2022 Power Players Rising

Kristen began her legislative career over a decade ago serving as chief of staff to Assembly Insurance Chair, Kevin Cahill. There, she developed expertise in policy and constituent services. Her work in government affairs continued with Gramercy Communications as a government affairs manager. As a senior lobbyist with TCA, her portfolio focuses on public health, behavioral health, criminal justice, cultural affairs, health research, and legal advocacy. Kristen lives in the Capital Region with her husband Vincent, their daughter Charlotte, and golden retriever, Jasper.

What is your biggest accomplishment in 2022?
2022 brought a lot of change and growth including navigating my first legislative session as a new mom, a challenging yet rewarding task. I am most proud of successfully taking on a larger role in firm operations and helping grow our client-base. Key legislative accomplishments include preserving access to reproductive health care, expanding delivery models for medication assisted treatment, and securing much needed capital funding for community health centers. 

Do you have any advice for those just starting out their careers?
Continuously set professional and personal goals for yourself. Take advantage of the opportunities you are given because even the smallest one may lead to something bigger.

Was there something or someone who inspired you to start your journey on your current career path?
My colleague and friend, Tracy Tress, has been an incredible inspiration to me both before and after joining TCA. As a staffer, we referred to her as one of the hardest working lobbyists in Albany. As her colleague, I can attest to that fact. Her tenacity and will to do good work for our clients is inspiring. I admire her commitment to her family, friends, clients and herself.

Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
I see myself in a leadership role with TCA working closely with my colleagues to best represent our clients’ interests in Albany.

Born and raised in Harlem, Diarrha N’Diaye is a first-generation Senegalese-American entrepreneur. Over the past decade, Diarrha has worked for multi-million dollar brands such as Rebecca Minkoff, VIBE Magazine, and L’Oreal Paris. She then led and executed new product launches while working in product development and innovation at Glossier. After her 8+ years of experience, today, she is founder and CEO of Ami Colé, a beauty brand created to celebrate melanin-rich skin. Diarrha is focused on demystifying stereotypes, shattering glass ceilings and redefining the often-tainted perception of Black Beauty.

What is your biggest accomplishment in 2022?

My biggest accomplishment of this year is staying the course. The journey as an entrepreneur of a new start-up, a new mother, and a new wife can get you in a fog sometimes. Everyday I promise myself to move forward even if it’s one step or one inch at a time. Additionally, I am definitely having a pinch me moment as Ami Colé is getting ready to launch on Sephora.com and in 277 Sephora stores nationwide on Friday, December 30th.

Do you have any advice for those just starting out their careers?
The journey is never linear, despite what the internet says. Some roads and doors lead you to the right space eventually. With that said, it’s important that you be open to learning and preserve a level of curiosity before fixating on your idea of success. What I’ve learned is that success looks different at every point of the journey.

Was there something or someone who inspired you to start your journey on your current career path?
I’ve been inspired by so many people in my career. Most notably, I have been inspired by my father’s grind and ambition. He is someone who operates through fear, not in it. He asks the questions, never takes no for an answer and to him – almost to a fault – nothing is impossible. Growing up around that energy, I have always seen the journey as a glass half full situation.

Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
I see myself happy, healthy, and prosperous. I imagine a world where I share a new version of success, where my family is thriving and my business is too. These days, we’re forced to choose – women at least. There are few examples of Madame C.J. Walker’s in this generation. I aspire to show the world (and little Brown girls everywhere) that it’s possible to build a prosperous beauty empire, one brick at a time.

Nicholas Novak currently serves as development manager for NYSTLA where his focus is funding and outreach. Nicholas began his career at NYSTLA as an intern and has now spent eight years with the company since his college graduation. Throughout his tenure, Nicholas has worked continuously to meet the challenges faced by NYSTLA. Nicholas received his bachelor’s degree in political science and government from Pace University.

Aubrey focuses her practice in the areas of energy law and appellate practice. As a member of the Harris Beach, PLLC’s Energy Industry Team, Aubrey advises clients on regulatory matters before the New York State Public Service Commission. Aubrey’s regulatory practice includes representing transmission developers in securing Certificates of Environmental Compatibility and Public Need under Article VII of the Public Service Law, gas and electric corporations seeking to transfer or lease regulated assets, utilities in rate cases, and corporate entities and real estate developers seeking to submeter electricity within multi-family residential buildings.

What is your biggest accomplishment in 2022?
Professionally, I was promoted to partner at the statewide law firm of Harris Beach, PLLC, and led the negotiations that resulted in an unopposed joint proposal resolving all issues in a proceeding before the New York State Public Service Commission to site a major transmission facility that will interconnect an offshore wind farm to New York State’s existing electric grid. The signatories to that agreement include five state agencies and an association of commercial fishermen.

