Who we are
Why our clients choose us
We are doers and strategists.
We are political operatives and tacticians with deep experience on the front lines of some of the nation’s most successful progressive battles. Our teams led and designed the same diverse, community- and coalition-led campaigns that the toughest national Democratic campaigns use as a guide.
We create enduring partnerships with our clients to overturn the status quo and create lasting political power for new leaders.
This work began as a one woman team on a well-used laptop, and today is a constantly growing team of professionals.
Kathleen Stuart, Founder + CEO (she/her/hers)
2023 Portland Business Journal 40 Under 40 Awardee
Blend a background in fast-paced PR, political campaigns, and a lot of roll-up-your-sleeves energy, and you've got our founder and CEO.
Kathleen founded Stuart Collective in 2017. With a crystal-clear mission to support changemakers in securing progressive wins, Kathleen works every day to win campaigns, pass high-profile legislation, and influence public opinion.
Kathleen brings over a decade of on-the-ground political work in campaigns and leading PR strategies. As a result, she advises leading progressive organizations that impact all the spaces — from healthcare to housing to infrastructure and more — that Stuart Collective shares with its clients. She’s worked with teams to flip Republican-held seats, secure and protect Democratic supermajorities, and recruit candidates in towns of every size. Her work to pass policy reforms helped shape historic passage of the Student Success Act (which increased funding to public K-12 schools by $2 billion for two years), climate harm reduction, and helped overturn historical injustices to offer overtime pay to frontline workers.
Before founding Stuart Collective, Kathleen served as a political staffer to House and Senate Democrats, the Democratic Party of Oregon, and in leadership roles supporting Oregon Governor Tina Kotek during her tenure as Speaker of the House. Additionally, Kathleen successfully led the statewide Coordinated Campaign effort for former Oregon Governor Kate Brown, contributing to the sweeping success of progressive campaigns in the 2018 election.
An Oregonian and Alaskan at heart, we're proud to report she's a 2023 Portland Business Journal’s 40 Under 40 Honoree. Kathleen lives in Oregon with her husband and two young sons.
Kathryn Kastrinos
Director, Client Services & Growth
-
She, her, hers
Deeply devoted to our client's success, Kathryn melds the magic of human connection with a keen eye for strategy to forge long-lasting relationships with our clients. A seasoned advisor, she thrives in being the cohesive force between our clients and our internal team, leaving both well taken care of and set up for success.
Her extensive background in complex projects and client delivery helps her effortlessly juggle all the moving pieces in a project. For nearly a decade, Kathryn has worked as a strategist for online companies and agencies and quickly becomes an integral part of any team. Intimately attuned to the intricate challenges modern businesses face, Kathryn's superpower is creating elevated communication and processes that deliver powerful transformations.
She lives in the PNW and can often be found nose deep in a good novel, practicing yoga, or enjoying delicious food.
Shaneh Woods
CFO
-
She, Her, Hers
Shaneh brings nearly three decades of accounting experience supporting woman-run agencies to the behind-the-scenes at Stuart Collective, ensuring our clients get the best, and our political team is supported, all while sprinkling in a bit of magic along the way.
Building relationships that allow our clients peace of mind when it comes to the financial side of building political campaigns is her cup of tea. Shaneh excels in translating financial information into digestible facts and figures that go beyond crunching numbers to support our business goals and those of our clients.
Did we mention that Shaneh is a tattooed, purple-haired, oracle card-reading, crystal-attuned Alaskan currently sunning it up in Florida?
Jodi Arrant
Virtual Assistant, Client Services and Growth
-
She, Her, Hers
Crafting beautiful first drafts and research reports, detail-oriented and thorough might as well be Jodi's middle name.
Skilled in bookkeeping and administrative services and certified to work in QuickBooks, Jodi wields a substantial history in financial management, customer relations, and decorating to the Stuart Collective team. She enjoys helping raise awareness of important issues and news through communication materials and research projects she assists in, helping our clients continue to make a difference in the work they accomplish– day in and day out.
