MEET THE TEAM
JALYN RADZIMINSKI
Founder & President
Born and raised in Fort Wayne, Indiana, Jalyn Radziminski is passionate about uniting education, non-profits, government, and grassroots community initiatives to promote equity both socially and systematically. Jalyn saw the need to encourage more diverse voter turnout and political participation in Indiana. Thus, Jalyn founded Count US IN to uplift voices in Indiana locally as well highlight Indiana's relevance in the national political conversations.
Jalyn graduated from Emory University with a bachelors in linguistics and interdisciplinary studies with a human rights concentration. Much of Radziminski's work is dedicated to advocating for voter rights, youth empowerment, mental health for people of color, ending mass incarceration, and accessibility for people who live with disabilities as well as building domestic and international coalitions.
When there is free time, Jalyn enjoys traveling, dancing, gardening, and, as an avid animal lover, pet-sitting or volunteering at animal shelters.
PORTIA ALLEN KYLE
Founding Board of Director & Education Committee Chair
Portia Allen-Kyle is a civil rights attorney with extensive experience doing legislative and policy advocacy in the areas of voting rights, criminal legal system reform, civil liberties, and economic justice through a race equity lens. She currently serves as the Associate Director of Law and Policy at the Voting Rights Lab where she devises and executes policy strategy on voter restoration, ballot access issues and, most recently, COVID-19 response. Most recently Portia served as a policy advisor for the Pete for America campaign where she was the co-architect of the signature ‘Douglass Plan’ campaign platform and advised the campaign on domestic policy, as well as various communications and constituency needs.
Prior professional experiences include speaking, researching, and consulting on civil rights, diversity, and racial justice issues for various nonprofits and educational entities, including the American Civil Liberties Union. Portia has also taught at Rutgers University and at St. Thomas Aquinas College where she taught courses on criminology, sociology, and race.
Portia is committed to leadership and public service. She recently stepped down as Vice Chair of the Board of Trustees of the Urban Resource Institute, which provides comprehensive human services programs to empower individuals and families in the New York metropolitan area experiencing domestic violence and homelessness. She also previously served as an inaugural member of the Civilian Complaint Review Board of Newark, New Jersey.
In 2019 Portia was selected as a 2019 Council of Urban Professionals fellow. She received her B.A. from Wellesley College, an M.A. from Columbia University, an M.A. in Sociology from Rutgers University and a J.D. from Rutgers University School of Law-Newark. She is looking forward to serving on the Board of Directors for Count Us IN.
VIGNESH GANAPATHY
Founding Board of Director & Fundriasing Committee Chair
Vignesh Ganapathy is an advocate who believes strongly in intersectional action to drive positive change. He currently serves as Head of Government Relations with Postmates, an on-demand logistics and delivery company, focused on the future of work, privacy, robotics, mobility, and how tech intersects with our communities. Additionally, Vignesh serves on the board of Loud Light, an organization driving youth progressive action in Kansas through voter engagement and outreach. Through 2018, Vignesh headed policy and the racial justice project for the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Kansas, building a community-focused civil rights agenda in the Midwest.
Vignesh began his career with a deep passion for criminal justice reform and civil rights work. After attending the University of California - Santa Cruz, he joined Kamala Harris’s 2010 campaign for California’s Attorney General and worked on the case that legalized same sex marriage in California in 2008. He is a graduate of the University of Pacific McGeorge School of Law, where he studied in a program with Supreme Court Justices Anthony Kennedy and Elena Kagan.
REBA HOESCHLER
Founding Board of Director & Fundraising Committee Chair
Reba Hoeschler works as a foundation, campaign, brand, operations and program manager working with nonprofits, individuals and organizations to create and sustain philanthropic missions through strategic communication and networks to further social impact through direct and supporting charitable campaigns and initiatives.
She has led teams and initiatives for some of the country’s top agencies at both the local and international level, giving her a unique perspective on communication and operations.
With a focus on organizational development, change management and the facilitation and fostering of inclusive collaboration, Reba manages programs from planning through execution.
Always with volunteer efforts at her core, she thrives developing systems and environments to help good people do good work. Reba considers the right to vote one of our most important rights.
ERIN MCCARTHY
Founding Board of Director & Outreach Committee Chair
Erin is a graduate of Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy and Indiana University O’Neil School of Public & Environmental Affairs, holding dual master’s degrees in Nonprofit Management and Philanthropic Studies.
Throughout her career, Erin has been an advocate for organizations and initiatives that promote inclusive and collaborative voter engagement and community participation. Having moved to Fort Wayne, Indiana to work as Deputy Field Director for Mayor Tom Henry’s re-election campaign, Erin is passionate about helping voters understand the power of their voice, as well as working together to encourage turnout from young and underserved communities.
Currently, Erin serves as a Grant & Donor Relations Consultant for Amani Family Services, where she is able to partner with immigrant and refugee families in Allen County, as well as other members of the community to promote safety, encourage personal growth, and foster a spirit of belonging for individuals.
STEPH MULVEY
Founding Board of Director & Treasurer
Steph has spent her whole professional career fighting for those less fortunate. She was born and raised in Chile and came to the US right before high school. Received her bachelor of arts in International Studies from UW-Oshkosh. After college she found her way towards organizing and got addicted to organizing. Through her career she has taken part in political campaigns, issue campaigns, union work, direct action organizing, non profit work. All these projects have involved working in all aspects of the progressive movement. The span of experience has also involved crisscrossing the country, from WI, to NC, to, WI, to TX, to NV, to FL. All these states and experience have given her a great scope and respect for the issues of real America. She is now the Field Director at a C3 organization in Florida whose main goal is voter registration and civic engagement. During her free time, when we are free, she enjoys CrossFit, visiting the beach and reading.
DR. GREG WILIAMS
Founding Board of Director & Education Committee Chair
As a research and policy analyst born and raised in Northeast Tennessee, Greg's Ph.D. studies have connected complex data to reveal voter-fraud disinformation. He is motivated by researching democracy and voter-suppression issues via data analyses and publishing. His dissertation, “How Can Truth-Claims of Voter Fraud Influence Public Policy? A Political Discourse Analysis,” revealed: 1) how racism triggers deception and 2) that voter-ID advocates cite no empirical evidence to support their misleading and false allegations of widespread voter fraud. On this subject and on issues of economic inequality, Dr. Williams has published and presented multiple papers at national conferences. He has also engaged extensively in nonprofit policy work.
Greg's hobbies include bodybuilding, backpacking the Appalachian Trail, and amassing a collection of antique, collectible books. "If I ever find the time, I will read some of them," he says.