OUR TEAM
What We All Deserve (WWAD) is a team of young people across the U.S. working to expand basic needs and economic liberation for all. Read on to meet some of our wonderful and passionate youth organizers!
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California Policy Director
Martín Orea is a dedicated student at Georgetown University, pursuing a degree in Public Policy and Political Science. With a strong background in advocacy and mobilization, he is deeply passionate about sexual and reproductive health and committed to promoting policies that enhance the social safety net. Actively involved in coalitions and advisory boards, Martín aims to amplify youth voices and experiences in the policymaking process, ensuring that their perspectives are heard and valued.
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Texas Policy Director
Annika is passionate about advancing menstrual equity and working in the TANF/Medicaid space. She has led successful campaigns to install free menstrual product dispensers in schools and has helped distribute over 150,000 menstrual products to communities in need. As Texas's State Policy Director for WWAD this year, she looks forward to advancing new bill proposals, building on the team's progress in previous years, and contributing further to Texas's policy initiatives. She also served as Secretary of the Youth Advisory Council for PERIOD., an international menstrual equity organization. Annika aspires to pursue a career at the intersection of healthcare and policy.
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California Policy Manager
Alex McRae is a student at UCLA majoring in Public Affairs. He is passionate about civic engagement and youth advocacy, focusing on how policy impacts the mental and physical health of the impacted, as well as overall community well-being. His work emphasizes creating accessible pathways for young people to engage with policymaking and to better understand the connections between legislation and lived experience.
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Tanaya Safi is a rising senior and IB Diploma student from Sacramento, California. She previously served as WWAD’s California Policy Director, where she led statewide advocacy strategy, authored assembly bills, and coordinated coalition efforts across California legislative offices. Tanaya’s commitment to public policy stems from her passion for bridging grassroots organizing with institutional legislative change. She believes that young people should lead the policy conversations that directly impact their lives. Beyond her work at WWAD, Tanaya has served in local government with Sacramento City Councilwoman Lisa Kaplan, worked on congressional campaigns, works with VR’ing Democracy on civic education technology, and is an award-winning C-SPAN filmmaker. As Executive Director, Tanaya is excited to lead WWAD into its next chapter by expanding youth-driven basic needs legislation nationwide and building long-term organizational capacity.
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Social Media Manager
Emily is a dedicated student at University of California, Los Angeles pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Nursing. Passionate about health equity and advocacy, she believes awareness and communication are important tools for creating meaningful change. Through social media and digital advocacy, she aims to highlight systemic disparities, encourage dialogue, and promote greater access to healthcare. As she pursue a career in nursing, she remains committed to addressing the social and economic factors that shape health outcomes and using platforms to help build a more equitable and inclusive healthcare system.
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Social Media Director
Adithi Kadle (she/her) is a student at Barnard College of Columbia University studying Economics and Computer Science. Her passion for social impact is rooted in lived experience and in the conviction that policy should be accessible to the communities it most affects. With WWAD, she hopes to translate complex issues in economic justice into clear, engaging content that mobilizes young people to act. Outside of WWAD, Adithi has worked across education, mental health, and reproductive rights advocacy, experiences that continue to shape her perspective as she looks toward a future in law. In her free time, Adithi enjoys hiking, going to concerts, and showing people pictures of her cat.
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California Policy Manager
Chloe Serrano is a proud alum at UCLA where she earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Asian American Studies with an emphasis in Public Policy. Serrano is a public servant, a policy advocate, and an organizer.Pursuing a career in law and public policy, she is refining her skills in policy writing and research. She has worked on several campaigns, including supporting the political communications for Vice President Kamala Harris' Fighting for Reproductive Freedom during the 2024 election cycle, through the California Democratic Party. Serrano is also a public speaker and encourages education through community discourse.
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Jethro Bumanglag is a student at the University of California, Los Angeles, studying Public Affairs on a pre-law track. Originally from Waipahu, Hawai‘i, he has been involved with What We All Deserve (WWAD) since his senior year of high school, leading campaigns focused on voter engagement and education equity. His advocacy includes drafting House Bill 2531 and Senate Resolution 99 at the Hawai‘i State Legislature to expand access to voter education resources for public and charter school students. As a State Policy Director, Jethro is committed to advancing economic justice by addressing inequities in K-12 and higher education. Outside of WWAD, he has worked at the Hawai‘i State House of Representatives, Honolulu Youth Commission, and the USC Dornsife Center for the Political Future.
ADVISORY BOARD
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Co-Founder & Co-Executive Director
Esther Lau (she/her) is a student at Barnard College in New York City studying Political Science and Urban Studies. She’s passionate about economic justice policy, urban social policy, youth-led policymaking, and social impact. Inspired by her experiences as a former public benefits recipient, Esther started WWAD due to her belief in policy as a powerful tool for change. Through WWAD, she hopes to continue pushing basic needs policies through state legislatures, while making policy advocacy more accessible to youth. Outside of WWAD, Esther has worked for New York Lawyers for the Public Interest, the CUNY Urban Food Policy Institute, and the National Center for Children in Poverty. She also serves on the Board of Directors for PERIOD., an international menstrual equity organization.
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Co-Founder & Co-Executive Director
Fiona Lu is a student at the University of California, Los Angeles studying Public Affairs and Labor Studies. She is from Orange County, California. She's been involved with California youth policy advocacy since her junior year of high school, and has led campaigns in education policy, menstrual equity, and healthcare expansion. She started WWAD in hopes of igniting a movement of young people across the country to secure basic needs and economic justice. She believes it’s crucial for young people to be proactively involved with public institutions, and that starts with showing them the potential they have. Outside of advocacy, she has worked for the House of Representatives, Center for Law and Social Policy, and the Crimsonbridge Foundation.
What We All Deserve (WWAD) began with a shared belief that young people should have a meaningful role in shaping the policies and systems that affect their lives. Get to know the founders whose vision and commitment helped build the organization from the ground up.
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Chief of Staff
Sophie Himmel is Lafayette College graduate, 2024, with an honors degree in Government and Law. An experienced policy advocate and program manager, Sophie’s background is grounded in youth-led policy implementation. She drove the menstrual equity policy that cemented Lafayette College as the first higher ed institution in the country to provide free menstrual products in every college building. Currently, she supports Drexel University’s Center for Nonviolence and Social Justice in Philadelphia as an Assistant Business Manager. In her free time, she is a member of the Council of Lafayette Women and a yoga instructor.
Our Story
IGNITE the Capitol (April 2023, Sacramento)
In late 2022, our founders, Esther Lau and Fiona Lu, wrote and proposed California Senate Bill 260, the Menstrual Equity Act of 2023, into the California Legislature that would expand CalWORKs benefits to cover the purchasing of menstrual products.
In advocating for SB 260, Fiona and Esther noticed the gap in young people involved in organizing for economic justice legislation. Our proposal is to create WWAD as an extension of SB 260 to involve more youth in similar work to pioneer justice for low-income communities not only in California, but across the nation.
Allstate Foundation National Youth Service Summit (Sept 2024, Chicago)
We train young people to push for economic justice through policymaking and civic engagement nationwide.
We envision a future where everyone has access to basic needs, therefore being able fulfill their goals and aspirations to the fullest.
We’re building a world where young people lead the conversations and decisions that shape economic well-being.
Our Mission & Vision
Our Impact
Read our impact report to learn more about our key wins in 2024, including:
Introducing 4 student-written bills into the CA State Legislature - 2 of which were signed by Gov. Newsom
Expanding to Texas and New York
Reaching audiences of over 200,000 through speaking engagements across the nation
