The Team

We're a team of public policy enthusiasts

YIP’s team is formed by a strong group of young individuals, each demonstrating a profound commitment to a brighter future of civic engagement. We hold a 6-8% acceptance rate for our programs, ensuring that we recruit and support the best student base. Our team is instrumental in driving the organization’s vision. All staff members are volunteers, and many come from our Public Policy Fellowship.

Age

YIP is fully comprised of students aged 13-25.

Values

Each team member is trained on our core values.

Mobility

Comprised of young explorers, we cultivate a developmental ecosystem.

The Team

Paul Kramer

Chairman and Co-Founder

Paul Kramer is the Chairman and Co-Founder of the Institute for Youth in Policy and is the Head of Stripe for Non-Profits. He previously was a student majoring in Organizational Development, Computer Science, and Public Policy at Vanderbilt University and was a Crescere Aude Scholar.

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Carlos Bindert

Vice Chairman and Co-Founder

Carlos is a Supply Chain Manager at Amazon and the Instock Manager for Amazon Fresh. He previously was a student at the Rochester Institute of Technology and majored in Supply Chain Management. He strives for a world driven by technology that works for the betterment of everyone.

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Asher Cohen

Chief Executive Officer

Asher Cohen is a student at Columbia University studying Financial Economics and minoring in History. He has experience in the intersections of public policy, development, finance, historical studies, civic engagement, and non-profit management.

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Taylor Beljon-Regen

Chief Programs Officer

Taylor Beljon‑Regen is a student at Harvard University studying government and public policy. Originally from Los Angeles, she serves as the Chief Programs Officer at the Institute for Youth in Policy and is passionate about civic engagement, education policy, environmental advocacy, and multipartisan dialogue.

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Caleb Kurlantzick

Chief Operating Officer

Caleb Kurlantzick is a high school student and civic leader from Baltimore passionate about politics, economics, and global strategy. He serves as Chief Operations Officer at the Institute for Youth in Policy (YIP) and co-founded PIVOT, which later merged into YIP.

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Williana Serve

Senior Vice President, Policy Media

Williana is a current student majoring in Political Science. Her academic interests revolve around economic and social policy. With aspirations to attend law school and embark on a career in corporate law, she spends her free time engrossed in reading articles on current events and writing.

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Josh Weinstein

Senior Vice President, Policy Media

Josh is currently a student at the Downingtown STEM Academy in Pennsylvania. He joined YIP in 2024 as a policy analyst, briefly worked as the Editor-in-Chief, and currently serves as a Senior Vice President for Policy Media. He intends to study political science in college.

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Patrick Pickren

Interim Head of Fellowship and Senior Vice President, Effective Discourse

Patrick is a current student at Midtown High School in Atlanta, Georgia. He joined YIP in 2025 as an effective discourse fellow and currently serves as the Interim Head of Fellowship and Senior Vice President of Effective Discourse. He previously was the VP of YIP's policy journal. He plans on studying public policy and is passionate about education and fostering effective dialogue.

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Akshan Ranasinghe

Interim Senior Vice President, Civic Growth

Akshan is a student at Marriotts Ridge High School in Maryland. A Fellow of the Fall 2024 Institute for Youth in Policy Cohort, he currently serves as the Interim Senior Vice President of Civic Growth. Akshan intends to study economics and political science in college.

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Siya Mishra

Interim Co-Senior Vice President, Education

Siya is a student at Princeton University, studying Public & International Affairs. Her interests lie in education, technology, and business, and she is passionate about promoting gender equity.

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Ava DiGiuseppe

Interim Co-Senior Vice President, Education

Ava DiGiuseppe is the Interim Co-Senior Vice President of Education and a former Journal Editor at YIP. She studies Political Science and Classics at Columbia University and plans to pursue a JD/PhD. Her academic and policy interests center on constitutional law and political theory, including questions of free expression, civil rights, judicial independence, and the normative foundations of governance.

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Sebastian Rios

Executive Vice President, Human Resources

Sebastian Rios is the Executive Vice President of Human Resources at YIP. He is currently a dual-degree student a part of the Honors College studying Criminal Justice and Political Science with a minor in Public Policy at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

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Robbie Nguyen

Executive Vice President, Technology

Robbie is a student at Manheim Township High School. He graduated from the Institute for Youth in Policy Fellowship apart of the Spring 2024 cohort, in 8th grade, as the youngest fellow. He now serves the Institute by leading the technology department and technical projects across the organization as Executive Vice President of Technology.

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Faith Bryant

Executive Vice President, Marketing

Faith Bryant is an undergraduate student at the University of Texas at Austin, where she studies in the Plan II Honors program. As an experienced advocate, student, actress, and aspiring lawyer, Bryant strives to make a difference in her community through service and leadership.

