eli has been at the forefront of digital marketing innovations in Democratic politics. As a founding partner of both Rising Tide Interactive and DSPolitical, he’s pioneered some of the best practices for using “big data” in the world of online political advertising — both for email acquisition and fundraising, and for voter persuasion and mobilization. He’s helped Democrats win some of the most hard-fought political races in the country — including U.S. Senate and gubernatorial contests in Colorado, Montana, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia, and more. Prior to founding Rising Tide Interactive, Eli managed digital media operations for a series of extremely competitive statewide political campaigns. He’s been honored with awards by the Association of American Political Consultants and Campaigns & Elections magazine.  He’s spoken at conferences such as AdMonsters OPS, Netroots Nation, and CampaignTech, and guest-lectured at his alma mater, the University of Pennsylvania.

Partner

Stephanie Grasmick Sager

Stephanie is one of the premiere digital strategists in progressive politics. She currently manages digital media for a portfolio of political and public affairs clients, including FWD.us, the National Democratic Redistricting Committee, and Senator Joe Donnelly. Stephanie was recently named one of the top “women to watch” bridging tech and politics during the 2016 election cycle by MSNBC. Her background also includes media relations work in the U.S. Senate, digital content production at DMG World Media, and serving as Deputy New Media Director at the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. Stephanie frequently collaborates with the Analyst Institute on cutting-edge studies of digital media in elections, and her writing has been published in Roll Call. She holds a Bachelor of Journalism with a focus on Strategic Communication from the University of Missouri and enjoys tending to her very small garden in Northeast D.C.

Partner

Annie Levene

Under Annie’s leadership, Rising Tide Interactive has guided clients in the creation of cutting-edge digital programs designed to raise millions of dollars through recruiting and engaging with grassroots donors and to reach, persuade, and turn out critical voters. Annie has carved a niche by developing winning strategies for tough races and issues, including executing all fundraising and persuasion advertising for Heidi Heitkamp’s U.S. Senate race, serving as the chief digital strategist on the Democratic Governors Association’s winning Independent Expenditure in Connecticut on behalf of Governor Dan Malloy, and overseeing all digital strategy for 2016’s Yes on Colorado End of Life Options ballot initiative. Annie has personally directed programs for the Democratic Governors Association, Senator Chris Coons, Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, and Senator Tim Kaine. Before working at Rising Tide Interactive, Annie served as senior strategist at Net Benefits Media. Annie holds a BA in English from the University of Michigan.

Chief Operating Officer

Lizz Gramling

Elizabeth, or Lizz, serves as RTI’s Chief Operating Officer and she oversees all aspects of operations, finance, and HR at the firm. Prior to joining RTI, Lizz was the Director of Operations and Services at Hillary for America, and she previously served as Chief Operating Officer of the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee. Despite studying biology at Rosemont College, Lizz has spent over a decade working at the intersection of operations management and politics. In her spare time Lizz enjoys hiking with her dog, Milan, and traveling.

Digital Media Specialist

Alina Ambrosino

Email Marketing Associate

Joanna Barrett

Digital Advertising Associate

Claire Baumgartner

Claire is a Digital Advertising Associate. Prior to joining Rising Tide Interactive she worked on multiple progressive campaigns, most notably for Secretary Hillary Clinton in Iowa and Ohio. Claire hails from Virginia by way of New England and graduated from George Mason University with a degree in psychology. When she’s not working, Claire enjoys reading, doing puzzles, taking long walks, and playing with her cats, Athena and Louise.

Accounting Clerk

Maggie Bigol

Senior Email Marketing Manager

Kaitlyn Bivin

Kaitlyn arrived in the District three years ago fresh from the plains of Oklahoma. Since coming to D.C., she’s worked with national for- and non-profit companies and organizations developing social media strategy, campaigns, and content. As a Senior Email Marketing Manager at RTI, she manages large-scale email fundraising campaigns for Democratic candidates and national non-profits. In her free time (when she can find some), you can find Kaitlyn fixing her latest knitting mistake over a beverage or ready to have a passionate conversation about most anything.

Email Marketing Associate

Russell Crock

As an Email Marketing Associate, Russell performs quality assurance for email campaigns and tries to nail down that ever-elusive Democratic message. In his previous political life, he’s worked for Senator Chris Van Hollen, Missouri AG Chris Koster, and Virginia LG Justin Fairfax. When he’s not telling people that their vote actually does matter, you can find him building LEGOs or watching Duke basketball.

Senior Email Marketing Manager

Steph Densberger

Steph is a Senior Email Marketing Manager whose career has been in digital and email marketing. She insists on vivid copywriting, enjoys bending CRMs to her will, and loves seeing her clients’ names in print. Originally from Indiana, she’s a D.C. lifer by now. She reads everything, walks everywhere, and judges people who use umbrellas in the snow.

