Meet Our Team
Who We Are
About Rising Tide
Rising Tide Interactive is a full-service digital marketing agency dedicated to using data-driven strategy to achieve results that matter for our clients. We build winning digital programs by marrying our clients’ unique stories and goals with top-notch design, compelling narrative, and precise targeting.
We specialize in a range of services including advertising, social media, email fundraising, video, and creative design.
Rising Tide Interactive is strongly committed to employing our knowledge of the internet to create positive change – helping candidates and organizations who focus on promoting social justice. And you can count on us to do it all: manage multi-million-dollar fundraising programs, recruit grassroots donors and activists, persuade and turn out key voters, and mobilize audiences big and small.
Stephanie Grasmick
Partner
Partner
Stephanie Grasmick
In recent cycles, Stephanie has served as the chief digital strategist on campaigns, independent expenditure programs and ballot initiatives from the national to the local level, and she currently manages digital media for a portfolio of political and public affairs clients, including FWD.us, Rewiring America, Unite Here, and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. In 2021, she led RTI’s Voters and Media Survey, analyzing changing media consumption patterns among both persuadable likely voters and first-time voters. Her work frequently focuses on the intersection of digital measurement, data visualization and automation, and she frequently collaborates on cutting-edge studies of digital media in elections. Prior to joining Rising Tide in 2011, Stephanie served as a press aide in the U.S. Senate, digital content producer at DMG World Media, and deputy new media director at the DCCC. Stephanie holds a Bachelor of Journalism in Strategic Communication from the University of Missouri, and can usually be found in front of a fire or under a blanket.
Amanda Gravely
Partner, Creative
Partner, Creative
Amanda Gravely
For the past decade Amanda has led RTI’s creative department made up of Design, Video, and Content Strategy teams. With a background in graphic design and creative direction, she specializes in high-impact, digital-first creative that drives people to action. Amanda manages RTI’s creative projects from concept to execution. She oversaw Reed award-winning creative for Jacky Rosen’s successful Senate campaign in 2018 and Pollie award-winning creative for Giffords in 2020. In her 5+ cycles of political creative work, she’s led creative for: 35+ PACs, independent expenditures, and Democratic party committees; 35+ Senate, gubernatorial, and congressional candidates; and 40+ GOTV efforts. Amanda holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Graphic Design from Radford University. Most of her time outside of work is spent managing her cat Pepper’s social media presence.
Eli Kaplan
Founding Partner
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.
Annie Levene
Partner
Partner
Annie Levene
Under Annie’s leadership, Rising Tide Interactive has guided clients to develop both cutting-edge digital creative that is authentic and effective and media programs that reach, persuade, and turn out critical voters. Annie has carved a niche by building winning strategies in tough races, including executing the digital persuasion and GOTV programs for Senators Jacky Rosen, Kyrsten Sinema, Heidi Heitkamp, and Jeanne Shaheen, as well as the Independent Expenditure programs for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, End Citizens United and 314 Action. Annie has also run digital strategy for the successful reelection of Governors Kate Brown and Gretchen Whitmer and Senator Mark Kelly, as well as for Senator Amy Klobuchar’s Senate and presidential campaigns.
Akash Apte
Account Manager
Account Manager
Akash Apte
As an Account Manager, Akash helps craft and execute effective digital strategies for a variety of political and non-profit clients. Prior to joining RTI, Akash worked in digital fundraising for progressive campaigns, helping secure the Senate for Democrats in 2022 and raising funds for aid efforts in the wake of global crises. Outside of work, Akash enjoys making music, cooking, and biking aimlessly around DC.
Associate Director of Content Strategy
Amy Bolick
As Associate Director of Content Strategy, Amy specializes in crafting high-impact digital copy at the pace of campaigns. She’s written for clients like the DCCC, Voto Latino, Movement Labs, Haley Voters for Harris, Senator Amy Klobuchar, Congresswoman Sharice Davids, World Central Kitchen, and even celebrities like Amy Poehler. Amy’s ads contrasting Trump’s inflationary deficit spending with Harris’s pro-business agenda were among the highest testing independent spots in the final weeks of the 2024 cycle.
