MEET
OUR TEAM

Lindsay Owens, Ph.D., is the Executive Director of the Groundwork Collaborative. Widely known for her ability to communicate pressing economic concepts and arguments, Lindsay has been credited with changing the way we understand inflation, by leading the charge to expose –  and articulate – the role of firm pricing power and corporate profiteering in price increases. Her work has been hailed by Jon Stewart as “music to my ears,” and by consumer advocate Ralph Nader as “a burst of new energy in the civic community in Washington, D.C.” 

An early founder of Groundwork, Lindsay now leads the organization’s mission and strategy to build an economy that is more equitable and just. In this role, Lindsay goes beyond the numbers, combining her academic expertise with political savvy and a keen understanding of how people actually experience the economy in their lives. 

Under Lindsay’s leadership, Groundwork has become a go-to organization for media, congressional testimony, and research on the economy. She regularly advises the White House, candidates for elected office, and members of Congress on policies to ensure the economy works for all of us. Lindsay has authored numerous op-eds and is regularly featured as a leading economic voice in national publications like the Washington Post, PBS NewsHour, MSNBC, CNN, and the New York Times. 

Prior to joining Groundwork, Lindsay served as a senior economic policy adviser to Senator Elizabeth Warren, and deputy chief of staff and legislative director to Representatives Keith Ellison and Progressive Caucus Chair Pramila Jayapal. She holds a Ph.D. from Stanford University and a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Pennsylvania.

Jasmin Johansen-Hickman is the Chief of Staff at the Groundwork Collaborative. She has management experiences working in the corporate, early education, and non-profit sectors. Her professional interests focus on strategic planning, programmatic processes, operations, and organizational management.

Prior to joining the Groundwork Collaborative, she worked as a Program Evaluator for Smart Start & the North Carolina Partnership for Children where she managed all program evaluation, monitoring, and resource development for its early education service programs. Prior to Smart Start, Jasmin served as a Family Service Center Director for Action for Boston of Community Development, Inc. where she oversaw its programs, facility operations, fiscal planning, and a team of personnel, volunteers, and interns. Throughout her career, Jasmin has spearheaded a number of projects that include strategic implementation initiatives, operational systems, personnel trainings, and event planning.

Jasmin holds an Executive Masters of Business Administration from the Fuqua School of Business at Duke University, and a B.A. in Economics from Spelman College. She is from Boston, MA and currently lives in Maryland where she enjoys exploring local attractions with her family and dog, Sonny.

Dr. Rakeen Mabud is the Chief Economist and Managing Director of Policy and Research at the Groundwork Collaborative. A nationally respected policy expert, Rakeen is a leading thinker on the economy with a unique ability to communicate complex economic concepts in an accessible way. She played a key role in Groundwork’s pioneering effort to expose the role of corporate profiteering in inflation and serves as a leading policy expert and spokesperson on how economic trends impact people’s everyday lives, with a particular attention to structural disparities by race and gender.

Rakeen frequently testifies before Congress to help lawmakers understand how workers and small businesses are experiencing disruptions like inflation and the pandemic. In addition, she is a core member of Groundwork’s executive team, helping guide the organization’s strategy and managing its policy and research portfolio. She also serves as a board member for the National Employment Law Project (NELP).

Rakeen’s work is regularly published in many of the most prominent publications in the nation, and her views on how to ensure the economy works for all have been quoted in The New York Times, Washington Post, and NPR, among others. She is also a frequent commentator on TV, appearing on outlets including NBC Nightly News and Yahoo Finance.  

Prior to joining Groundwork, Rakeen developed deep experience in economics and policy as a Special Assistant in the Office of Economic Policy at the U.S. Department of the Treasury, serving as a Fellow at the Roosevelt Institute, leading the research portfolio at Time’s Up Foundation, and conducting research at Harvard Business School. She holds a Ph.D. in Government from Harvard University, and a B.A. from Wellesley College in Economics & Political Science.

Giselle Abreu is the Special Assistant at the Groundwork Collaborative. Giselle provides administrative, policy, and research support to help Groundwork advance an economic vision for strong, broadly shared prosperity and true opportunity for all. 

Prior to joining Groundwork, Giselle interned at the Morris County Board of Elections, where she participated in various campaigns to increase voter turnout and facilitated daily operations. She also worked closely with the University of Pennsylvania’s Office of the President as an administrative assistant intern. 

Giselle has a B.A. in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics from the University of Pennsylvania. Originally from New Jersey, Giselle enjoys hiking, gaming, competitive cheerleading, and exploring her new home of Washington, D.C. 

Jae Aron is the Director of Communications at the Groundwork Collaborative. Jae leads our press and media operations, identifying key strategic opportunities to shift the media narrative towards a more progressive economic worldview. 

