Our Mission
A network of political pressure groups, secretly funded by a handful of conservative tech and real estate billionaires, are spending millions to move San Francisco to the extreme right. The Phoenix Project's mission is to uncover this dark money trail.
ABOUT US
The Phoenix Project exposes right-wing money in local politics. We combine research and analysis to inform voters of the forces exerting undue influence on the electoral system.
Special interest groups are working tirelessly and spending lavishly to further their agenda, one that benefits wealthy individuals and large corporations at the expense of working San Franciscans. They hide behind feel-good names like GrowSF, the Abundance Network and Neighbors for a Better San Francisco, and use loopholes in campaign finance law and Internal Revenue Service regulations to mask their funding sources. To further enrich the already wealthy, they are willing to sacrifice government funding for essential services like public transportation and schools.
Our mascot is the Phoenix, an image emblazoned on San Francisco's flag and a potent symbol of the city's resilience. We believe San Francisco will not only survive this attack of moneyed special interests, it will be stronger for having overcome them.
OUR TEAM
The Phoenix Project has brought together individuals who care deeply about San Francisco.
Julie Pitta
President
Julie Pitta is a distinguished investigative reporter known for her work at the Los Angeles Times and Forbes.
Anya Worley-Ziegmann
Vice President
Anya Worley-Ziegmann is the coalition coordinator of the People's Budget Coalition, advocating for funding goals that uphold the city's progressive values. Anya also serves on the electoral board of the Democratic Socialists of America's San Francisco chapter.
Keane Chukwuneta
Secretary
Keane Chukwuneta is a seasoned political strategist and organizer who currently serves as senior campaign coordinator for Jobs with Justice San Francisco. Keane has been a key figure in shaping progressive campaigns and policies throughout California.
Ben Grieff
Board Member
Ben Grieff began his career as a labor organizer. In 2011, he cofounded Evolve California, a nonprofit based in San Francisco, where he serves as executive director. Ben leads Evolve's work to reform Proposition 13, an effort to fully fund California's public education system.
Jeremy Mack
Executive Director and Treasurer
Jeremy Mack is a dedicated advocate for transformative public policy. Jeremy has been a policy researcher and community organizer for the Better Neighborhoods and Same Neighbors Initiative in East Oakland.
Erin McElroy
Board Member
Erin McElroy is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Geography at the University of Washington. Erin's work focuses on gentrification, technology, empire, and racial capitalism. They are co-founder of the Anti-Eviction Mapping Project and director of Landlord Tech Watch as well as the author of “Silicon Valley Imperialism: Techno Fantasies and Frictions in Postsocialist Times” and co-editor of “Counterpoints: A San Francisco Bay Area Atlas of Displacement and Resistance.”
CONTRIBUTORS
Otto Pippenger
Otto Pippenger is a Sunset District resident, and longtime activist and organizer for progressive causes in San Francisco and the East Bay. When not directly campaigning, he returns to his time as a journalism student, offering unique insights based on his decade of experience in local politics.
Lincoln Mitchell
Lincoln Mitchell is a native San Franciscan and long-time observer of the city's political scene.
Exavier Morrison Wells
Exavier Morrison Wells is a legal fellow at the Phoenix Project, where he investigates how authoritarian systems cloak themselves in law, nonprofits, and procedural legitimacy. He writes about American fascism, political compliance culture, and the slow, quiet collapse of democratic infrastructure.
Noah Sloss
Noah Sloss is a San Francisco public school parent. He sits on the board of Parents for Public Schools of San Francisco, a grassroots organization serving public school families.
Dean Preston
Dean Preston is a former District 5 Supervisor.
Lea McGeever
Lea McGeever is a political trans activist in the Tenderloin. They have a B.A. in History and M.S. in Cell and Molecular Biology.
Brandee Marckmann
Brandee Marckmann is a public school parent and organizer with the San Francisco Education Alliance.
Liam McCarthy
Liam McCarthy is a Richmond District native who recently earned a Master's of Public Administration from Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs. He concentrated in urban and social policy.
Jaime Omar Yassin
Jaime Omar Yassin is the founder, editor, reporter and publisher of the Oakland Observer.
Olivia Peluso
Olivia Peluso is a San Francisco-based journalist.