Director of Client Strategy

Ben Deutsch

Before coming to Rising Tide Interactive, Ben was the digital director for Gary Peters’ successful bid for the U.S. Senate in 2014 and worked at Hill+Knowlton Strategies, where he led digital campaigns for public affairs initiatives and global brands. At RTI, he leads a team of strategists who run innovative fundraising and advocacy efforts for political campaigns, party committees, and non-profits. Ben has a Bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and Political Science from the University of Evansville.

Senior Digital Advertising Manager

Cassie Doyle

As a Senior Digital Advertising Manager, Cassie is responsible for developing strategy and optimizing online ad campaigns for RTI clients. Cassie joins Rising Tide from Story Partners, a strategic communications firm where she managed paid and earned media campaigns and web design projects. She began her career in DC on the staff of former Maine Congressman Mike Michaud. Cassie is a graduate of Vanderbilt and an avid fan of Boston sports teams, chicken pad Thai, and petting other people’s dogs.

Email Marketing Associate

Brittany Gault

As an Associate at RTI, Brittany builds the emails that help candidates share their message with constituents and voters. Before making the switch to digital,  she worked as a field organizer in Bucks County, PA.  She graduated from Northwestern University in 2017 (go ‘cats!)  with a B.A. in Political Science and concentration in Integrated Marketing Communications. When she’s not working, Brittany can be found watching TV dramas of questionable quality, reading, or buying out your local supermarket’s sprinkles stock.

Senior Digital Advertising Associate

Scott Geldzahler

Scott moved to Washington, D.C. after graduating from Tufts University with a Political Science degree in 2016. Described by his uncles as “a bleeding-heart liberal,” he’s worked with a variety of political and non-profit clients in digital persuasion and direct action fundraising. In his free time, Scott attempts to sear the perfect steak and compose the perfect tweet.

Creative Director

Amanda Gravely

Amanda is a graphic designer who specializes in digital-first creative for progressive campaigns and causes. As Creative Director, she leads our team of graphic designers and video editors, managing projects from concept to execution. Since 2014, she’s worked with a variety of RTI clients including Ready for Hillary and the Democratic Governors Association, leveraging design to drive people to action. Amanda holds a BFA in Graphic Design from Radford University. Most of her time outside of work is spent managing her cat Pepper’s social media presence.

Digital Advertising Associate

Jordan Harris

Email Marketing Associate

Tasha Hendershot

Tasha is an Ultimate Frisbee fanatic who disguises herself as an email marketer by day. She graduated from Florida State University studying Marketing and English while also chasing plastic with the Seminole Ladies Ultimate Team. If she’s not using her keyboard typing powers to defend democracy, she’s probably analyzing email metrics and editing copy.

Senior Email Marketing Manager

Mia Hodge

Mia is a Senior Email Marketing Manager at Rising Tide Interactive, where she works with political candidates, parties, and non-profit organizations to craft effective email programs tailored to each client’s unique needs. Before coming to RTI, Mia served as a consultant to ballot measure campaigns that raised over $1.5 billion in funding for California public services. Mia holds a B.A. in Political Science from the University of California, Berkeley. A native Californian, Mia can be found exploring various D.C. farmers’ markets on the weekend.

Graphic Designer

Krista Hunsicker

Krista is a Graphic Designer on our Creative Team who believes in using clever solutions and great design to influence people for the betterment of society. She holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Graphic Design from the University of Central Florida. Krista is a cinephile (lover of films) and enjoys watching the Oscars every year and being inspired by the title sequences. She is a proud geek and thinks that trivia knowledge is a superpower.

Digital Advertising Associate

Angeline Jefferson

As a Digital Advertising Associate, Angeline’s goal is to help clients truly understand the performance of their online ads. She began her career in politics as a field organizer on Senator Mary Landrieu’s Campaign for Louisiana, continuing as a Communications intern for the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation. A proud New Orleanian, Angeline graduated from Howard University in 2014 with a BBA in Marketing.  In her spare time, Angeline can be found playing hostess to her friends, color-coding her planner, and looking for the next best brunch.

Junior Graphic Designer

Jacqueline Juengst

Jacqueline is a designer on the creative team who strives to engage audiences with compelling graphics across platforms. She graduated from The University of Texas at Austin with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Design. When not visiting museums around town, she enjoys curling up with a hot cup of tea.

