Moonshot is a New York City-based political consulting, strategy, government relations and communications firm founded by Jenny Sedlis and Jason Ortiz, two of the city’s most respected and well-connected political strategists. Our team has won elections, advocacy campaigns, and major policy battles throughout New York City and State. We have deep connections across government, media, and everyone who shapes the present and future of our neighborhoods.

We have steered government from the inside and out – at the highest levels of politics and policy, in the greatest city in the world. And we’re ready to do the same for you.

JASON ORTIZ
CO-FOUNDER, CEO

Jason is a seasoned political operative with 20 years of experience in lobbying, public relations and political action. Hisrecord of significant issue campaign and electoral victories in New York City and State includes key roles on policy victories for the Innocence Project, the Vera Institute, the Drug Policy Alliance and the New York Hotel Trades Council.

He was the Director of Political and Strategic Affairs for the New York Hotel Trades Council, widely viewed as the most influential institutional player in New York politics. He engineered significant legislative and electoral victories e and continues to provide the union with political and communications counsel. Since 2018, he has worked mostly on issue-oriented legislative campaigns for labor, criminal justice reform, and education reform advocates, but most recently worked on the Super PAC that helped Eric Adams win the Democratic mayoral primary in New York City. 

JENNY SEDLIS  
CO-FOUNDER, CEO

Jenny brings nearly 20 years of experience running political, lobbying, grassroots, marketing, communications and advocacy campaigns at the highest level of New York City and New York State politics. Over the past eight years, Jenny has raised and deployed roughly $30 million on high-profile independent expenditure campaigns, most recently starting and running the $7 million Super PAC supporting Eric Adams for Mayor of New York City.  

Jenny co-founded two of the leading charter school networks in New York City. She served as  Executive Director of StudentsFirstNY for eight years, where she led charter school and education reform advocacy and political efforts across the city and state.

JENNIFER FERMINO
MANAGING DIR.,
COMMUNICATIONS 

Jennifer is a veteran communications professional with 20 years of experience in the New York media market. Immediately prior to joining Moonshot, she was the Communications Director for the New York City Council and a Senior Advisor to Speaker Corey Johnson. She began her career as a reporter with the New York Post, where she worked for over a decade covering a wide range of topics including politics, transit, courts, crime and breaking news. She left the Post to become the City Hall Bureau Chief for the New York Daily News. 

Fermino led the bureau during the crowded 2013 mayoral race to replace then-Mayor Michael Bloomberg and covered Mayor de Blasio’s first term in office. She left the Daily News in 2017 to join Fenton, a multi-city social change agency, as an Account Director/Media Specialist. 

RACHEL HALTOM-IRWIN
MANAGING DIR.,
OPERATIONS & CAMPAIGNS

Rachel Haltom-Irwin has spent the past 18 years in electoral campaigns, education, and government. Rachel started as a political organizer in 2003, and has worked on successful political and issue campaigns at the local, state and federal level. She served as the National GOTV Director for President Barack Obama’s re-election campaign in 2012.

In preparation for the 2020 presidential election, Rachel started Organizing Corps 2020, raised $6.7 million, and recruited and trained over 1,000 first-time, local, and diverse political organizers to work on the 2020 presidential campaign in full-time paid positions. Organizing Corps deployed to key states across the country and ensured the Democratic nominee had the organizing force needed to win.

Rachel has worked in government and education as well. She served in the Obama administration as the Chief of Staff for the Sandy Rebuilding Task Force, and later built KIPP NYC's five year growth plan in the Bronx as the Managing Director of Growth.

JASON LAIDLEY
SR. VICE PRESIDENT,
GOVERNMENT RELATIONS

Jason Laidley has been in public service for nearly 20 years. Hehas worked with stakeholders at every level - from policy makers to nonprofits, religious groups, small businesses, and individual community members - to mobilize communities around local issues and ensure the needs of New Yorkers are being met by the government.

Jason served as Chief of Staff and campaign manager to State Senator Jamaal T. Bailey. As Chief of Staff, he worked on policy that advanced criminal justice reform and expanded the Senator’s reach and growth across Northeast Bronx, Westchester, and the state. In addition to his formal staff roles, Jason has served as Field Director for three citywide campaigns and as Special Assistant to New York Attorney General Letitia James during her run for New York City Public Advocate. Jason also served on the transition teams of Mount Vernon Mayor Shawn Patterson-Howard and New York City Mayor Eric Adams. Jason played a critical role in electing New York City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams. 

Jason and his wife, Ebony Meeks-Laidley, are proud parents of their young daughter London.

ELANA LEOPOLD
SR. VICE PRESIDENT,
GOVERNMENT RELATIONS

Elana has spent the last decade working in government and politics. She most recently served as the Political Director for the New York Working Families Party. Prior to joining NYWFP, Elana co-founded Seneca Strategies where she served as a government and community engagement expert, providing strategic guidance to individual, corporate and non-profit clients.

Before founding Seneca Strategies, Elana served as finance director on Mayor Bill de Blasio's successful re-election campaign and worked as a senior member of City Hall’s intergovernmental team, overseeing community engagement and political strategy for City agencies.

Elana is a native New Yorker currently living in Brooklyn.

KELLY E. TAYLOR
SR. VICE PRESIDENT,
GOVERNMENT RELATIONS

Kelly spent more than a decade at the New York City Council, serving three Speakers - Christine Quinn, Melissa Mark-Viverito, and Corey Johnson. She led many of the Council’s most high-profile and ambitious efforts, including creating a streets master plan, a first-in-the-nation package of bills to improve the working conditions of deliveristas, reforming the street vendor system for the first time in over 40 years, developing a State-mandated plan to improve policing, and creating outdoor dining and Open Streets programs. Kelly received her Bachelor of Arts from George Washington University and her J.D. from Fordham University School of Law.

MITCH SCHWARTZ
VICE PRESIDENT,
COMMUNICATIONS

Mitch is a veteran communicator who has run press strategy and rapid response operations at the local, regional, and national levels. Most recently, Mitch served as First Deputy Press Secretary for Mayor Bill de Blasio, where he was a spokesman throughout the COVID-19 crisis. Before joining City Hall in early 2020, he ran early state press operations in Iowa and New Hampshire for Senator Michael Bennet’s presidential campaign.

In 2018, Mitch served as communications director for Rep. Jason Crow in Colorado’s 6th Congressional District, flipping the seat to Democratic control for the first time. Prior to that, he supported clients across the government, non-profit, and advocacy sectors at SKDKnickerbocker. He is also a veteran of NextGen Climate (now NextGen America) and the New York City Council. He is a native New Yorker.