Who We Are
We are a youth advocacy nonprofit founded and led entirely by college students. As students, we’ve seen firsthand how young people are excluded from the political conversation. To bridge that gap, we mobilize young people to achieve electoral and policy outcomes that will center youth perspectives and achieve long-term change.
Our Founding
The Young People’s Alliance was founded by Sam Hiner and Mick Tobin when they were high school students. They jumped into advocacy after coming up with state legislation to stop legislative power grabs. While they were able to contribute to advocacy on other issues, like ending child marriage and protecting teens on the road, their own legislative ideas were not taken seriously due to their age.
Sam and Mick realized the danger of this lack of youth power. Young people are becoming increasingly disengaged with a political system that does not address issues affecting them, posing a risk to our democracy. Sam and Mick started the Young People’s Alliance to change this narrative, giving young people a real voice in the political process and encouraging long-lasting civic engagement.
Our Work
Our teams on Capitol Hill, in state legislatures, and across 11 college campuses work to empower young people in politics. We engage and mobilize students through voter registration and mobilization events, hosting community events to connect students to the political world, and advocating for youth issues on campus. We also advocate for legislators and other civil society leaders to include young people’s perspectives in the law-making process. Learn more about the impact we’ve had on college campuses through our Campus Organizing and at the state and federal capitols through our Advocacy.
Team
Sam Hiner
Executive Director & Co-Founder
Student at UNC Chapel Hill from Mooresville, NC
Ava Smithing
Advocacy & Community Director
Full-time employee of YPA from Nashville, TN
Alexandre Dray
Field Operations Director
Student at Duke University from Miami, FL
Mick Tobin
Operations Director & Co-Founder
Student at Duke University from Mooresville, NC
Ben Spaloss
Communications Director
Student at UNC-Charlotte from Philadelphia, PA
Elina Murarka
Communications Coordinator
Student at Duke University from New Haven, CT
Noah Coffman
Research & Policy Director
Student at University of Notre Dame from Tulsa, OK
Colby Kelley
Compliance Director
Student at UNC-Chapel Hill from Mooresville, NC
Kennedy Smith
Campus Field Director
Student at East Carolina University from Raleigh, NC
Amarah Din
Campus Field Director
Student at Appalachian State University from Cary, NC
Briana Harmon
Campus Field Director
Student at Davidson College from Kamuela, Hawai'i
Emily Wilson
Campus Field Director
Student at North Carolina A&T State University from Detroit, Michigan
Sereniti Simpson
Campus Field Director
Student at UNC-Greensboro from Charlotte, NC
Alexandra Bennett
Campus Field Director
Student at High Point University from Pittsburgh, PA
Cle'Anna Spencer
Campus Field Director
Student at North Carolina Central University from Rochester, NY
Mandy Williams
Campus Field Director
Student at UNC-Charlotte from Holly Springs, NC
Harry Lamichhane
Campus Field Director
Student at UNC-Pembroke from Pembroke, NC
Hannah Elder
Campus Field Director
Student at UNC-Chapel Hill from Wake Forest, NC
Samantha Ritchie
Campus Field Director
Student at Duke University from Scarsdale, NY
Brien Brennan
Development Advisor
Student at Duke University from Youngsville, NC
Neil Sairam
Policy Advisor
Student at George Washington University from Washington, DC
Andrew Fingeret
Policy Advisor
Student at George Washington University from Pittsburgh, PAAdvisory Board
Zack Czajkowski
Political Consultant and Senior Strategist
Tiffany Gladney
Senior Director of Policy and Government Relations at NC Child
Chase Gaines
Director of Special Projects at NC Chamber
Marcia Morey
Member of the NC House of Representatives
Ishvaraus Davis
Senior Software Engineering Manager at Fieldguide
Wilson Moore
J.D. Candidate at UNC School of Law
Jay Derr
Transportation Policy Associate at the Reason Foundation
Bob Phillips
Executive Director of Common Cause NC
Kristin Baker
Member of NC House of Representatives
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