Amy is a Philadelphia native (Go Birds!), holds a Master’s Degree in Rhetoric and Writing from the University of South Florida, and will complete her law degree at the University of Maryland in May 2025. She and her wife live in Baltimore with their barky beagle, Franklin.
Rachel Clark
Director of Client Strategy
Director of Client Strategy
Rachel Clark
As Director of Client Strategy, Rachel leads innovative digital persuasion, mobilization, and fundraising campaigns to achieve her clients’ goals. She’s raised millions of dollars online for organizations including World Central Kitchen and the DCCC and led digital persuasion campaigns to reelect Reps. Sharice Davids and Greg Stanton, sway swing voters in Wisconsin and Iowa, and pass a public health care option in Nevada. Rachel is a proud native of Central New York and a graduate of Stony Brook University. One time she won on Jeopardy.
Steph Densberger
Director of Client Strategy
Director of Client Strategy
Steph Densberger
Steph finds innovative offerings to help her clients raise money, make an impact, and win. She has worked with advocacy organizations, nonprofits, and many red-state Democrats. Steph is originally from Indiana and prefers walking as a form of transportation.
Kristen Grosshans
Associate Director of Video Production
Associate Director of Video Production
Kristen Grosshans
Kristen is a video production expert with nearly a decade of agency and corporate experience focusing predominantly in health communications. She has cut video ads and created content for national health organizations including the NIH, as well as developed social content for advocacy groups focusing on issues from reproductive rights to fighting surprise medical billing. Kristen has managed crews of up to 20 people and directed on sets ranging from single camera intimate productions to multi day, multi episode series. Kristen holds a Bachelor of Science in Media Production from Radford University.
Jordan Harris
Associate Director of Client Strategy
Associate Director of Client Strategy
Jordan Harris
As Associate Director of Client Strategy, Jordan has experience managing digital media programs and turning client goals into actionable strategies for advertising and email programs. Jordan has worked on top-flight digital programs for the Democratic Party of Virginia, Mark Warner for Senate, Amy for America, the DCCC, and an independent persuasion experiment that helped flip Wisconsin in the 2020 presidential election. Prior to working at RTI, Jordan worked on a congressional campaign in Virginia’s 5th district and interned at the Virginia General Assembly. Out of the office, he enjoys playing sports, cooking new meals, and watching UVA basketball games (Go Hoos!).
Krista Hunsicker
Associate Design Director
Associate Design Director
Krista Hunsicker
As an Associate Design Director, Krista delivers clever results and great design strategy to influence people for the betterment of society. She holds a degree in Graphic Design from the University of Central Florida and has worked in various design roles at RTI since 2016, helping to pass legislation for orgs like NDRC, DCCC, and 314 Action, helping to elect Steve Bullock Governor of Montana, Jacky Rosen as Senator of Nevada, reelect Stephanie Murphy as a House member, and many more. Krista is a cinephile, enjoys watching the Oscars every year, and being inspired by old movie title sequences. She is a proud geek, halloween enthusiast, and thinks that trivia knowledge is a superpower.
Nadia Jaferey
Account Manager
Account Manager
Nadia Jaferey
Nadia worked for a variety of progressive campaigns electing Democrats at the local, state, and national level before joining the team at RTI. Nadia is a graduate of Emmanuel College in Boston, where she graduated with a B.A. in Political Science and a concentration in International Relations & Comparative Politics. She has almost a decade of experience in marketing, grasstops organizing, and campaign management. As an Account Manager at RTI, Nadia is responsible for managing digital media strategy for clients’ email and advertising programs. In her free time, you can find her browsing the shelves at local bookstores, exploring history museums, playing around in Photoshop, and checking out new restaurants she found on Yelp.
