About Us
Our Story
We started Underdog to improve the communities we live in.
At heart we’re grassroots organizers who know just how much power a well-organized coalition of people can wield in their community. We felt confident we could elevate better candidates into office and promote better opportunities for students by giving high caliber professional support to smaller candidates and schools fighting for big change. We wanted to lift up the underdog.
Today we’re motivated every day by the people, schools, and organizations we get to work with. No matter the odds, we will always stay in the fight to win campaigns, strengthen communities, and advocate for the families and students we represent.
One connection at a time.
What We Value
people first
We care about the people we work with and base our relationships on integrity and trust.
details matter
We sweat the little things and put strong systems in place to ensure we achieve our goals on time, on budget, and with clarity.
prove what’s possible
We know we can do it. We lead with optimism and exhaust every avenue available to make change happen.
Meet Our Team
Joe Herrera
Partner + Co-Founder
Joe is a Brooklyn native and father of three who began his community organizing career in 2009. Since then he has built grassroots support for dozens of issues-based organizations and schools, advocated for everything from school funding to gun safety, and trained hundreds of canvassers on how to secure high-quality leads.
Alison Newell
Partner + Co-Founder
Alison is a Massachusetts native living in New York. Over the last decade working in politics, advocacy, and education, she has connected thousands of families with new and exciting school options in their community and improved student recruitment systems for dozens of schools.
Aslyn Polite
Director of Operations + strategic growth
Aslyn is an operations and strategy leader with more than 12 years of experience helping mission-driven organizations build the people, systems, and infrastructure needed to grow and thrive. Throughout her career, she has been known for bringing clarity to complexity, developing solutions that strengthen teams, improve execution, and allow organizations to scale without losing sight of their mission.
Read Aslyn’s Bio
Andres Francis
Head of Data Analytics
A Canarsie, Brooklyn native, Andres Francis began his journey at Underdog Strategies as a political canvasser. Over time, Andres expanded his role across multiple facets of the organization, gaining hands-on experience in phone banking, field canvassing, lead management, data quality control, and client reporting.
Read Andres’ Bio
Graciela Tobar
Outreach + Operations Manager
Based on the West Coast, Graciela blends strategic thinking with a deep commitment to people and purpose. Whether she’s coordinating outreach efforts or optimizing operations, she’s focused on creating environments where individuals and communities can thrive.
Read Graciela’s Bio
Kassidy Aleman
Field Training + Operations Manager
Kassidy Aleman is a proud New York native and Field Training + Operations Manager at Underdog Strategies. She began her journey as a canvasser, connecting directly with families and communities in the field. Through dedication, skill, and a strong commitment to grassroots outreach, Kassidy grew into leadership—now managing operations and training field teams across New York, Washington D.C., and New Jersey.
Read Kassidy’s Bio
Mary Gonzalez Aguilera
Phone Outreach Coordinator
As our Phone Outreach Coordinator, Mary supports and optimizes daily phone outreach operations to ensure families have the information they need to navigate school enrollment with confidence. With strong communication, organization, and problem-solving skills, Mary helps to create a smooth, supportive experience for both families and phone banking staff.
Read Mary’s Bio
Strategic Partners
Cory Krall
Cory is the Founder of CK Collaborative. CK Collaborative partners with organizations to provide student recruitment solutions, team coaching and scalable systems.
Cory has over 15 years experience working in education – including large school districts, nonprofits, and growing charter school networks. She is passionate about empowering all families and students with access to great schools.
Adele McConnell
Adele doesn’t just help schools and brands communicate, she helps them connect. As a communications, branding, and marketing consultant specializing in the K-12 space, she transforms how schools and networks show up in the world: sharper brand identities, stronger messaging, and more engaging websites that draw prospective families, educators and donors.
Join Our Team
We champion leaders challenging the status quo, give a boost to great schools building their learning communities, and support organizations making meaningful change across the country. Learn more about working at Underdog.