Jae is a communications strategist with nearly a decade of experience driving issue advocacy, storytelling, and media efforts for progressive non-profits, foundations, and political campaigns. Most recently, Jae was the Senior Communications Manager at TIME’S UP, where she led press and messaging strategies to advance safety and gender equity in the workplace. 

Originally from Williamsburg, Virginia, Jae received her Bachelors of Arts in American Studies from Wesleyan University and a Masters of Science in Politics and Communication from the London School of Economics. She lives in Washington, D.C. with her partner and cat (who thinks she’s a dog).

Chris Becker is the Senior Economist and Associate Director of Policy and Research at the Groundwork Collaborative. 

Before joining Groundwork, Chris was a Research Fellow at the Roosevelt Institute and the Southern Economic Advancement Project. In this role, he helped develop a blueprint for a just transition away from fossil fuels in Louisiana. His previous academic research and dissertation focused on the economic history and political economy of the United States, with a particular emphasis on the U.S. South.

Chris holds a Ph.D. in Economics from Stanford University. He also has a B.A. in Economics and B.S. in Mathematics from Marquette University. He is originally from the Northwest Suburbs of Chicago. He is a diehard Chicago Bears fan and cheers for the 2021 NBA Champion Milwaukee Bucks.

Stacy Cervantes is the Event Manager at the Groundwork Collaborative. Stacy manages all Groundwork events, including webinars and online event productions, virtual and in-person convenings and community gatherings. Stacy brings more than 15 years of experience in public relations and event management, primarily in academia and the non-profit sector, to the Groundwork team.  

Originally from Southern California and growing up all over North America, Stacy is a power reader, eternal learner, master knitter and avid traveler to the Carribean and Bermuda. Stacy has a Bachelor of Journalism degree in advertising & public relations  from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, and a Master of Tourism Administration degree in Sustainable Tourism and Event Management from The George Washington University.

Q Chaghtai is the Senior Digital Manager at the Groundwork Collaborative.

Before joining Groundwork, Q worked as a Digital Brand Manager at the Outdoor Advertising Association of America (OAAA), where he led outgoing communications, branding, and graphic design for both digital communications and out-of-home spaces. With a penchant for strong design, Q’s work has been featured on billboards across the country and notably on the iconic digital billboards in Times Square NYC. Prior to OAAA, Q worked at a boutique advertising agency.

Q originally hails from Virginia and has a B.A in English from Virginia Commonwealth University. Typically, you can catch Q talking about his latest fitness obsession, making obscure television references, or perfecting a charcuterie board.

Jin Woo Chung is the Senior Economist at the Groundwork Collaborative. Jin Woo is an expert on public policy, and he conducts qualitative and quantitative economic analysis supporting Groundwork’s mission.

Before joining the team, he worked on issues of economic and racial justice at the Open Society Foundations and New York City Mayor’s Office. He also served as a Harold Rosenthal Fellow in the U.S. Treasury Department and as a Coro Fellow in Public Affairs in New York.

Jin Woo has a Master in International Affairs from Columbia University and majored in history as an undergraduate at CUNY Hunter College. Originally from South Korea, he currently lives in New York City and enjoys birdwatching in Central Park, a hobby he picked up during the lockdown.

Emily Erfani is the Director of Operations at the Groundwork Collaborative, where she leads the financial management, operational, and administrative functions of the organization.   

Emily brings more than 15 years of strategic operational leadership, having developed and supported teams in a variety of international and domestic non-profit organizations. Prior to joining Groundwork, she was Director of Operations and Budget at UnidosUS. Her professional interests include strategic planning, process streamlining, and financial transparency.

Outside of work, she enjoys cooking, gardening, and almost anything outdoors; provided the mosquitoes aren’t too ferocious.

Claire Guzdar is the Managing Director of Campaigns and Partnerships at the Groundwork Collaborative, working to advance a cross-cutting economic narrative for the progressive movement.

Prior to joining Groundwork in 2019, Claire was Associate Director of the Faith and Progressive Policy Initiative at the Center for American Progress, where she designed and executed advocacy and communications strategies to ensure progressive victories on economic justice, healthcare, religious liberty, and other issues. Previously, Claire was Field Associate and minimum wage lobbyist at NETWORK Lobby for Catholic Social Justice.

Before discovering a passion for progressive public policy, Claire was a high school teacher and college campus minister. She earned degrees in Theology from Boston College and Catholic Theological Union, where she was a Bernardin Scholar.

Eric Harris is the inaugural Director of the Economic Speakers Bureau, a network of experts and storytellers amplifying the voices of working people across the national media landscape.

