Young Invincibles grew up in a law school cafeteria in Washington, DC, after co-founders Ari Matusiak, Aaron Smith, and a few friends realized that young people's voices were not being heard in the health care debate. We always do our work in partnership with other organizations and committed individuals across the country. If you want to partner with us on any of our work, please let us know. We would love to work with you.

Who are the people that make up YI? Come meet them.

 

Aaron Smith, Co-Founder and Executive Director

Aaron is co-founder and Executive Director of YI. Aaron is a native of Yonkers, New York, an honors graduate of Swarthmore College ('04), and a cum laude graduate of Georgetown University Law Center ('10).

After college, Aaron interned in the office of Congressman Chris Van Hollen and then worked for Emmaus Services for the Aging, a non-profit working to keep seniors in their homes in DC. He went back to Yonkers in 2006 to be the campaign manager of a NY State Assembly race, and went on to become the chief legislative aide for the Yonkers City Council President. While serving the city, Aaron helped to author a local living wage law and an affordable housing ordinance, and to create the first Yonkers Green Policy Task Force to promote environmentally friendly policies for the city. While at the Law Center, Aaron was a member of the Poverty Law Journal, where he had an article published on policy and legal strategies for addressing the sub-prime mortgage crisis.

Aaron has appeared in the NY Times, Washington Post, Politico, and PBS NewsHour, among other media outlets, discussing a variety of issues impacting young Americans. In December 2010, he testified before the Senate Commerce Committee on the problems with "mini-med" plans and how they fail to provide affordable health care for young workers. Aaron also serves as a consumer representative in the National Association of Insurance Commissioners, where he works with Insurance Commissioners from around the country to ensure strong consumer protections in the health care industry. Finally, Aaron was selected for the 2011 Class of Jeremiah Fellows, a program for young Jewish leaders committed to public interest work. Aaron believes strongly in the power of young Americans to change the world.

 

Jen Mishory, Deputy Director

Jen steers the policy and research shop at YI. Jen graduated with honors from UCLA in 2007, where she worked for 3 years as a reporter for the campus' daily paper, and received her JD from Georgetown University Law Center in 2010, where she served as a Notes Editor for the Georgetown Journal of International Law.

While at the Law Center, Jen worked as both the President and Voter Protection Chair of the Georgetown Law Democrats. She served as a law clerk for Senator Feinstein's Judiciary subcommittee, as well as a variety of positions focused on election law. During the 2008 election cycle, Jen worked for the policy director at the DSCC. She hails from Los Angeles, CA, and loves to watch Bruins basketball.

 

Maya Brod, Special Assistant

Maya is the Special Assistant of Young Invincibles. She graduated Summa Cum Laude from Allegheny College in May 2010 with a major in Political Science and minor in Communication Arts. During her college years, Maya volunteered as a teacher in Ghana where she raised funds and initiated the construction of a community library. She was interested in political engagement in college, and worked as a Fellow in Allegheny's Center for Political Participation. In this role, Maya was responsible for community organizing and event planning on campus. She also was a contributing author to "Nastiness, Name-Calling, and Negativity: The Allegheny College Survey of Civility and Compromise in American Politics."

Prior to joining the YI team, Maya was an intern in the office of Congresswoman Kathy Dahlkemper. In her free time, Maya loves to travel, cook, and explore Washington, D.C.

 

Rory O'Sullivan, Policy and Research Manager

Rory grew up in San Francisco, graduating from Pomona College in 2006 with a B.A. in Philosophy Politics, and Economics. He is currently pursuing a joint J.D./M.P.P. at Georgetown University and was the Executive Print Editor of the Georgetown Public Policy Review.

Rory has worked in a variety of policy capacities since coming to Washington, D.C. Most recently, he interned for Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Before that he worked for the Federal Legislation and Administrative Clinic at Georgetown Law, working on disability insurance regulation and the Social Security Administration with Workplace Flexibility 2010. He has also researched issues related to federal judicial independence with the Justice at Stake Campaign.