Joe Lestingi is the founder and Managing Director of Campaign X Collective. He has worked with clients across the globe—from California to Europe and from city council to nationwide campaigns. He has advised and consulted with some of the nation’s leading progressive organizations such as The Nature Conservancy, Planned Parenthood, SEIU, The Sierra Club, and People for the American Way. Joe and his wife, Lindsay, are both Georgia Bulldogs and live in Northern Virginia with their two children.
Alex has built a successful professional career from the ground up, honing her financial management and human resources skills first in the restaurant industry, where she managed more than 60 employees, and then as a key member of a Washington, DC-based HR/financial services team helping small businesses grow and become successful. She earned her degree in legal studies after welcoming her son William into the world. Motherhood, puzzles, reading, and listening to music are activities that Alex holds near and dear to her heart, along with an abnormally expansive knowledge of which zodiac signs are most “compatible,” the latest TikTok dances, Doja Cat, and the reality TV shows and stars trending on Twitter.
James’ roots in Virginia politics run deep. His politics started while attending The George Washington University, where he obtained a degree in political science and economics. He worked on Capitol Hill for Senator Tim Kaine and managed one of the top State House flips in 2019, in which he helped elect the youngest black man in the history of the House of Delegates. He even did it in the former GOP Speaker’s seat. To this day, it is the only legislative seat won by Donald Trump in 2016 that a Democrat has flipped. In 2020, he worked at one of the leading Democratic media firms in the country, where he put his knowledge in campaign management, paid media, and strategic communications to use. When he’s not making political waves, he enjoys hiking with his dog and traveling. He desperately wants to get back to a concert soon.
Errin’s passion upon graduating from the University of Arkansas was for education. She quickly dove into her work with a school district in Texas, helping elementary students grow and chase their dreams. Soon Errin’s political studies from college pulled her more into the political realm. She decided she could do more to help children across Texas and the nation by helping elect more Democrats and progressives to school boards and state legislatures. She joined CXC with the hope of doing just that. Errin lives in Plano, Texas and loves travelling to new places with her two dogs.
Emily is quickly establishing herself as a veteran political strategist based in Portland, Oregon. She started her political career advocating and volunteering for Moms Demand Action and other commonsense gun safety organizations and has started working with various state and local campaigns as her career has grown. Before joining CXC, Emily was an intelligence officer for the U.S. government, serving our nation both domestically and abroad. She has degrees in Middle Eastern studies and government from the University of Texas at Austin. She is a registered yoga instructor, and lover of adventures, maps (mostly geopolitical), office supplies, good food, and strong democracies. She is married and the mother of two amazing boys.
Locke began his career in politics, after graduating from American University in 2014, as a production coordinator at one of the nation’s leading direct mail firms. In 2017, Locke began working with YouGov as a research associate, where he assisted in managing multiple survey projects covering topics from advocacy and politics to beauty products and brand engagement. When Locke isn’t working, he enjoys watching a plethora of movies and TV shows, being a Carolina Panthers football fan, remaining active in local politics and various national organizations, and spending time with friends and family, including his nephew, Issac and niece, Lockelyn.
Ryan launched his marketing career in the Oklahoma City legal sector. An expert on process development and client acquisition, Ryan helped some of Oklahoma City’s top law firms expand their business. Ryan believes in creating a more equitable community through creating meaningful criminal justice reform and working with lawmakers to give a voice to the voiceless. Ryan and his husband, Devin, live in Edmond, Oklahoma, with their three dogs; there, you will always find them working on their side hustle of creating a sustainable clothing marketplace through their own website and a reselling platform.
As the founding executive director of Emerge VA, Julie led the training and mentoring of 209 Democratic women to prepare them to run for office. Before launching an opposition research business in 1997, she played major roles in seven statewide campaigns in Virginia. She was chief of staff to the VA Lt. Gov. for four of her eight years with the Lt. Gov., and director of the Virginia Senate Democratic Caucus for five years. She is the proud mother of two remarkable young women, Emma and Sophie. In her spare time, Julie creates royal-icing-decorated cookies for events of all types.
Through his leadership at Campaign X Collective, Bakari is building on years of experience using design to empower progressive change. Prior to joining CXC, Bakari supported Congressional advocacy campaigns for sustainable forestry, leading to the formation of House and Senate Working Forest Caucuses. He’s designed branded materials and innovative online experiences for the National Network to End Domestic Violence, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and several international human rights campaigns.
When he’s not helping get Democrats elected, you’ll find Bakari needlessly expanding his suit collection, discovering obscure music, or watching old Shaw Brothers kung-fu movies. He lives in Vienna, Virginia, with his beautiful wife and two cats.