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Saniya Yamin

Senior Vice President and Director, PIVOT Center

Saniya Yamin is a high school student from Northern Virginia and serves as the Senior Vice President and Director of the PIVOT Center. She is passionate about education policy, international relations, and civic engagement.

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Anoushka Swaminathan

Co-Vice President, Policy Analysis

Anoushka Swaminathan is a student at Carlmont High School with a passion for policy, finance, community activism, programming, and writing. Being Co-Vice President of Policy Analysis at YIP is one of their favorite ways to impact the youth community and the dissemination of policy knowledge.

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Matthew Jacob

Vice President, Publishing

Matthew Jacob studies at Flower Mound High School in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex and is the VP of Publishing at the Institute for Youth in Policy. Matthew leads the editing department and oversees the publication of policy briefs on various topics. He also serves as the coordinator of the institute’s op-ed program.

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Ethan Duncan

Vice President of Education Outreach

Ethan is a student at Canyon High School in Anaheim, California, with an interest in civic engagement and public policy. He is involved with the Institute for Youth in Policy, where he works to expand youth participation in policy and leadership. He plans to study political science and economics in college.

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Sankeertana Malakapalli

Director, Education Outreach

Sankeertana Malakapalli is a student at Liberty High School. She started her time at YIP as a fellow in the Summer 2024 cohort, before joining the Education Department as a content intern and later becoming the Director of Education Outreach.

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Tiffany Li

Deputy Head of Fellowship, Effective Discourse

Tiffany is a high school student and former YIP Fellow with an interest in policy, issues regarding access to electrical infrastructure and civic engagement. As the Deputy Head of Fellowship, she supervises the logistics and administrative side of YIP's fellowship.

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Suraj Shah

Director, Education Development and Advocacy

Suraj Shah, a high school student from California, is class president, captain of his school’s debate and mock trial teams, and founder of Debate Discovery Kids (nonprofit organization that expands access to speech and debate to youth). He is also a published author (The Case for Plant-Based).

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Akshar Patel

Director, Education Research and Analytics

Akshar Patel is a high school student from North Carolina passionate about issues relating to political polarization and civics education. He plans to major in political science in college. When he’s not working with YIP, you can find him reading, writing, or just enjoying nature.

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Brinkley Bennett

Co-Director, Fellowship Curriculum Development

Brinkley Bennett is a student leader and policy advocate. She has passed state-level legislation, attended national debate conferences, and serves on various youth advisory boards. She aspires to be in a career in international law and defense.

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Tomer Fine

Co-Director, Fellowship Curriculum Development

Tomer is a student at Calabasas High School in Calabasas, California. He is interested in the intersection between politics, policy, and the law.

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Helin Wang

Co-Head, Global Rising Innovators in Policy

Helin Wang is currently a student at Kerr High School in Texas. She plans to major in political science and attend law school. Passionate about youth civic engagement, Helin is dedicated to empowering her community and shaping policy that reflects the voices of young people

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Claire Kim

Director, Voter Engagement

Claire is a student at South Forsyth High School with a passion for civic engagement, policy, and law. Through her role as the Director of Voter Engagement at YIP, she hopes to make voting more accessible for all communities.

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Sailee Charlu

Director, Outreach

Sailee, a student at the Orange County School of the Arts, a professional spoken poet, a bilingual medical translator, and founder of Habla Arte (a bilingual Spanish-English program that combines visual arts and public speaking) as well as The Lit League (a spoken poetry program). She is also a published author (Curiosity and Me) and California Senator of Civic Leaders of America.

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Jayden Park

Vice President, Design

Jayden is an undergraduate student at Vanderbilt University studying Human and Organizational Development, Art, and Business. He currently serves as the Vice President of Design, overseeing YIP’s creative vision.

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Melissa Chai

Executive Assistant to the Chief of Staff and Interim Chief People Officer

Melissa Chai is a high school student in Southern California with experience in civic engagement, youth representation, journalism, and legal advocacy. At YIP, she serves as the Executive Assistant to the Chief Executive Officer.

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Joseph Buechler

Director of Fundraising Strategy & Initiatives

Joseph is a public policy student at Cornell University from Minnesota with experience in youth organizing and leadership, fundraising, human rights advocacy, and policy research.

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Kevin Cai

Director of Polling Initiatives

Kevin Heng Cai is the Director of Polling Initiatives at the Institute for Youth in Policy and a former Policy Fellow. He studies at Groton School in Massachusetts and previously conducted research at Stanford University's Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies.

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Arthur Pang

Director, Volunteer Experience

Arthur is an undergraduate student at the University of California, San Diego majoring in Business Economics and Sociology - Social Inequality.

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Virthiha Selvamuthukumaran

Director, Project Incubation

Virthiha Selvamuthukumaran is a Stamps President’s Scholar at the Georgia Institute of Technology, where she is studying Economics and minoring in Applications of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning. She is passionate about the intersections of policy, business, and technology and hopes to attend law school after graduation.

