ABOUT US
OPERATIVES
STRATEGISTS
MEDIA MAKERS
EDUCATORS
We work to bridge the gap between grassroots movements and mainstream political power. We know the energy driving young progressives—on issues from Palestinian rights to economic justice and multiracial democracy—often hits structural barriers. We aim to break through, providing the tools and strategies needed to capture the center of American politics
We launched The Bloc to transform our collective experience into a force for lasting change. We've seen our advocacy stymied by corporate interests and an adversarial media landscape. To truly harness our potential, we need robust infrastructure to support and amplify our efforts, turning moments of activism into sustained influence.
Despite our successes, even our champions in elected office are like balloons tethered by the rock of public opinion, Capitol Hill dynamics, and adversarial mainstream media. To lift these balloons, we need a strong external force to shift these anchors, allowing progressive voices to soar and lead.
The Bloc is that force—a strategic communications hub empowering movements with the tools they need to thrive, mobilize the base, and navigate key political arenas.
By building a team dedicated to mobilizing the base, persuading the middle, and navigating key arenas of political influence, we aim to transform fleeting moments of activism into lasting political power.
MEET THE TEAM
Waleed Shahid
Waleed Shahid is a political strategist who helped launch the 2024 Vote Uncommitted campaign in Michigan and the Green New Deal campaign in 2018. Through his role as spokesperson at Justice Democrats, he served as a senior advisor to candidates like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Jamaal Bowman, and Summer Lee. He was also a staffer and DNC delegate for Bernie Sanders in 2016. He is a member of The Nation’s editorial board and has commented on politics on MSNBC, CNN, The New York Times, The Washington Post, and several other outlets. He was named as part of "the next generation of the progressive elite" by The New Yorker.
Twitter: https://x.com/_waleedshahid
Executive Director
Emma Dessau
Emma Dessau led media production at Justice Democrats and co-founded That’s Us Productions. She’s also worked on Elizabeth Warren's 2020 campaign for President, as an editor on various feature documentaries, as a teacher at The Edit Center in Brooklyn, New York, and as Senior Digital Producer at PBS documentary series, POV. She's presented her work and spoken on panels at conferences and festivals including IDFA, DOCNYC, DocsBarcelona, Allied Media Conference and the Brooklyn Film Festival.
Media Director
ADVISORY GROUP
Kashif Shaikh
President of the Pillars Fund.
Jen Parker
Editor and co-founder of Hammer & Hope and a former New York Times opinion editor.
Civil rights lawyer, New York Times opinion columnist, and author of “The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness.”
Daniel May
Publisher of Jewish Currents.
Varshini Prakash
Co-founder of the Sunrise Movement.
Bassema Yousef
Consultant and organizer focused on Palestinian human rights.