Bronson Kamei
Account Manager
Account Manager
Bronson Kamei
As an Account Manager, Bronson is an integral part of the strategic development and execution of direct response campaigns. Whether it’s raising millions of dollars or registering thousands of voters, he has a proven track record of helping clients drive action online. Bronson was born and raised in Southern California; despite this, he (mostly) manages to refrain from criticizing DC’s weather or its Mexican food.
Nina Kaplan
Director of Media
Director of Media
Nina Kaplan
Nina is RTI’s Director of Media focused on creating, implementing, and analyzing digital campaigns for a range of political candidates and advocacy organizations including NDRC, Be Change Now, Southern Poverty Law Center, DCCC, and Voting Rights Lab. Nina moved from Massachusetts to study strategic communications at American University. Outside of work, she enjoys cooking and hiking with her dog.
Neeraja Koneru
Vice President, Client Strategy
Vice President, Client Strategy
Neeraja Koneru
Neeraja has nearly a decade of experience leading the strategy and execution of digital campaigns. As the Vice President of our Client Strategy department, she handles some of our biggest online fundraising, voter persuasion, and Get Out The Vote programs. She worked with the Democratic Party of Georgia to help raise record-breaking amounts of money online prior to the January 2021 runoffs as well as to lead a digital turnout program that helped flip the U.S. Senate. In 2020, she led voter persuasion efforts in Wisconsin that hurt Donald Trump’s numbers. And, in 2018, she led the digital persuasion efforts that helped Governor Whitmer flip the governorship of Michigan blue. Additionally, she has worked with organizations and campaigns including Southern Poverty Law Center, National Democratic Redistricting Committee, Texas Democratic Party, and MJ for Texas to help raise millions of dollars online.
Neeraja is from Austin where she attended the University of Texas at Austin. She enjoys Scrabble, standup, spicy food, and Slack emojis.
Blake Kubin
Director of Human Resources and Operations
Director of Human Resources and Operations
Blake Kubin
Blake is the Director of Human Resources and Operations at RTI, where he works to manage and improve the employee experience. He got his start working in operations on numerous political campaigns, including Pete Buttigieg’s historic 2020 presidential run, and most recently in his home state of Virginia. Blake graduated from the George Washington University with a BA in Economics and Political Science focused on Public Policy.
Jon Lim
Video and Motion Graphics Editor
Video and Motion Graphics Editor
Jon Lim
Jon is an award-winning multimedia producer and motion designer with over seven years of experience. In 2018, he stepped into the world of political advertising, focusing on GOTV initiatives and voter education. He’s produced numerous digital spots for various progressive initiatives and campaigns, such as ACLU, Amy for America, Dr. Barbara Bollier for U.S. Senate, Clean Missouri, and Vote.PA. From 2014 to 2017, he worked at a global nonprofit called Unbound, bringing stories from families in 19 different countries through multimedia projects. Some of his key projects at Unbound have been recognized at places like HOW Design Magazine, Non-profit Connect, and TEDxKC. Jon holds a Bachelor of Fine Art in Digital Filmmaking from Kansas City Art Institute.
Lead Media Strategist
Chloe Stavrianos
As a Lead Media Strategist, Chloe is responsible for creating, implementing, and analyzing media plans to ensure we deliver the right message to the right audience at the right time. Originally from nearby Rockville, Maryland; she studied Political Science at American University and worked in RTI’s Client Strategy department for two election cycles before joining the media team. Outside of work, she enjoys hiking, running, and exploring DC’s restaurants and museums with friends.
Nick Marshall
Account Manager
Account Manager
Nick Marshall
As an Account Manager at RTI, Nick serves as the day-to-day contact for clients and is responsible for managing clients’ digital campaigns. Previously, Nick worked at Purple Strategies where he helped execute multifaceted communications campaigns. He also worked as an Advance Associate at The White House, ensuring that the President’s speaking events went off without a hitch. In his free time, Nick enjoys spending time outdoors, playing golf, and cheering on the Boston sports teams.
