Sophia Z.

Executive Director

Sophia is the founding Executive Director of Raise the Floor Alliance, a grassroots coalition and legal nonprofit that builds power with excluded and exploited workers for dignified jobs in Illinois. Since 2014, Sophia has led the coalition in numerous winning policy campaigns including the Chicago $15 Minimum Wage, Paid Time Off, and Fair Scheduling Ordinances; as well as the Illinois Domestic Workers Bill of Rights and Responsible Job Creation Acts. Under Sophia’s stewardship, RTF has become a nationally recognized labor leader known for improving materials conditions for workers in low-wage industries at the intersection of racial, immigrant, gender, and economic justice.

Previously, Sophia was the elected President of the US Student Association, where she organized for universal public higher education and corporate accountability from student-debt profiteers. She was also a long-time adult collective member with Chicago Desi Youth Rising where she co-led political education and organizing programs with high school and college-age youth from the South Asian diaspora.

Sophia currently serves as Secretary of the Illinois Department of Labor Advisory Board. Previously, she was co-chair of the Workers’ Rights & Labor Transition Subcommittee for Chicago’s then Mayor-Elect Brandon Johnson. She has appeared on ABC News, Business Insider, CBS News, CNN, Chicago Sun-Times, Chicago Tribune, Crain’s Chicago Business, In These Times, Prism Reports, ProPublica, Progressive Magazine, MSNBC, NY Daily News, Salon, The Chicago Reporter, The American Prospect, WBEZ, WGN-TV, and WTTW News.

Sophia fights for a world where care, compassion, and community are the central pillars of our society. She is the proud daughter of and primary caregiver to her Ammu, a Bangladeshi immigrant navigating life after complications from a rare stroke. They live together in Chicago with their adopted dog Khejur who reminds them to find joy in every day outside of a cage.

Anthony B.

Policy Director

Anthony is a longtime political strategist and community organizer with skills in community building and restorative justice practices. He has advocated for policies in Domestic Violence, Workforce Development, Housing, Criminal Justice, Violence Prevention, and Civil & Human Rights to empower disenfranchised communities.

He has attended and graduated from Saint Sabina Academy, De La Salle Institute, and Monmouth College. His studies consist of a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology & Anthropology with minors in Peace, Ethics, & Social Justice, Philosophy & Religious Studies, and Political Science. His research consists of Black / African American Students’ Experiences at a Predominately White Liberal Arts College, Transformational Solutions: Peace & Unity Among Black Communities in Chicago, and Building The Bridge: Levels Of Health Literacy & The Access To Quality Healthcare For African American Communities.

Kevin H.

Legal Director

Kevin is Legal Director at Raise the Floor Alliance, where he works in collaboration with organizers at seven worker centers to defend and advance the rights of communities working in low wage industries through litigation, policy advocacy, and popular education. His work focuses on ending the exploitation of workers and full access to civic life for immigrants while fighting surveillance, the carceral state, and deportation. Kevin previously worked at the Shriver Center on Poverty Law, the National Immigration Law Center, and Just Futures Law.

Sophia O.

Development Director

Sophia is a graduate from Indiana University Northwest with a bachelor's in political science and minor in Spanish. Her passion for civic engagement and activism came about via her upbringing in Indiana, advocating for workers' rights via United Steelworkers and championing undocufolks rights via local coalitions. Since Sophia has stretched her advocacy wings in Chicago her efforts have focused on philanthropic work that champions workers rights. She has dedicated her life to challenging the status quo in order to bring about systemic change and to support the lives of those most vulnerable that fall victim to structural oppression and inequity. She is the daughter to Mexican parents and a proud sister to a Chicago Teachers Union Brother — in her free time, Sophia enjoys spending time with her friends and two cats.  

Kara R.

Communications Director

Kara is a graduate of DePaul University and has spent the past 8 years advocating for the lives and rights of people of color. Before joining RTF, Kara worked at the Chicago Food Policy Action Council (CFPAC), supporting food workers through equitable food policies and initiatives. At CFPAC, Kara organized the13th and 14th annual Chicago Food Policy Summits and supported the Illinois Coalition for Cooperative Advancement's effort to pass HB 3663 the Illinois Limited Worker Cooperative Advancement Act.

Amanda V.

Organizing Director

Amanda is a passionate and energetic community and electoral organizer with 10 years of experience working in immigrant, Latine, and communities of color, including 5 years of experience in grassroots organizing, coalition building and advocacy. Before joining Raise The Floor Alliance, Amanda helped lead and win several progressive Chicagoland electoral campaigns and prior to that was the state-level organizer at the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights. She is a first-generation daughter of Salvadoran immigrants, born and raised in California, and has been living and organizing in Chicago since 2016. 

Mark B.

Supervising Attorney

Mark graduated from Yale Law School where he spent his time in legal clinics that focused on employment litigation for low-wage workers and issues faced by returning citizens. Mark was formerly an intern with the Community Activism Law Alliance and has been assisting low-wage workers throughout his time in law school. Mark is leading the RTF Expungement Clinic to provide legal help and services to Black residents who have records.

Jamitra F.

Staff Attorney

Jamitra graduated from the University of Louisville with a degree in Pan-African Studies. She then attended Washington University Law School in St. Louis to obtain her J.D. Jamitra’s work at RTF focuses on the interaction of labor/employment law and the carceral system. Jamitra previously worked at ArchCity Defenders where she started as an Equal Justice Works Fellow providing legal and reentry services to women impacted by the carceral system. Once she completed her fellowship, she was a staff attorney on ACD’s civil litigation team working on civil rights cases combatting fatal state violence and the criminalization of poverty. In her free time, Jamitra likes to read fantasy novels, walk her dog LuLu, and knit.

Esmeralda L.

Staff Attorney

Esmeralda graduated from Loyola University Chicago with a bachelor's in political science and a minor in Spanish. Prior to law school she was an intern on Capitol Hill and worked for a private investigator in Texas, where she provided support for indigent clients related to their criminal cases. Esmeralda graduated from University of Illinois Chicago School of Law. Prior to become a staff member, she was a legal intern with RTF, providing support in cases of Deferred Action and legal research. In her free time, Esmeralda loves to bake, read thrillers, and cuddle with her dog Canela.

Juan Carlos L.

Healthy Work Legal Organizer

Prior to becoming a staff member, Juan served as a volunteer in RTF’s legal department, providing interpretation to Spanish-speaking workers. Juan has volunteered with Gardeners to establish a community garden at North Lawndale High School. Raised on Chicago’s South Side, Juan is a passionate advocate for racial justice through policy change. In his free time, Juan loves to try new recipes and garden.

Brenda S.

Paralegal

Brenda is a graduate from Dominican University where she double majored in Sociology and Criminology. Before coming to RTF, she interned for SEIU where she learned about the importance of well-paying jobs. During her time at SEIU, she researched issues surrounding the home care industry, and she realized that the shortage of wages is an issue everywhere, even in progressive states like Illinois. She believes everyone should have access to livable wages and appropriate working conditions. As a member of the Hispanic community, she understands that language can be a barrier, therefore she aims to provide and facilitate access to legal resources and combat issues around labor injustices.