Surprise Proposal / Mike & Alex / Cherry Blossoms Washington DC

After a couple months of planning, the execution worked out perfectly. Mike reached out to me beforehand to discuss his vision. His lucky lady, Alex, wanted the cherry blossoms, and we delivered. However, it took some luck and precise timing to make these beautiful shots happen. Springtime in Washington DC has emerged slowly this year. It was only a few days before their arrival that the cherry blossoms started to bloom. Luckily, warmer temperatures in the days leading up to the shoot accelerated the timing of the peak bloom. I was thrilled that spring arrived just in time to provide a beautiful backdrop for Mike and Alex’s special moment.

Millennial Action Project

On Wednesday, February 27th, MAP partnered with the Consumer Technology Associate, Uber, and Yelp to host the Congressional Future Caucus Kickoff at the CTA Innovation House on the Hill. The event marked the inauguration of MAP’s Future Caucus in the 116th Congress as well as the launch of the Millennial Action Staff Association by celebrating the millennial presence around the Capitol and emphasizing MAP’s mission of furthering bipartisan policy-making among millennial legislators.

MAP’s Founder and President Steven Olikara framed the evening's proceedings by saying “We’re here not only to enjoy some good food and some good drinks, but also to kick off this new session of work,” later adding, “Here’s the challenge: Can we reinvent American self-governance with this new generation of leaders? I think the answer is yes but it requires a lot of hard work, a lot of intentional support.”

Indeed, with a new influx of freshmen millennial legislators from both sides of the aisle in the 116th Congress as the backdrop, the theme of the evening was leveraging the millennial political momentum to find and implement workable solutions. In launching the Millennial Action Staff Association, Olikara emphasized the need for a network of support and communication that cuts across political or industry association, noting the a successful track record at the national and state level in areas such as student debt and building the gig-economy.

MAP welcomed Congressman Mike Gallagher, Congressional staff from over 25 House and Senate Offices, and community partners.

(Wording from MAP - Millennial Action Project)