The latest news.

Summer Intern Spotlight: Leena Lall

This summer, Leena Lall has supported teams across anat. by building media lists, drafting media alerts and press releases, attending client meetings, assisting with social media, and shadowing client events.

The experience has given her a closer look at what makes nonprofit communications different.

“I have been surprised by how strategic and purpose-driven nonprofit PR is,” Leena said. “Every pitch and campaign is focused on advancing a mission and creating meaningful impact. It is not just about generating media coverage, but helping organizations tell authentic stories that inspire people who genuinely care about the cause.”

Leena has also strengthened her research and strategic thinking skills, particularly by learning how much attention to detail goes into even the earliest stages of a campaign. While developing one media list, she discovered that a potential contact had retired, reinforcing the importance of carefully reviewing every source and ensuring each reporter is the right fit.

Among her favorite experiences have been shadowing client events, including radio appearances, studio interviews, and a teacher recognition event at a school in Queens.

“Seeing all the planning and coordination behind each event gave me a firsthand look at the work that goes into making every opportunity successful,” she said.

We have loved having Leena as part of the anat. team this summer and watching her grow as a communications professional.

One Year at anat.: Maya Reyes Bellavia on Storytelling and Social Impact

Maya Reyes Bellavia recently marked her first year at anat., where her background in social work has shaped the way she approaches nonprofit communications.

“I’ve gained insight into all the behind-the-scenes work that goes into a news story and cultural conversations,” Maya said. “It’s fascinating to think about what shapes the many spheres of influence in our lives.”

That perspective has been especially meaningful in her work with arts and culture organizations. One of her favorite projects was Teatro Fest 2026, which brought together performances from 10 Latino-led theaters across New York City.

“It was inspiring to see how artists were using their work to explore immigration, race, culture, and community,” she said. “It’s amazing how many themes and histories you can capture in one play.”

For Maya, the most rewarding part of working with nonprofits is learning how organizations are addressing complex challenges in thoughtful and creative ways.

“At the heart of many of their missions is a commitment to our shared humanity,” she said. “That is something worth fighting for.”

anat. welcomes Emily Whitfield as Vice President of Business and Community Development

We are pleased to welcome Emily Whitfield to anat. as our new Vice President of Business and Community Development.

Emily brings more than 25 years of experience in communications, advocacy, and the law. Her work has focused on helping civil rights and social justice organizations communicate clearly about complex issues, and on making sure those messages reach the audiences who need them most. She has built a career grounded in care for both the work and the people behind it.

Before joining anat., Emily founded Emily Whitfield Communications, a strategic communications consultancy. In that role, she advised a range of leading organizations, including the ACLU, NAACP Legal Defense Fund, Innocence Project, Center for Constitutional Rights, and the Vera Institute of Justice. She also stepped in as interim communications director for several civil rights organizations, providing steady leadership during periods of transition. Her work has led to placements in national outlets such as the New York Times, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, and San Francisco Chronicle.

Earlier in her career, Emily spent nearly a decade at the ACLU as Media Relations Director. During that time, she led national communications strategy through a period of significant public debate around civil liberties in the years following 9/11. She also led annual Supreme Court briefings for legal journalists and helped shape how the organization engaged with national media. Her work contributed to the ACLU receiving the PRSA Silver Anvil Award for Excellence in Public Affairs.

Emily’s approach to communications is thoughtful and steady. She brings a strong understanding of how to navigate complex issues while staying grounded in clarity, purpose, and trust. These values align closely with our work at anat. and with the partners we serve.

A lifelong New Yorker and a product of New York City public schools, Emily lives on the Lower East Side with her husband, a bookseller, and their two dogs, Alfie and Percy. Her stepdaughter is currently studying education at Hunter College.

We are grateful to have Emily join the team and look forward to the work ahead together.

We’re so excited to welcome Rebecca Greenberg to the Anat Gerstein team! 

Rebecca brings more than a decade of experience in broadcast journalism. She most recently worked as a reporter at NY1, covering breaking news across all five boroughs of New York City. During her time there, she also earned five Emmy nominations as a news producer. Earlier in her career, Rebecca worked at an NBC affiliate in Massachusetts and at CNN in Atlanta.

She cares deeply about telling stories that inform, connect, and drive meaningful change, which makes her a great fit for our team.

Rebecca earned a dual degree in Journalism and Political Science from the University of Connecticut and a certificate in Digital Marketing from Cornell University.

She grew up in Hoboken and now lives in Brooklyn. Outside of work, she loves the arts, especially going to the movies and playing guitar.

A Familiar Face, Now Full-Time

If Amy Sohn’s name sounds familiar, it may be because she’s already been part of the anat. orbit. After working with us as a consultant over the past eight months, she’s officially joined the team.

Her background spans journalism, publishing, and the Mayor’s Office—bringing a perspective that’s both strategic and deeply grounded in New York.

We asked her a few questions about nonprofit communications today:

What drew you to working with nonprofits?

I’m a native New Yorker who wants to make New York a better place for all New Yorkers. When I entered the MPA program at Baruch several years ago, my intention was to work in nonprofit communications. But I wound up becoming a press secretary for the Mayor’s Office instead. I’m happy to land back in the nonprofit space because nonprofits are the beating heart of NYC. And too often they are unsung heroes. Having worked in nonprofits on the development side, I also understand the communications challenges they face (more about that below).

What communications challenges are nonprofits facing right now?

Shrinking budgets, staffing shortages, and a mistaken view of comms as a “nice to have” rather than a vital organ. Crisis makes communications more important – not less – but too often they are the first vertical to go.

They’re also facing the challenge of a shifting media market, with nonprofit newsrooms laying people off and local TV outlets short-staffed. They’re also facing competition for city reporters’ attention with a brand-new buzzy administration. Finally, nonprofits struggle to do social media that’s authentic and on-message and actually fun and engaging to read. I’m excited that anat. Is growing its digital services.

What excites you most about working with anat. clients?

Just like I love helping policy advisors learn to write and speak with more impact, I love helping nonprofits learn to talk like regular people. Organizations in a deprivation mindset often employ deprivation language. That language is also clunky and opaque. Of course, it can work for internal communications or getting grant renewals.

But it doesn’t translate well into press hits. The more we can move them away from “programs,” “technical assistance,” “priority areas,” “capacity-building,” and “populations,” the better.