Revolution Messaging

Revolution Messaging Logo

Revolution Messaging "is a progressive political digital strategy firm located in Washington, D.C."

Mike Nellis, former vice president of campaigns of Revolution Messaging, founded Authentic Campaigns. Loren Merchan, President and Partner of Authentic Campaigns also previously worked for Revolution Messaging.

Background

From Ballotpedia:

Revolution Messaging (RM) was founded in 2009 by Scott Goodstein. Goodstein founded the firm shortly after acting as the external online director for President Barack Obama's Obama for America. Obama's Organizing for America—a client of RM—and Obama for America were both folded into Organizing for Action, a nonprofit 501(c)(4); since 2008, a number of Obama White House staffers and advisors from these groups have migrated to RM.

In April 2009, Goodstein discussed the impact of Obama's digital campaign with the British publication Third Sector. He noted that the lasting effects of the Obama campaign involved campaign recognition that people digest political messages differently in the social media age. He said, "The campaign was a wake-up call to organisations not engaging with these tools. It is no longer enough to put out a press release and give one interview, then expect your supporters to connect with your cause. To recognise the change in how people are digesting information is a big step forward."

Partner Fired for 'Alleged Sexual Assualt'

Excerpt from Buzzfeed:

"In interviews with 23 current and former employees, staffers described Revolution Messaging in grim terms: The firm, they say, is “in a tailspin.” It’s “spiraling.” “In crisis.” The work culture is “toxic” and “volatile.” There’s a “fear of retaliation,” “a lack of value for employees.” There’s “confusion,” “unease,” and “anxiety.” It’s “paranoia city.”

"“People feel the ship is sinking.”

Over the last six months, at least 27 employees have left Revolution Messaging or given their notice. The campaigns department, where staffers helped raise more than $218 million for Sanders, is a shell of the same group that made a name for the firm in 2016. When two senior staffers exited the company in early 2018, that team lost four marquee accounts: Bernie Sanders, Kamala Harris, Chris Murphy, and Giffords PAC. (The firm retains some business with each client, such as web services, a spokesperson said.)

Since 2017, the firm has lost names like Adam Schiff, Mahlon Mitchell, Rich Cordray, Ben Jealous, Brian Schatz, Alex Padilla, Andrew White, Katie Porter, Patty Murray, Dan Helmer, Vincent Fort, Justin Nelson, and Barbara Lee. Before this month, the firm’s largest remaining client, according to former staffers on the campaigns team, was Texas Rep. Beto O'Rourke. Last Friday, he left Revolution Messaging for a competing firm.

The company, molded in the “DIY punk rock” image of its founder, Scott Goodstein, began nearly 10 years ago with a simple promise to progressive operatives: Amid all the “bad gigs in the Democratic Party ecosystem,” as Goodstein once put it, this would be a place where staffers were actually treated well, working for clients they actually liked.

After 2016, Revolution Messaging became synonymous with the politics, policy, and campaign strategy of the Sanders brand that nearly every Democratic leader is trying to emulate in a sudden rush to embrace the politics of the new left ahead of 2020. Amid a transformational moment in American politics, however, current and former staffers describe Revolution Messaging as a cautionary tale of what happens when movement aspirations meet the hard reality of building a long-lasting institution.

Inside their Washington headquarters, staffers have long harbored concerns about the firm’s work environment, Goodstein’s “trial-by-fire” approach as a manager, and a “sink-or-swim” culture that’s left employees overextended and afraid to voice their frustrations. As CEO, Goodstein remained involved in day-to-day client work. Blow-ups, according to his employees, were not uncommon. He could be aggressive and unclear in his expectations, they said. Multiple staffers described the same pang of alarm upon seeing Goodstein’s name light up their phones with a Slack or email notification.

If these concerns were shared by staffers inside the building, they often had a way of staying buried — voiced privately among coworkers, or anonymously on review websites like Glassdoor. (See: “Scary” from Current Employee, Anonymous, Feb. 24, 2016. Pros: “Clients are groups who do good in the world.” “People are fun and smart.” Cons: “Most employees are terrified of the CEO.” “Women, comparatively, are treated badly.”)

