Meet The Team
Abortion in America was co-founded by former Planned Parenthood president Cecile Richards, author and political strategist Lauren Peterson, and Kaitlyn Joshua, a Louisiana mom who was sent home from two emergency rooms in the midst of a pregnancy loss because of her state’s abortion bans.
What began as a pilot project to record audio and video interviews with Louisianans quickly grew due to the overwhelming response from storytellers and audiences alike. Today, Abortion in America is a national effort with team members working in states across the country.
Victoria Abut
Staff Attorney
Amplify Legal
Emily Beyer
Chief of Staff
Kendall Ciesemier
Director of
Special Projects
Carlie Cintrón
Louisiana State Organizer
Mads Clendening
Texas State Organizer
Molly Duane
Litigation Director
Amplify Legal
Ale Granado
Florida State Organizer
Jessice He
Storybank Manager
Kaitlyn Joshua
Co-founder
Sandy Keenan
Senior Advisor
Amplify Legal
Gloria Pedro
Arkansas State Organizer
Lauren Peterson
Co-founder
Chief Executive Officer
Cecile Richards
Co-founder
Paola Rolón Machado
Creative Director
Bianca Sembrano
Operations Lead
Vernessa Shih
Partnerships & Program Operations Director
Chama St. Louis-Boone
Organizing Director
Louisa Thanhauser
Director of Client Support & Engagement
Amplify Legal
Kiana Tipton
Digital Director
Caelin Tralongo
Social Media Manager
Lilly Wu
Director of Development