Hailing from Oregon, Jodi calls Eugene home and lives with her husband and house bunny. You can find her crafting, painting, enjoying concerts, traveling, and searching for the next best restaurants.
Ethan Krow
Senior Campaign Strategist
-
He, Him, His
Ethan is an organizer at heart who brings a decade of experience in Democratic political campaigns and an extensive network to bear for Stuart Collective clients and new projects.
With a keen understanding of the political landscape and an eye for strategy, Ethan coordinates all aspects of campaign communication, from public relations and national press to fundraising efforts and staffing.
He helps unite the new voices of Oregon that are leading the way forward by building valuable relationships with media, fundraisers, coalition partners, and campaign staff, bridging silos between statewide teams and organizations.
As an account lead on forward-thinking campaigns, Ethan has helped Stuart Collective champion labor rights and equitable policies through Oregon State Legislature as well as ensure progressive representation throughout Oregon.
Frankie Breedlove
PR & Communications Strategist
-
She, Her, Hers
Frankie is passionate about public relations and strategic communications and has helped numerous mission-driven organizations and movement leaders drive media coverage, shift narratives, engage stakeholders, and move people to action.
Before joining Stuart Collective, Frankie worked at a Portland-based strategic communications agency, where she developed winning messaging for organizations to meet their policy priorities and emphasized telling human-centered stories rooted in justice and empathy.
She's earned media coverage for her clients in a variety of local, regional, and national outlets including The Washington Post, Oregon Capital Chronicle, The Statesman Journal, KOIN, KGW, and Oregon Public Broadcasting. Frankie's clients have included some of Oregon's and the country's most innovative organizations that champion climate justice, racial justice, gender justice and labor rights.
During her free time, Frankie likes to accumulate new hobbies, listen to audiobooks, and spend time outside with her dog.
Nicholas Royal
Lead Organizer
-
He, Him, His
Nicholas is a dedicated professional who began his political advocacy at a young age. With nearly 10 years of experience working on various Democratic campaigns, he brings his can-do attitude to help Stuart Collective in any way he can.
Utilizing his experience in voter outreach and community organizing, Nicholas has coordinated events that bring legislators and their constituents together, ensuring that no voice, no matter how systemically marginalized, goes unheard.
Before joining Stuart Collective, Nicholas worked as a campaign manager for the Oregon Health Authority's Safe and Strong COVID Awareness Campaign. He recruited, trained, and supervised canvassers who went door-to-door to combat misinformation about COVID-19 and inform marginalized communities about how to protect themselves from the virus. This and many other campaigns have equipped Nicholas with the tools needed to support his team effectively.
Based in Eugene, Oregon, when Nicholas isn't tuning into the latest political news, you can find him playing video games or sharing a drink with a friend.
Our Strategic Partners
Lizzy Atwood Wills
Strategic Campaign Advisor
-
She, Her, Hers
As an independent consultant, Lizzy supports specific client projects with our team. She has an extensive political operative background, having worked with many legislators like State Senator Elizabeth Steiner and as Legislative Affairs Manager for Health and Human Services at the Association of Oregon Counties. Her zone of genius is in communicating complex political ideas and ideologies to the general public.
Ruby LaBrusciano-Carris
Lead, Creative Studio
-
She, her, hers
Ruby is a brand strategist and designer extraordinaire. A creative force, she's an organized and strategic marketing professional with a broad toolkit of skills across fields and industries. An experienced writer and natural storyteller, Ruby designs everything from logos to websites, writes copy, and makes our client’s brands shine. If you like what you’re seeing on the Stuart Collective website, we happily credit Ruby for fabulously redoing our entire Stuart Collective brand design!
You?
We’re always looking to connect with talented, motivated, individuals who want to put their unique skills to work for progressive change. If that’s you, feel free to get in touch.