In late 2017, three employees filed HR complaints about Goodstein’s management style, according to copies of confidential company documents. One of the complaints, filed by a former female employee, claimed that his communication issues had a particularly acute effect on women at the firm — an opinion voiced by other current and former employees in interviews over the last month. (The other two complaints were unrelated to gender-related issues.) The gender discrimination claim against the CEO prompted a months-long internal investigation by an independent third-party firm, Helios HR.

During that same period, management was also working to contain a forthcoming HuffPost story about the firm’s work environment and its handling of a sexual assault allegation in late 2015 — news that opened up a dialogue between Revolution staff and senior leadership, but also helped precipitate some of the staff departures this spring.

In response to the reporting in this article, outlined for the company in a 45-point email, Revolution Messaging officials acknowledged that Goodstein’s management style has been problematic and that the firm has struggled with issues related to its growth and scaling. As a result, officials said, the company’s three partners — Goodstein, Keegan Goudiss, and Arun Chaudhary — are taking ongoing executive leadership training.

In weeks’ worth of emails and phone calls, Revolution Messaging strongly disputed other aspects of this article, including concerns among current and former employees about the way women fared at the company. The Helios inquiry, according to an employment law attorney who handles HR matters at the firm, did not substantiate the gender discrimination claim against Goodstein. His communication problems, the investigators found in their final report, extended to men and women alike.

"Officials also provided a number of statements about the financial health of the firm: Since late 2017, they said, Revolution Messaging has hired 15 new employees. They retain more than 200 clients — including 77 new accounts since January. And the company’s largest two teams have not lost any staff, they said. Officials also suggested that competing digital firms have made attempts to poach their business and staff.

Last month, Goodstein announced that he would step down as CEO, but remain at the firm as a partner. He relinquished the role, he said in a statement provided by company officials, “to make space for new leadership and to focus on taking on new challenges now that we are no longer a feisty start-up and needed help growing and scaling.”

“These are different skill sets, and I’m excited for the next generation of leaders to take the helm and start this new chapter.”

When staffers talk about what happened to Revolution Messaging, and their reasons for leaving a company they loved, they don’t describe a turning point at the firm — a single moment when things changed or went south. They talk about a place that never caught up to its original promise: partners who never learned to manage, a company that never stopped being a start-up, a work environment that never quite lined up with its own values.

“The culture does not match our mission statement,” one former employee said. “At all.”

“We're supposed to be better,” said another, “especially because we presented ourselves as being better.”

DCCC Blacklist

Revolution Messaging was on the DCCC Blacklist.

Bernie Sanders Presidential Campaign 2020

Revolution Messaging was used for Bernie Sanders Presidential Campaign 2020:

• Deputy Campaign Manager/Communications Director Arianna Jones (communications director from the beginning; reported deputy campaign manager early Sept. 2019) Communications director at Friends of Bernie Sanders, July 2018-Feb. 2019. Senior vice president of PR at Revolution Messaging from July 2016. Deputy communications director on Bernie 2016, June 2015-July 2016. Segment producer (Aug. 2012-June 2015) and booking producer (March 2011-April 2013) at MSNBC. B.A. in English, history from University of Vermont.

• National Advance Manager Sheila Angelo (Feb. 2019) Political event logistics coordinator/independent contractor from Feb. 2017. Creative project manager and director of operations at Revolution Messaging, May 2017-Feb. 2019. Press advance for the White House, Aug.-Nov. 2016. National advance press lead on Bernie 2016, Nov. 2015-July 2016. Bachelor's degree in political science from University of Massachusetts Lowell, 2015.

• Senior Advisor Tim Tagaris CEO/Owner of Aisle 518 Strategies from Jan 2018. Partner at Revolution Messaging, Feb. 2013-Jan. 2018; served as the digital fundraising director on Bernie 2016. Advisor to Ustream, Inc. June 2007-Feb. 2016. Digital director on Chris Murphy's campaign for U.S. Senate in Connecticut, 2011-Dec. 2012. New media director for SEIU, June 2008-Nov. 2011. Director of media technologies on Sen. Chris Dodd's presidential campaign, Jan. 2007-Jan. 2008. Internet director on Ned Lamont's U.S. Senate campaign in Connecticut, March-Nov. 2006. Internet outreach coordinator at the DNC starting in Oct. 2005-March 2006. Internet communications director for Sherrod Brown; built/primary author of GrowOhio.org. Worked on Paul Hackett's campaign in the Aug. 2005 special election in Ohio's 2nd CD. Communications director on Jeff Seeman's congressional campaign Ohio's 16th CD (Canton) in 2004. Blogged at Swing State Project and occasionally at MyDD. Served in the Marines. Graduated from Southern Illinois University with a degree in television production.