Before joining Groundwork, Eric worked in the U.S. House of Representatives for nearly a decade as a senior communications advisor for Committee Chairs and members of Congress on the House Ways and Means, Financial Services, and Oversight and Reform Committees. Under the leadership of Reps. Jim Himes, Jimmy Gomez, and Gwen Moore, he helped shape some of the most important economic debates of the last 10 years with a focus on the rights and dignity of American workers. 

On the House Select Committee on Economic Disparity and Fairness in Growth, Eric was the Co-Creator and Senior Producer of the groundbreaking documentary, “Grit & Grace: The Fight for the American Dream.” Featuring powerful stories of resolve that explore what it means to find economic security, the first-of-its-kind film received critical acclaim and was hailed by the Washington Post as “an unprecedented break from the traditional output of lawmakers on Capitol Hill.”

As an expert in public affairs and opinion journalism, Eric led media relations and op-ed writing workshops for the Congressional Black Caucus, Congressional Hispanic Caucus, Congressional Progressive Caucus, and Democratic Policy and Communications Committee. He has also shared his views on the generational differences in attitudes to economic challenges as a Brookings Institution panelist.

Before his time in Congress, Eric was a communications strategist for not-for-profit organizations, political campaigns, and corporate clients. His work has been featured in the New York Times, CNN, and other top media outlets. He is a former NBC News opinion contributor, has appeared on prime-time segments for NBC News and MSNBC, and holds a Bachelor’s degree from UCLA.

Kendall is the Program Associate of Campaigns and Partnerships at Groundwork Collaborative. Prior to joining Groundwork, Kendall interned at the Iranian and Kurdish Women’s Rights Organization in London, U.K., helping to address issues of gender-based violence faced by women and girls from the Middle East and Northern Africa. She also volunteered for a nonprofit focused on domestic violence. 

Kendall is from Leesburg, Virginia, and graduated from James Madison University with a B.S. in Justice Studies and a minor in Humanitarian Affairs. In her free time, Kendall enjoys reading, traveling, and cheering on her favorite women’s soccer team, the Washington Spirit of D.C. 

Abigail is the Associate Director of Campaigns and Partnerships at the Groundwork Collaborative, where she leads our narrative change and popular education initiatives.

Prior to joining Groundwork, Abigail held a number of roles at the Open Society Foundations, most recently as a project lead, supporting global human rights grant-making, communications, and strategic planning. She has also held project management and community outreach roles in civil rights, arts, and higher education organizations.

Abigail holds a B.A. in Sociology from Seattle Pacific University and an M.A. in International Affairs from the American University School of International Service. In her spare time, you’ll find her experimenting with cocktail recipes (especially featuring amaro!), dreaming about Mediterranean travel, and gushing about her tuxedo cat, Tiramisu.

Finn Storer is the Communications Manager at the Groundwork Collaborative. 

Prior to joining Groundwork, Finn served as a Fellow with the Office of Rep. Rosa DeLauro (CT-03), where he worked on environmental policy, appropriations, and communications. He also worked as a field organizer for the One Campaign in Michigan, the coordinated campaign to elect President Joe Biden and Sen. Gary Peters. 

Originally from Houghton, Michigan, Finn graduated from the Ford School at the University of Michigan with a bachelor’s degree in Public Policy. He is an alumni of The Michigan Daily newspaper in Ann Arbor. He currently lives in Washington, D.C., and enjoys soccer, cooking, hiking, and Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.

Maria Taylor is the Executive Assistant to the Executive Director at the Groundwork Collaborative. Maria brings decades of executive and administrative experience to support Groundwork’s objectives. 

Maria attended Peabody College/Vanderbilt University. A lifelong resident of the Greater Nashville area, Maria plans to relocate to Washington, DC, later this year.

Being a Sudoku addict, she takes her puzzle book to bed with her every night and finds it hard to pull herself away to go to sleep. Maria considers herself a huge sci-fi buff and is a self-proclaimed “trekkie” who loves singing, reading, and spirituality. Still, nothing lights up her and her husband’s world more than their 5 amazing children and 7 adorable grandchildren.

Clara Wilson is the Policy Analyst at the Groundwork Collaborative. 

Previously, Clara interned at the Center for the Study of Social Policy focusing on child welfare reform policy, and the Center for Economic and Policy Research, where she studied the economic impacts of improving the care infrastructure. Prior to that, she was the Legislative Aide for Michigan House Democratic Leader Christine Greig. 

Clara is a proud Michigander who received her B.A. from Michigan State University’s James Madison College in Social Relations and Policy and her Master’s in Social Work from Columbia University. In her free time, Clara enjoys reality TV shows, audiobooks, walks, and karaoke.