Senior Digital Advertising Associate

Michael Kalmans

As a Senior Digital Advertising Associate, Michael supports digital communications and targeted advertising campaigns for a variety of political and non-profit organizations. Previously, his passion for the intersection of politics and social impact led him to intern in the Massachusetts House of Representatives and at ActBlue. Originally from Connecticut, Michael graduated from Tufts University in 2017 with a degree in Political Science. Outside the office, Michael can be found biking along the Potomac River and searching for D.C.’s best latte.

Digital Advertising Content Strategist

Stephanie King

As Digital Advertising Content Strategist, Stephanie writes content for RTI’s digital campaigns.  Before joining RTI, Stephanie worked as a Field Organizer and Campaign Manager for local campaigns, before spending the last two years focusing on writing campaign communications, first print and mail, and then digital.  Stephanie has a BA in Political Science and Biology from Johns Hopkins University, and when not writing, she can be found drinking coffee and perfecting her garlic bread recipe.

Senior Digital Advertising Manager

Neeraja Koneru

Neeraja has led strategy and execution of digital campaigns for clients in both the non-profit and for-profit worlds for years successfully executing on a range of strategies including: sales growth, email list growth, and fundraising. As a marketing thought leader, she’s also led educational webinars with SEMPO, and published blog posts with a number of organizations including Marketing Land. Neeraja is from Austin where she received her B.A. from the University of Texas at Austin. She enjoys reading, Scrabble, standup, & spicy food.

Senior Writer and Content Strategist

Helen Luryi

As RTI’s Senior Writer and Content Strategist, Helen conceptualizes campaigns and produces email content for progressive candidates and organizations. She got her start in email marketing as a Senior Writer for the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee. Previous to that, she worked for a series of policy and advocacy organizations focused on women’s and workers’ rights. When she’s not brainstorming email ideas at odd hours, Helen is often engaging in some sort of activism or hanging out at the local dog park.

Digital Advertising Associate

Max Makovetsky

Max is a Digital Advertising Associate at RTI, where he helps clients understand how their ads are performing. He is beyond excited to put his digital marketing experience to work for clients he believes in. Max was born in Minneapolis, MN, and then moved east to study English and Political Science at Tufts University (go Bos!). He loves running, podcasts, meditation, and his poorly behaved dog, Rudy.  

Director of Digital Advertising and Technology

Kelsey McLaughlin

Kelsey manages RTI’s online advertising team as Director of Digital Advertising and Technology and is based in San Francisco. She got her start in politics on President Obama’s 2008 campaign, and later served as digital director for No Labels, a non-profit political organization. In addition to overseeing the digital advertising department, Kelsey manages digital strategy for clients including the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, Compassion & Choices, and key 2018 Senate races. Kelsey graduated with high honors and a Bachelor of Political Science from the University of California, Santa Barbara.

Senior Advisor

Kevin McTigue

Kevin McTigue is a Senior Advisor at Rising Tide Interactive where he helps clients navigate the strategic and digital landscapes. He is a veteran of numerous campaigns and served as the Deputy Director for Independent Expenditures at the Democratic Governors Association. While at the DGA, he helped elect new governors in Hawaii, Pennsylvania, and Rhode Island, and re-elect governors in Colorado, Connecticut, Minnesota, and New Hampshire. A native of Ann Arbor, Kevin believes in Jim Harbaugh.

Advertising Operations Specialist

Matt Medeiros

Junior Writer

Cliff Naylor

As a Junior Writer, Cliff drafts the emails that fund the resistance. Before coming to RTI he worked on various national and state-level campaigns in Colorado and learned the importance of local political engagement. He’s also enjoyed brief stints as a book publisher, fashion designer, bicycle peddler, and teleprompter-scroller-guy. He does not want to climb a mountain, go skydiving, get on a roller-coaster, or really do anything that people fool themselves into thinking is fun.

Staff Assistant

Lindsay O’Keefe

Lindsay is the Staff Assistant at RTI, where she supports the partners and the Operations team. She received her master’s degree in Gender Studies from Utrecht University in the Netherlands and her bachelor’s degree in History and Sociology from St. Olaf College in Northfield, MN. Prior to joining RTI she interned for Senator Amy Klobuchar’s (D-MN) DC office. In her free time Lindsay loves playing with her dog Maya and reading fantasy novels with strong female protagonists.

Associate Director of Email Marketing

Colin Oldenburg

Colin has served as a digital strategist for multiple political campaigns and non-profits, specializing in online fundraising through email marketing. He served on President Barack Obama’s reelection campaign and was one of the first digital staff hired for Secretary Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign. He also served as Mary Burke’s digital director for her campaign for governor of Wisconsin and oversaw online fundraising for the Southern Poverty Law Center. Colin graduated from Clark University, where he studied political science and was a NCAA athlete on the swim team.