Matt McGee
Client Strategy Associate
Client Strategy Associate
Matt McGee
As a Client Strategy Associate, Matt produces the emails and assists with digital strategy for several progressive campaigns and organizations. Prior to joining RTI, Matt worked with other progressive organizations, with a particular focus on combating economic inequality, rethinking traditional corporate hierarchy, and advocating against pseudoscientific encroachments on public policy. Matt is a 2016 graduate of Syracuse University in New York, where he studied Information Management & Technology and Philosophy. Outside of work, Matt enjoys writing and listening to rock music and playing video games with friends.
Annelise Miranda
Account Manager
Account Manager
Annelise Miranda
As an Account Manager Annelise serves as the day-to-day contact for clients and manages the execution of their digital strategy in email and advertising programs. In her time at RTI, she has developed new methods for reporting to provide clients with the most comprehensive and useful data analysis that can inform future decisions to meet client goals. Before joining our team, Annelise earned her B.A. in Politics from the University of Virginia. When not at work, she can usually be found experimenting with a new hobby, working through her list of local restaurants to try with friends, or aggressively checking social media.
Claire O’Brien
Associate Director of Client Strategy
Associate Director of Client Strategy
Claire O’Brien
As Associate Director of Client Strategy, Claire has worked on persuasion, turnout, fundraising, and advocacy programs for clients like Jacky Rosen, Democratic Party of Georgia, and FWD.us. A graduate of George Mason University, Claire has previously worked in both the campaign and non-profit world, including with Hillary for America, the Ohio Democratic Party, and Demand Justice. In her free time she can be found reading, testing new recipes, and hanging out with her menagerie of pets.
Maggie Paja
Staff Accountant
Staff Accountant
Maggie Paja
As a Staff Accountant, Maggie supports the day-to-day operational activities of the firm’s accounts receivable and accounts payable functions. She also handles all accounting inquiries and requests from the client and media team. She started as an Operations/Accounting Intern at Rising Tide while getting her Business Administration degree with Finance specialization in University of Baltimore. In her free time, she loves visiting local coffee shops on the weekends with her pup, Enzo, or you can find her lifting in the gym.
Kathryn Requa
Lead Strategist
Lead Strategist
Kathryn Requa
As a Lead Strategist, Katie is responsible for overseeing the development and execution of cutting edge digital campaign strategies for her clients. Katie draws from nearly a decade of previous experiences in Democratic campaigns and progressive tech to bring innovative and advanced solutions to her programs. During her time at RTI, Katie has helped build high profile digital programs that include Charlie Crist for Governor, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, and Science Moms. She holds a B.A in Political Science from Southern Oregon University and a MA in Political Management from The George Washington University.
Fabio Rubiera
Director of Advertising Operations
Director of Advertising Operations
Fabio Rubiera
Fabio joined RTI in 2018 as the company’s first ad ops specialist and has since grown to lead the team responsible for creating and maintaining digital ad campaigns for all our clients. The Ad Ops team ensures that ad campaigns effectively execute the client’s digital strategy by following platform specific data driven best practices and works closely with the Client Strategy department to build, launch, and optimize these campaigns. He has worked in digital marketing since 2014, previously in the hospitality and automotive sectors. He graduated from Florida International University with a degree in political science. In his free time, Fabio enjoys watching historical documentaries and keeping up with the DC local music scene.
Maheen Shahid
Advertising Operations Manager
Advertising Operations Manager
Maheen Shahid
As Advertising Operations Manager, Maheen trafficks ads on a variety of digital platforms and advises on platform-specific best practices. Their background includes growing up in the Washington, D.C. area, a degree in Gender, Sexuality and Women’s Studies from Virginia Commonwealth University, and freelanced social media management. When not facing another obscure Facebook error, you can find Maheen enjoying Pan-Asian cuisine, curating her vintage glassware collection, and stanning Beyoncé.
Monica Summers
Director of Accounting
Director of Accounting
Monica Summers
Monica is the Director of Accounting 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.