Zunera Ahmed, former IGNITE Fellow for New York

Zunera Ahmed worked on Congressman Max Rose's successful campaign and now serves full time as a community liaison in his Brooklyn office. She is also a senior at Brooklyn College, pursuing a degree in psychology. Her passion for politics began at a young age and has carried into her college career. She serves as the Speaker in her campus student government has previously interned at Brooklyn College’s NYPIRG chapter. These experiences sparked her passion for advocacy. Zunera was a member of IGNITE’s inaugural college council in 2016-2017. She later served as the IGNITE NYC Fellow, mobilizing college women across the five Burroughs to pursue careers in government.  Zunera has her own aspirations to run for New York City Council in the coming years. 

Caitlin Moscatello, Author and Journalist

Caitlin Moscatello is the author of See Jane Win: The Inspiring Story of the Women Changing American Politics and a journalist and writer covering gender, reproductive rights, and politics, who has been reporting on the surge of female candidates since it began in early 2017. In recent years, she has been nominated for a National Magazine Award; received a Front Page Award and a Planned  Parenthood Media Excellence Award, and has been a United Nations press fellow reporting on women’s health issues. She’s also the founder of Repro, a newsletter about reproductive rights legislation at the state and federal levels. Moscatello’s writing has appeared in outlets including The Cut, Elle, Medium Cosmopolitan, Marie Claire, Glamour, Refinery29, Condé Nast Traveler, GQ, Sports Illustrated, Fast Company, and O, The Oprah Magazine. She lives in Manhattan.

Anne Moses, President & Founder, IGNITE  

Anne Moses has 20+ years experience in social justice and political organizations across the non-profit, political, and academic sectors with a focus on women and girls. In 2010, Anne founded IGNITE, a nationally recognized 501c3 that is building a movement of women who are ready and eager to become the next generation of political leaders. IGNITE has grown rapidly to become the largest and most diverse young women’s political leadership program in the country. Anne's previous senior leadership positions as Chief Operating Officer for Emerge America and Majority Council Director for EMILY’s List informed her passion and expertise in the arena of gender parity in political leadership. Throughout her career Anne has also worked as a consultant in the non-profit and philanthropic arenas, with clients across the environmental, veterans affairs, domestic violence, and health and human service sectors. She has served as Principal Investigator on federal, state and local evaluations regarding the impact of welfare and health care reform on low-income individuals and communities. Anne and her work have been featured on CBS, CNN, NPR, Fox News, Marie Claire, Cosmopolitan, Vox, Bustle, Refinery 29 as well as numerous international and domestic articles on women and leadership. Anne holds a Ph.D. from U.C. Berkeley, an MSW from New York University, and a B.A. from Middlebury College. Read about why Anne started IGNITE here.

Carlina Rivera, New York City Council Member, 2nd Council District 

Carlina Rivera represents the 2nd Council District which includes the diverse neighborhoods of the East Village, Flatiron, Gramercy Park, Rose Hill, Kips Bay, Murray Hill and the Lower East Side. During her time in the Council, Carlina has already introduced and passed legislation related to sexual harassment, immigration, criminal justice reform, affordable housing, small business survival, and bicycle safety.

Carlina was born and raised in the 2nd District of Lower Manhattan by a single mother who emigrated from Puerto Rico. She began her career in afterschool programming, working with children at some of New York City’s highest-needs schools. She went on to serve her local community, creating and organizing initiatives for seniors and homeless New Yorkers as Director of Programs and Services at Good Old Lower East Side (GOLES), a local non-profit focused on social justice.

Carlina has a history of bringing people together to improve the lives, resources and well-being of the residents of Manhattan’s East Side, whether as a community board member, as an organizer or on a taskforce that secured funding for East River waterfront resiliency in the immediate aftermath of Hurricane Sandy. After Sandy, Carlina helped coordinate thousands of volunteers to assist over 10,000 homebound residents as part of a recovery network that would go on to support families affected by the Second Avenue and Flatiron Explosions. She has already secured millions of dollars for her district to improve services, programs, schools and cultural institutions.

Carlina lives with her husband, pug, and turtle. She graduated from Marist College with a B.A. in Journalism, after attending local district schools her entire life.