Do you have any advice for those just starting out their careers?
Remain a student. No matter your field, there is always more to learn.

Was there something or someone who inspired you to start your journey on your current career path?
Watching my father tirelessly run his own law practice first inspired me to become an attorney, but my now-partners gave me my start in my area of practice—energy regulatory law. I am grateful to each of them for their encouragement.

Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
Continuing to assist my clients by securing the energy regulatory permits and approvals they need to build new or maintain existing energy infrastructure, all while making sure my then 7- and 5-year-olds make it to school and soccer practice on time!

Ronnie Oliva is the leader of a sophisticated, savvy team that produces high-level, integrated public relations campaigns.  Her ability to bring the smartest and most talented people together for a common goal has sustained her company’s steady and consistent growth for over a decade, acting as a bridge between thought leaders, stakeholders and the media. A straight-shooter and hands-on strategist, Ronnie has over 20 years of experience in crisis assessment and management, strategic counseling, issue analysis, and media relations, making social accountability paramount in the overarching objectives of her work.

What is your biggest accomplishment in 2022?
One of our biggest accomplishments in 2022 was working in partnership with philanthropist Daniel Rose and the W. E. B. Du Bois Museum Foundation to help launch the development of a multi-million dollar museum honoring the great American historian, civil rights activist and scholar, W. E. B. Du Bois, in Ghana, West Africa.

Do you have any advice for those just starting out their careers?
The communications industry is diverse and it’s constantly changing. I suggest conducting informational interviews with PR professionals, who can provide you with invaluable information about working within the industry.

Was there something or someone who inspired you to start your journey on your current career path?
As an avid writer at a young age, I began volunteering for the student newspaper in high school and then in college. As cliche as it sounds, public relations found me. I became the deputy press secretary and then the first Black press secretary two years later for the Bronx Borough president, which gave me the opportunity to explore  other ways to leverage my love for writing and building relationships.

Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
We will continue our passion for providing strategic advice and guidance  to local campaigns, continue our International market expansion and explore our hospitality endeavors in 5 years. 

Known as both a brilliant strategist and a street fighter, Michael Oliva has been a premier advisor in politics, business and public affairs for decades.  Named “Court Contest King” by NY Daily News, he’s consulted on 16 judicial victories, including four surrogate races in three counties.  With a keen focus on demographic targeting, he has a hard-earned reputation for electing prominent women to office. Michael’s knack for achieving the unexpected has kept him high atop the list for insurgent candidates and aspiring organizations striving to make their mark on history. 

What is your biggest accomplishment in 2022?
Our firm was proud to help iBrain, the International Institute for the Brain, gain a reputation as a premier school for children and young adults with brain injuries. We helped publicize its annual fashion show, where students worked with professional fashion designers to develop their own outfits that they themselves modeled on the runway. The inspiring event raised critical funds directed towards brain injury research. Our next big project is a film festival in 2023.

Do you have any advice for those just starting out their careers?
Keep moving. Even when you feel like you’re flailing about without focus, the professional and personal relationships you’ll build over time by continuously putting yourself out there prove essential when you become more established in your profession and in life. I can’t count how many 6:00am subway stops I flyered at throughout the years, but I think I may hold the all-time record. Worry about money, but not too much. Experiences are what count most!

Was there something or someone who inspired you to start your journey on your current career path?
The urge to help people, even in the most subtle or indirect ways, was always prominent in my mind growing up. I always felt I wanted my work to mean something to the world, whether locally or on a broader scale. There is a muse I feel from nature and the physical universe that works through me at all times, some times with success and others without. That imperfection drives me to keep doing more. 

Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
My wife and I have expanded our professional endeavors into the hospitality business with a burgeoning bed and breakfast and forthcoming cafe. I find it liberating to thrust my creative energies into projects not centered on ideology or competition, but on making people happy no matter who they are. Since we are looking to expand our B&B operation, I could definitely see myself as a full-time innkeeper and shopkeeper not too far down the road.

Chi Ossé is the council member for New York City’s 36th District, representing Bedford-Stuyvesant and North Crown Heights. He entered politics as an organizer and prominent figure in the Black Lives Matter movement. At 23 years old, Ossé was elected in 2021 as the youngest member of this Council and its only member hailing from Gen-Z. Ossé was called to politics for its potential to combine the institutional power of government with the tidal strength of movements to both enact policy and drive social change.

What is your biggest accomplishment in 2022?
Without a doubt, constituent services. We have handled over 1,000 constituent service cases, helping our neighbors with everything from road maintenance to landlord issues to dealing with complex city agencies. The number one responsibility of this office is to fight for the people I was elected to serve and the whole team is incredibly proud of the work we’ve done and our successes in that area so far. 

