Sadaf Ahmad, M.P.A.

@MsSadafAhmad

Sadaf manages the firm’s client accounts for strategic communications, policy and government relations. She brings 14 years of experience in policy, advocacy, training, and communications on issues of health and diversity/inclusion.  Most recently, she was Senior Advocacy Manager at Alzheimer’s Association, where she led strategies to engage volunteers, Members of Congress, and state elected officials in Maryland and Washington, DC, resulting in co-sponsorships and support for signature legislation.  She provided her subject matter expertise in dementia, aging, and eldercare as a consumer reviewer for SRA International on behalf of the US Department of Defense Peer Reviewed Alzheimer’s Research Program. 

Previously, she served as a communications and policy consultant at Caregiver Action Network, working with partners including the DC Office on Aging and the US Department of Veteran Affairs.  She was Policy and Advocacy Manager at Hemophilia Federation of America, where she was responsible for outreach to the bleeding disorders community.  She was a National Urban Fellow at the National Organization for Rare Disorders.  

At Interfaith Youth Core (IFYC), Sadaf provided training and technical assistance to increase interfaith cooperation among campus and community leaders in India on behalf of the US Department of State. She also created multicultural marketing materials at Compassionate Care Network, an affordable healthcare plan for the uninsured. Sadaf began her career as an immigrant rights organizer at Albany Park Neighborhood Council on the northwest side of Chicago, where she worked on issues of civic engagement, educational leadership, and youth development. 

Sadaf received a Master’s degree in Public Administration from City University of New York – Marxe School of Public Affairs, and a Bachelor’s degree in American Studies from Williams College.  She holds a graduate certificate in Philanthropy and the Nonprofit Sector from Loyola University Chicago – School of Social Work.

Talia Barrales, Esq.

@taliabarrales

Talia Barrales is the founder of Barrales Public Affairs, a public affairs agency in the State of Massachusetts that is founded and run by all executive-level professionals of color.  Talia’s personal story is inspiring. She traveled across the border alone when she was 3 years old as an undocumented immigrant from Mexico, to then become a lawyer who created her own law firm of Latina immigrant lawyers in Boston.  

Another big part of Talia’s story as a business owner and Latina lawyer is that she and her team of all-Latina immigrant attorneys took on former U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions last year with a case that they argued and won against the current Presidential Administration.  This precedent-setting legal case was handed down by the U.S. First Circuit Court of Appeals and has had a monumental impact in the legal world for attorneys seeking asylum for their clients. In fact, her 1st Circuit appeals precedent has been applied in recent cases by many legal rights groups, including the ACLU on behalf of a group of families seeking asylum. 

Talia was recently chosen by the Stanford Latino Entrepreneurship Initiative (SLEI), of the Stanford University Graduate School of Business, who has identified a rare group of Latinx business owners across the country who currently scale at a competitive level in their particular industry to participate in its business leadership research and development program.  To date, only 2% of Latinas break $1 million in business revenue and a mere 3% among Latinx business owners altogether.  

Outside of Barrales Public Affairs, she works on various social justice projects. Talia Barrales is a member and generous donor to Cosecha and Chica Project, which advocate for immigrant rights and female empowerment. The Boston Globe has quoted and written articles about her on numerous occasions. She has been invited multiple times to speak on local radio and news channels, including Univision and Telemundo Boston. Talia Barrales has also been invited to speak at seminars including Nuestra Voz: Amplifying Latino Power, Influence, and the Impact Conference. Attorney Barrales was recognized by the Boston City Council for her commitment to promoting women’s rights and fighting for justice. The Boston City Council declared Talia Barrales Day, on January 20, 2017.

Doug Chavez

@dvchavez

Doug manages the firm’s business development and serves clients on government and community relations. Prior to joining the firm, Doug served as a political organizer and advisor on Deval Patrick’s presidential campaign as well as Julia Mejia’s historic and successful Boston At Large city council campaign and recount process.  

A native of New York City, Doug joined the team of his mentor, former Governor Deval Patrick, serving in Governor Patrick’s administration as the Deputy Director of Compliance for DCAMM (Division of Capital Asset Management and Maintenance), as well as the Deputy Director for SOMWBA (State Office of Minority and Women Business Assistance).  In those roles, he focused primarily on increasing economic opportunities for Minority and Women-owned businesses as well as workforce development for communities of color and for women across the state. 

Prior to working for the Commonwealth, Doug served as the Constituency Director for the Deval Patrick Campaign for Governor where he mobilized voters in communities of color, especially in new immigrant enclaves where English is not the first language. He also served as a Deputy Finance Director for the campaign and was part of a fundraising team that raised $5.2 million dollars before Primary Day.  

Prior to moving to Boston in 2005, Doug lived in New York City where he was the senior retail analyst for Sean “P. Diddy” Combs’ clothing line, Sean John. Previously he also worked as a Retail Planner and Associate Buyer for Macy’s Department Stores. 

Doug was born in The Bronx, NY, and raised by immigrant parents. He was awarded an A Better Chance, Inc. scholarship to attend Milton Academy. After graduating from Milton, Doug attended the University of Pennsylvania. In 2013, Doug was named as one of the Commonwealth’s most influential leaders in the Latino community as part of El Planeta’s 100 Powermeter and was also recognized with an official resolution by the Boston City Council for his commitment to increasing opportunities in the City of Boston and throughout the State. 

After living several years in East Boston, Doug currently resides in the Hyde Park neighborhood of Boston.

Dr. Ellana Stinson, M.D., M.P.H

@ellanastinson

Dr. Stinson manages the firm’s client accounts for public health organizations and health care systems dealing with, for example, health equity and community engagement. Dr. Stinson is a board-certified, emergency medicine physician practicing in the Greater Boston area.  Dr. Stinson currently serves as the Chief Medical Officer for Evolvd Health's telemedicine platform that focuses on changing the landscape of delivery of care with a holistic approach.  

Dr. Stinson is the president of the New England Medical Association, which is geared towards building community among black physicians in New England by providing safe spaces for professional development and social/networking and community outreach.  

She served as the medical director of the Emergency Department at East Boston Neighborhood Health Center.  In this role, she led the effort to improve the quality and delivery of emergency care to primarily immigrant and Hispanic populations.  Because she is keenly aware of the way in which legislative policies impact health, Dr. Stinson remains an active member of the Massachusetts Medical Society (MMS), where she has served as chair of the young physician committee and member of the strategic planning committee and task force on governance, and currently sits on the Board of Trustees.  In these roles she worked with a team to set strategic goals and governance structure for the medical society.   

Dr. Stinson is a member of the executive committee for the Women’s Council and as a board member for the Physicians Insurance Agency of Massachusetts. She earned her medical degree at Meharry Medical College and is a graduate of Spelman College with a bachelor’s in science. Dr. Stinson also received her MPH in health policy and management from Harvard School of Public Health where she has focused her policy interests on access to care and health equity that impacts underserved communities and populations.