Meet Our Newest GO! Fellows Grads

Our newest GO! Fellows have spent the last three months learning about how to be effective grassroots organizers and looking at how they can make their communities better. Check out their accomplishments below!

Interested in joining our next GO! Fellows cohort? Sign up here to be notified when the applications open!

 

Emma Balzer, Senior Press Secretary & Deputy Director for Intern Recruitment
Indiana State Senate | Indiana

Emma Balzer works for the Indiana State Senate Majority Caucus as a Senior Press Secretary. Since 2021, she has served as press secretary for six state senators, including the chairs of the Senate Committees on Appropriations and Health and Provider Services.

In addition to her role as senior press secretary, Emma also works as the deputy director for intern recruitment at the Senate. A former intern herself, Emma is passionate about helping others become involved in government and helping guide them on their path to public service.

Emma was born and raised in Indiana. She attended the University of Southern Indiana in Evansville where she received bachelor’s degrees in journalism and history. Emma also participated in the 2023 cohort of the Writing Fellowship with America’s Future.

Lisa Bosman, Associate Professor
Purdue University | Indiana

Lisa Bosman, PhD in Industrial Engineering, is an Associate Professor at Purdue University in West Lafayette, IN, USA. She is the founding director of iAGREE Labs (Inclusive, Applied, and Grounded Research in Entrepreneurially-Minded Education) aimed to empower action through real-world solutions and evidence-based practices: www.iAGREE.org.

While working at Purdue University (2018-present), she was awarded 15 grants totaling $1,166,589. While working at a federally recognized tribal college and university, College of Menominee Nation (2011-2018) she received 15 awards totaling $897,551.

She has disseminated research through more than 75 peer-reviewed publications. In addition, she has published two teaching-oriented books: Teaching the Entrepreneurial Mindset to Engineers (Springer, 2018) and Teaching the Entrepreneurial Mindset Across the University – An Integrative Approach (Springer, 2021). Her core research centers on developing the entrepreneurial mindset in future leaders and innovators.

Asianae Gunn, Marketing Specialist
Feed Your Neighborhood | Tennessee

Asianae Gunn is a dynamic mind who is passionate about community impact and creating change. Asianae has a diverse professional background in Digital Marketing, Education and Psychology. Her community initiatives include Pageantry, Food Sovereignty, and Child Development through mentorship. As an author, she is a champion for literacy and creative writing as a therapeutic tool. Asianae believes that through education, collaboration, and open mindedness a greater society can be achieved.

Mike Hernández | Graduate Student
University of Chicago | Illinois/Connecticut

Michael “Mike” Hernández is a Master’s of Public Policy and Master’s of Divinity candidate at the University of Chicago focusing on urban policy and the role of religion in American public life. He is a graduate of the University of Connecticut with a dual degree in Political Science and Economics in the Honors Program, with minors in English and Urban and Community Studies. On campus, Michael served as the Student Body President, the Vice-President of the Connecticut Young Democrats and a regular contributor to the Undergraduate Political Review and the student newspaper. Off-campus, Michael has worked on various political campaigns, the U.S. Census, the Stamford Housing Affordability Study, and the historic Afford to Dream Act. His policy interests include urban development as well as promoting civic engagement at the municipal level, which are reflected in his honors thesis. In his personal time, Michael enjoys photography, going out for runs and spending time on Long Island Sound with his family. After graduate school, he hopes to attend law school and enter public service in his hometown. Michael calls Stamford, Connecticut home.

Nasiyah Isra-Ul, Founder & Executive Director
Canary Academy Online | Virginia

Nasivah Isra-Ul is the founder and Executive Director of Canary Academy Online Inc., a policy researcher, and blogger. As a homeschool graduate, Nasiyah is deeply passionate about all-things unconventional education and edupreneurship. She is highly involved in community advocacy, research, and providing mentorship to other homeschooled youth. Additionally, Nasiyah serves as an advisor for a number of organizations, a business coach and edupreneurship consultant for ED-You Consulting LLC, and the co- director of the National Edupreneur Institute. When she is not working or studying, Nasiyah enjoys spending her time reading books ranging from historical fiction to the latest research in education alternatives, leveling up her skillset in multicultural cooking techniques, and spending quality time with her family.

May Kennedy, Chief of Staff
Abundance Institute | Utah

May Kennedy is the Chief of Staff at the Abundance Institute where she works to increase techno-optimism. Her passion for politics led her to graduate with distinction from Brigham Young University with a degree in political science and a minor in business management. May’s career started with political campaigns and transitioned into legislative work as a legislative assistant in the Utah Senate, gaining valuable insights into how policy shapes decisions in both the political and business arenas. Outside of work, she enjoys evening runs in the beautiful Utah mountains and watching the latest season of Survivor.

Olajide Olugbade, PhD Student
Georgia Tech | Atlanta

Olajide Olugbade is a PhD student of Public Policy at Georgia Tech, majoring in Science and Technology Policy. Originally from Nigeria, he is passionate about the intersection of innovation and development issues and seeks to leverage his experience and expertise in designing equitable policy solutions to society’s pressing problems. He currently researches the global dynamics of AI policymaking, ethics and governance of emerging technologies, politics of innovation, and innovation ecosystems. He hopes to use his research to inform evidence-based policymaking in governing science and technological advancements for social good.

When not researching, Olajide is actively involved in driving change through representation, student leadership, and volunteering. He currently serves as the senator representing the School of Public Policy and Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts at the Graduate Student Senate. As a member of the Graduate Student Government Association, he also sits on the International Student Affairs Committee where he collaborates with students and the school administration to proffer solutions to issues faced by Georgia Tech’s diverse international student population.

Liam Siegler, Ambassador
Herzog Foundation | Missouri

Liam Siegler is currently an Ambassador with the Herzog Foundation where he works to advance Christian education across the United States. In 2023, he graduated from Gordon College with a B.A. in Political Science. Liam was very involved in the life of his school, serving as the leader of two clubs, editor for the campus newspaper, and representative of his class in student government. In addition to these activities, Liam served as Editor-in-Chief of the Gordon Review, a student publication he founded at the end of 2020. He has interned with USA Today and has been published in The Federalist, National Review, The College Fix, and The Lion. He enjoys far too many things to include in a professional bio but is more than happy to talk about anything related to basketball, theology, C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien, or William Wilberforce.

Zarria Simmons, Student
Columbia University | New York

I am a dedicated and passionate advocate with a multifaceted background in policy writing, human rights, and international development. My academic journey includes extensive studies in political science and international relations, which have equipped me with a robust understanding of the global political landscape. I have interned on Capitol Hill with the House of Representatives, gaining firsthand experience in the legislative process and policy formulation.

My activism includes marching for life in Washington, raising awareness about the post-traumatic effects of abortion, and contributing to mental health initiatives through Building a Brighter African Diaspora. As the co-founder of Mahca Africa, I am assisting in efforts to provide mental health care to victims of civil war, terrorism, female genital mutilation, rape, domestic violence, and poverty.

I am also a business entrepreneur, owning an asset acquisitions and holding company, with properties ranging from retail clothing to literature. This ongoing endeavor has honed my skills in management, marketing, and consumer engagement. My values, rooted in my Christian faith, drive my commitment to promoting liberty, economic prosperity, and social justice. I aspire to bridge my interests in government policy, business, and human advocacy to effect meaningful change in both local and global contexts.

Josh Smith, Energy Policy Lead
Abundance Institute | Utah

Josh works in energy policy and writes Powering Spaceship Earth on Substack. He earned a master’s in economics from Utah State University.