Do you have any advice for those just starting out their careers?
Put everything you have into whatever you are doing in a given moment — always give 100 percent. If a choice or career is not right for you, seek out one that is, but always be fully present in a space you are trying to make work. 

Was there something or someone who inspired you to start your journey on your current career path?
The young people of New York City. 

Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
No matter what position, from city council member to schoolteacher to astronaut (fingers crossed), it will be one committed to serving the people of Brooklyn with as much enthusiasm and energy as today.

Masha Pearl is a philanthropist, businesswoman and mother. As the executive director of The Blue Card, she leads its national efforts to provide direct financial assistance to more than 3,000 Holocaust survivor households living at or below the poverty line. Since becoming executive director, Masha has helped to leverage donor support to increase the charity’s annual operating budget by 40%. Recently, Masha was recognized for City and State’s 40 under 40 award.

What is your biggest accomplishment in 2022?
This year, The Blue Card returned as an official charity partner in the 2022 TCS New York City Marathon. Runners who participated in Team Blue Card raised over $100,000 in donations and helped to spread awareness of our vital mission to take care of Holocaust survivors.

Do you have any advice for those just starting out their careers?
Align what you are passionate about with a purpose. Ask yourself what interests you and think about how you can take steps to find a career that fits with those interests. You don’t have to have all the answers figured out when you’re just starting your career. Be open to what lies in front of you and be willing to take each challenge as an opportunity to grow.

Was there something or someone who inspired you to start your journey on your current career path?
My grandparents were both Holocaust survivors. It was the stories they shared with me about the horror that they both witnessed which propelled me to join The Blue Card. My goal is to educate others and spread awareness of how critical our services are for survivors. It is imperative that those individuals have an advocate fighting to ensure they live with dignity and comfort.

Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
Because of the nature of our work, I understand that our time is limited in the outreach that we can do. I hope that in the next five years, The Blue Card has created new programs that meet the emerging needs of Holocaust survivors while they’re still here with us.

Paul W. Persaud is a vice president at Actum where he leads national coalition building and community outreach strategy. His unparalleled relationships with prominent clergy, civil rights leaders, activists and legislators have made him a sought-after strategist and top advocacy mobilization expert. He has been actively involved in public service in New York for over 15 years working for national and local leaders and his diverse expertise in government affairs, public relations, coalition building and community outreach find him as a strategist on city, state, federal, corporate, and business projects.

What is your biggest accomplishment in 2022?
I joined a global consultancy firm called Actum to embark on projects heavily focused on diversity, equity & inclusion with my longtime mentor Rachel Noerdlinger.

Do you have any advice for those just starting out their careers?
Don’t give up because it is hard, work though the difficult parts and come out more experienced.

Was there something or someone who inspired you to start your journey on your current career path?
I started my career at National Action Network. My boss was Rev. Sharpton and at the time I saw myself as just an event planner. After years watching this team work on issues that impacted the nation, I was inspired to be a part of the change. Soon-after, I decided to explore career options in government which led me to use my relationships to bring advocates to the table on policy issues statewide.

Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
Happy, traveling the world, and working on things that inspire me!

Hayley is a public affairs professional with experience spanning government, political campaigns, consulting, policy, and communications for the past 15 years. After graduating from Stony Brook University, she got her start working for Rep. Steve Israel before moving west to New York City to join Mayor de Blasio’s 2013 campaign and continued to work for the Mayor through 2016. She then spent three years launching progressive electoral campaigns around the country before joining Uber in 2019 to help lead the public affairs strategy for key northeast markets.

What is your biggest accomplishment in 2022?
In 2022, we saw much of the country begin a real return to normal from the hardest parts of the pandemic. My greatest accomplishment was helping to lead Uber’s recovery in its mobility business while Uber Eats, the food delivery business, became the market leader in NYC.

Do you have any advice for those just starting out their careers?
Join local campaigns, try as many roles as possible, and be a sponge. There are so many interesting pathways available, and it’s easy to pick one early on and head down that path without exploring others. You will be a stronger staffer and better advisor if you expose yourself to more early on – and you will also benefit from having the most information possible as you plan your own future.

Was there something or someone who inspired you to start your journey on your current career path?
As an adolescent I was inspired by Sam Seaborn, a fictional character who worked for President Bartlett on the West Wing. I always had a passion for writing and communicating, and that (overly) idealistic show immediately sparked my interest in politics. In college, I was inspired by Barack Obama’s first presidential campaign – and that’s what made me immediately want to join government after graduation.

Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
I hope to still be working for Uber, or another global company that is powered by individuals, and is part of the fabric of so many people’s everyday lives – either still in New York, or another global city.