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Nidhi Achanta

Director, Development

Nidhi is a Belk Scholar at Davidson College with a passion for gender justice and economic development. She has experience working in business development and healthcare advocacy in her home state of Arizona working with local and state level legislators over the last four years.

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Elizabeth Young

Director, Professional Development

Elizabeth Young is a current student at Sandra Day O’Connor High School with a passion for business, culture, and law. Born and raised in Arizona, she serves as the Director of Professional Development for the Institute for Youth in Policy.

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Anshi Purohit

Lead, Education Research

Anshi is a student at Richard Montgomery High School who aspires to study neuroscience and journalism. She currently serves as a Lead and Project Manager within our Education Research department.

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Kailin Xuan

Content Lead, Education Development & Advocacy

Kailin Xuan is the Content Team Lead in the Education Development & Advocacy department at the Institute for Youth in Policy. She is a high school student based in San Diego, California. At YIP, Kailin helps develop civics education curricula, create teacher-support resources, and contribute to policy briefs and workshops. In her free time, she enjoys playing the piano, golf, and poker, as well as traveling around the world with her family and friends while trying different cuisines.

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Chenya Kwon

Team Lead, Rapid Response Policy

Chenya Kwon is a student at Westlake High School in California. She joined YIP as a 2025 Summer Fellow and currently serves as a Rapid Response Policy Team Lead, driven by her interest in current events, history, and civics.

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Adithi Balaji

Team Lead, Public Health Policy

Adithi Balaji is a high school student at the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics. She joined YIP through the Summer 2025 Policy Fellowship, and currently serves as a Lead for Public Health Policy. As team lead, she aims to drive systemic influence on health policy through informed analysis and advocacy, while also promoting equitable access to care. Adithi intends to study public health and biochemistry in college.

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Rishya Vemireddy

Team Lead, Environmental Policy

Rishya is a student at Plano West Senior High School with interests in public policy, civic engagement, and social justice. At YIP, she serves as the Environmental Policy Team Lead and hopes to impact young people through the policy sphere. Outside of YIP, her interests include debate, singing, and writing.

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Nathania Kwik

Administrator, Technology

Nathania Kwik is a student at Bentley University studying Data Analytics with a minor in Marketing. She is originally from Houston, Texas, and enjoys exploring, hiking, and painting.

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Megha Madgula

Team Lead, Development

Megha Madgula is a high school student from San José, CA, passionate about economics, energy equity, and public policy. She hopes to pursue a career at the intersection of finance and sustainable planning.

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Kennith Lee

Senior Advisor, Marketing; Former Chief Marketing Officer

Kennith is an undergraduate student at Vanderbilt University majoring in Human and Organizational Development and minoring in Business. He currently serves as the Chief Marketing Officer, overseeing all marketing and media efforts for YIP.

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Yasmine Santini

Next Gen Civic Leadership Academy Head, PIVOT Center

Yasmine Santini is a high school student from Los Angeles, California, where she works on youth-centered community leadership, public policy research, and nonprofit initiatives supporting vulnerable populations. She currently serves as the Next Gen Civic Leadership Academy Head at YIP.

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Ahad Khan

Senior Advisor, Policy Media & Distinguished Fellow; Former Senior Vice President, Policy Media

Ahad is a graduate of Stevenson University who studied Criminal Justice and Legal Studies. He serves as a Senior Advisor at YIP.

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Gwen Singer

Senior Advisor; Former Senior Vice President, Effective Discourse & Head of Fellowship

Gwen plans to study neuroscience and public policy in college. She has a passion for public policy reform, gifted education, and STEM-based research. She hopes to pursue a career as a neuroscience researcher, working with political nonprofits.

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Mollie Guba

Senior Advisor; Former Senior Vice President, Education

Mollie Guba is a student at Northwestern University studying philosophy and legal studies, with particular interests in constitutional and criminal law. She serves as the Senior Vice President of Education at YIP.

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Timothy Sabau

Senior Advisor, Education; Former Chief Human Resources Officer & Vice President, Education

Timothy Sabau is originally from Youngstown, Ohio. He is s attending school for Political Science, Data Analytics, and International Studies.

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Isabel Epistelomogi

Advisor; Former Vice President of Education Research and Analytics

Isabel is a USC student studying AI and Business and formerly served as Vice President of Education Research & Analytics at YIP, where she led national research on civic education. She now advises the education team while pursuing public impact through AI, policy, and product strategy.

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Maryam Zoweil

Advisor; Former Director, Education Data Analytics

Maryam is a Canfield scholar at UT Austin, majoring in business honors and data science and minoring in entrepreneurship and public policy. At YIP, she manages the analysis of education initiatives and co-develops curriculum around current events.

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