Digital Advertising Manager

Saron Olkaba

Saron is a Digital Advertising Manager at RTI. She joined the team after two years working at a trade organization in the energy industry. Saron graduated from Marymount University with a degree in English/Creative Writing. Her time interning in the marketing departments of organizations like the 9:30 Club and the National Theatre sparked an interest in the ever-evolving digital space. In her spare time Saron enjoys creative writing, live music, and trying new restaurants around the city.

Senior Digital Advertising Manager

Juliana Pajdo

Juliana has worked at Rising Tide since the 2016 cycle and is currently a Senior Digital Advertising Manager. She graduated from New York University in 2016 with a degree in Politics. Before working at RTI, she held internships at the Center for American Progress and the U.S. Department of Education. Since an all-female Ocean’s movie was finally released, she is now taking suggestions for new lifelong dreams.

Email Marketing Manager

Emily Perlstein

Emily is an Email Marketing Manager at RTI, responsible for day-to-day client contact and strategy. She started out at Rising Tide as an intern, and previously interned at the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee and Ready for Hillary PAC. She recently graduated from The George Washington University, where she studied Political Communications and History. In her free time, Emily loves to read, listen to ’70s rock, and explore D.C.

Junior Graphic Designer

John Robinson

John is one of the designers on RTI’s Creative Team. With a background working for non-profit organizations, he believes in using design to create impactful visuals to provide value to an audience. He obtained a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Art & Design from Frostburg State University. Outside of work, John is an avid solo traveler, snack connoisseur, and lover of portrait photography and visual storytelling.

Associate Director of Content Strategy

Emily Rossi

Emily helps Rising Tide Interactive clients build their best digital selves, using creative and comprehensive online strategies and memorable, authentic content. Before joining RTI, Emily served as Director of Digital Media to Senator Claire McCaskill and the Homeland Security & Governmental Affairs Committee, and Sr. Content Developer to Clerk of the House, Karen Haas. She has a Masters in Digital and Political Communications from Johns Hopkins, and a Bachelors in Theatre from William & Mary.

Advertising Operations Manager

Fabio Rubiera

As Advertising Operations Manager, Fabio’s work involves trafficking new ads on all advertising platforms as well as regular maintenance and quality assurance of ongoing ad campaigns. He studied Political Science at Florida International University in Miami, FL and has previously worked in digital advertising for the automotive and hospitality industries. In his free time he likes to listen to and play music, play video games, and go on hiking trips.

Email Marketing Associate

Grace Salvant

Grace Salvant is an Email Marketing Associate at RTI.  Prior to transitioning to digital, she worked in both live music event production and Higher Education. Grace graduated from Howard University’s School of Communications with a B.A. in Public Relations in 2010. In her free time, she enjoys writing, shopping, teaching indoor cycling classes, and dancing to Beyoncé.

Senior Email Marketing Associate

Brianna Shamsuddoha

As a Senior Email Marketing Associate, Brianna assists in implementing client strategies to achieve targeted goals and supports managers and senior staff by providing reliable data. Before RTI, Brianna worked for Senator Gary Peters after graduating from Michigan State University (go Green!). Outside of work, Brianna enjoys cooking for friends and family as well as hanging out with her recently adopted corgi, Brynn.

Email Marketing Associate

Daryle Sharpe

Daryle graduated from George Mason University studying Government and International Politics. His leisure time was spent filming short films about sports with his younger brother and close friends. As an Email Marketing Associate at RTI, his time is spent defending progressive democracy and analyzing data.

Director of Digital Advertising Services

Jake Sticka

Jake is the Director of Digital Advertising Services, overseeing persuasion and direct response advertising for RTI’s clients. This is his third election cycle as a part of RTI’s digital advertising team. Jake is a native of San Diego, a graduate of Georgetown University, and a suffering fan of Padres baseball and Hoyas basketball.

Junior Writer

Blake Stump

As a Junior Writer, Blake drafts the content driving our clients’ online fundraising programs. Prior to coming to RTI, Blake interned with the Senate Budget Committee and worked on Congressional campaigns in Texas and Virginia. He has a degree in Communication Studies from Baylor University in Waco, Texas, where he grew up. In his free time, you can usually find him watching Netflix, catching up on the news, or playing video games.

Staff Accountant

Monica Summers

Monica is the Staff Accountant at RTI.  She handles the day-to-day financial operations, maintains financial records, and performs general bookkeeping functions.  Monica has 8+ years of accounting experience. Prior to coming to RTI she performed accounting functions for a large government contracting research corporation with a concentration in the advancement of space and science technology.  Monica is an avid roller skater and a die-hard Redskins fan. She also enjoys cooking, jewelry making and interior decorating.