• Digital Fundraising Director Robin Curran Vice president of digital strategy for Aisle 518 Strategies from Jan. 2019. Email director at the DNC, Dec. 2017-Jan. 2019. Digital strategist (Dec. 2016-Nov. 2017) and production associate (May 2015-Dec. 2016) at Revolution Messaging; served as digital production director on Bernie 2016. Communications fellow at the Center for Community Change, June 2014-May 2015. B.A. in sociology and Italian from Dominican University, 2014.

• Digital Fundraising Manager Michael Whitney (Apr. 2019) Newsletter editor and email strategist for The Intercept, Feb. 2018-Apr. 2019. Digital fundraising consultant and trainer at 27 Strategies, Dec. 2016-Feb. 2018. Fundraising expert in residence efor the Centre for Australian Progress, Feb.-Sept. 2017. Senior campaign strategist at Revolution Messaging, July 2014-Dec. 2016. Digital fundraising manager on Bernie 2016, Apr. 2015-July 2016. Self employed digital organiizng consultant, Feb.-June 2014. Director of U.S. email (May 2012-Feb. 2014) and campaign director (July 2011-May 2012) at Change.org. Digital strategy director at Firedoglake.com, Aug. 2009-July 2011. Online campaign manager at SEIU, Sept. 2008-Aug. 2009. New media coordinator for American Rights at Work, May 2006-Sept. 2008. Strategist at Collegelabs.org, July-Nov. 2004. Generation Dean co-founder, Mar. 2003-Feb. 2004. Bachelor's degree in visual media: photography and political science from American University, 2006.

Bernie Sanders Presidential Campaign 2016

Revolution Messaging was used for Bernie Sanders Presidential Campaign 2016.

From Politico:,

Bernie Sanders is an Independent Senator from Vermont who "openly abhors fundraising...[and therefore] Sanders campaign has focused on digital donations and hired Revolution Messaging, a consultancy made up of former Obama staffers, to handle its digital outreach."

Digital firm Revolution Messaging "runs Sanders’ online fundraising and social media efforts — big for a candidate who’ll rely on small-dollar contributions and benefits from a strong social-media presence. Four members of the team worked on Barack Obama’s insurgent 2008 campaign — Scott Goodstein, who ran Obama’s social media efforts; Shauna Daly, who was deputy research director for the campaign; Arun Chaudhary, who ultimately became the first official White House videographer; and Walker Hamilton, the site architect for Obama’s campaign. Kenneth Pennington, who ran Sanders’ Senate social media platform, and Keegan Goudiss, a Revolution Messaging partner who has worked for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, will also work on the digital team.

Digital Fundraising Director

Tim Tagaris, Partner at Revolution Messaging since Feb. 2013. Advisor to Ustream, Inc. June 2007-Feb. 2016. Digital director on Chris Murphy's campaign for U.S. Senate in Connecticut, 2011-Dec. 2012. New media director for SEIU, June 2008-Nov. 2011. Director of media technologies on Sen. Chris Dodd's presidential campaign, Jan. 2007-Jan. 2008. Internet director on Ned Lamont's U.S. Senate campaign in Connecticut, March-Nov. 2006. Internet outreach coordinator at the DNC starting in Oct. 2005-March 2006. Internet communications director for Sherrod Brown; built/primary author of GrowOhio.org. Worked on Paul Hackett's campaign in the Aug. 2005 special election in Ohio's 2nd CD. Communications director on Jeff Seeman's congressional campaign Ohio's 16th CD (Canton) in 2004. Blogged at Swing State Project and occasionally at MyDD. Served in the Marines. Graduated from Southern Illinois University with a degree in television production.

Digital Fundraising Manager

Michael Whitney, Senior campaign strategist at Revolution Messaging since July 2014. Self employed digital organizing consultant, Feb.-June 2014. Director of U.S. email (May 2012-Feb. 2014) and campaign director (July 2011-May 2012) for Change.org. Digital strategy director for Firedoglake.com, Aug. 2009-July 2011. Online campaign manager for SEIU, Sept. 2008-Aug. 2009. New media coordinator for American Rights at Work, May 2006-Sept. 2008. Strategist at CollegeLabs.org, July-Nov. 2004. Generation Dean co-founder at Dean for America, March 2003-Feb. 2004. Bachelor's degree in visual media: photography and political science from American University, 2006.

Digital Production Director

Robin Curran, Digital production associate at Revolution Messaging from May 2015. Communications fellow at the Center for Community Change, June 2014-May 2015. B.A. in sociology and Italian from Dominican University, 2014. twitter

Digital Advertising Director

Keegan Goudiss, Partner at Revolution Messaging since April 2009. Founder at Vox-P Media, Sept. 2008-Jan. 2011. Partner at Silverberg Associates, Sept. 2007-Dec. 2008. Analyst for NCEC, Aug. 2003-Aug. 2007. Campaign manager fro the IDP Truman Fund, 2002. IT director for the Democratic Party of Virginia, Jan. 2001-Jan. 2002. Member services assistant at the DCCC, 1999-2000. B.A. in political science from American University, 2002.

Digital Creative Director

Arun Chaudhary, Creative director and partner at Revolution Messaging since March 2012. Resident filmmaker at Fenton, Oct. 2011-Jan. 2012. Official videographer at the White House, Jan. 2009-Aug. 2011. New Media road director (April-Nov. 2008) and director of field production (May 2007-April 2008) for Obama for America. Adjunct instructor at New York University, Jan. 2001-Jan. 2007. Freelance editor and sound designer, Jan. 1998-Jan. 2007. M.A. in film from New York University's Tisch School of the Arts, 2003; B.A. in film theory from Cornell University, 1997.

Lead Graphic Designer

Camilo Caffi, Senior graphic designer at Revolution Messaging from June 2014. B.A. in graphic design and illustration from UMBC in Catonsville, MD, 2013. - "raised more than $218 million online from 8.5 million individual contributions and 2.7 million donors." -

Council of International Programs USA Connection

Jonathan Barnes from the UK pictured with Stacey Wharam from Revolution Messaging, LLC

From the Council of International Programs USA's February 2016 newsletter:

"Recently, CIPUSA’s Director of Program Development and External Affairs, Melissa Zwick, met with one of our participants who is completing an 18 month training program focused on political campaign management with Revolution Messaging, LLC in Washington D.C.! Jonathan Barnes is from the United Kingdom and through his training program hopes to gain a greater knowledge of how each level of government in the U.S. works and how to affect change at the federal, state and local level. Jonathan is also interested in the more advanced techniques that that the U.S. uses in politics. In turn, the skills and knowledge gained from his experience can help him create and execute more effective campaigns back in the UK...

Benjamin Jealous

From Politico:

"Benjamin Jealous hires Sanders consultants: Jealous has hired a slew of consultants with ties to Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders’ presidential bid for his campaign, including campaign manager Travis Tazelaar, a former executive director of the Maryland Democratic Party who was on Sanders’ steering committee in the state, along with media consultants Devine Mulvey Longabaugh and digital consultants Revolution Messaging...

Kamala Harris

From the Washington Free Beacon, "Kamala Harris Stacks Presidential Campaign With Hillary Clinton Alums":

Harris's presidential campaign's digital arm will be run by Authentic Campaigns, a D.C.-based full-service digital strategy company that was founded by Mike Nellis, former vice president of campaigns of Revolution Messaging LLC. Revolution Messaging was considered instrumental in propelling Sen. Bernie Sanders's candidacy against Clinton during the 2016 elections.

Harris has already paid Authentic Campaigns and Revolution Messaging millions of dollars from her Senate campaign committee for advertising and consulting services since entering Congress.

Metro DC Democratic Socialists of America

Revolution Messaging is connected to Metro DC Democratic Socialists of America through Tony Baker, Digital Strategy at Revolution Messaging and Morgan Darkes Hill, Copywriter at Revolution Messaging according to the Metro DC Democratic Socialists of America Facebook page as of October 14, 2017.