Leading Millennial and Minority-Owned Research Firm Expands Team with Key Hires, Readies for 2022 Election Cycle

HIT Strategies Welcomes Sean Conner, Joshua Doss, Jermaine House, David Kornahrens and Bex Pachl

HIT Strategies, the nation’s leading millennial and minority-owned public opinion research firm, celebrates the second anniversary of its founding this summer by announcing the expansion of its team as it gears up for the 2022 cycle. From its first to the second year, HIT grew from 5 employees and less than a dozen clients to 15 employees and over 40 clients. In its second year, HIT has tackled the hardest problems facing young people, African Americans, Asian Americans, Latinos, women, and LGBTQ communities. From increasing voting by mail and vaccination rates in communities of color to reimagining public safety, HIT centers the most impacted communities in the nation’s most pressing issues.

HIT has done this while remaining a firm owned and operated by a diverse group of millennial professionals and focusing their business on underserved communities. Owned by an Indian American woman and African American man, HIT Strategies’ rapid growth signals a shift in industries’ desire to understand younger and more diverse communities, who have emerged as America’s largest consumers and the voting electorate.

HIT entered its third year by expanding its team with five key, experienced hires. Coming from the DCCC, David Kornahrens joined as Senior Director of Research. Coming from the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History, Jermaine House has become the Senior Director of Communications. Coming from the Global Strategy Group, Joshua Doss is the newest Research Analyst. Previously working as Executive Assistant, Sean Conner now serves as the Client Success Manager. Coming from the ACLU, Bex Pachl is currently an Executive/Research Assistant. All hires are effective immediately.

All new HIT hires previously held pivotal political and government roles in Washington, D.C., and other states, including alumni of the DCCC, Obama for America, and several Congressional, state, and local campaigns. With recent hires, HIT adds electoral expertise, including candidate campaigns and independent expenditures experience ahead of the 2022 election cycle.

“We are thrilled to welcome these capable experts to HIT Strategies,” said co-founders and partners Terrance Woodbury and Roshni Nedungadi. “We are recruiting a world-class team that reflects the rapid diversification of America. Each brings a unique perspective and needed skill set that will enable HIT to continue to deliver important data and insight to our clients and audience.” 

As HIT enters the 2022 cycle with more expertise and experience, it will also be working for a host of dynamic, progressive candidates.

• Florida Gubernatorial Candidate Nikki Fried
• South Carolina Gubernatorial Candidate Mia McLeod
• Maryland Gubernatorial Candidate Mike Rosenbaum
• Arkansas Gubernatorial Candidate Chris Jones
• Columbus City Council President Shannon Hardin

This young, diverse slate of candidates reflects the future of America and the continued importance of the emerging Democratic electorate that will define the outcome of these races. In the states and districts where these candidates are running, young voters and voters of color will decide the margin of victory. HIT’s proven experience and cultural understanding of these communities make them especially prepared to meet this challenge.

Find the complete list of team members here.

David Kornahrens – Senior Director of Research 
David Kornahrens joins HIT Strategies after a decade of survey and qualitative research, strategic guidance, and advising candidate campaigns and advocacy organizations. He previously served as the Director of Polling and Modeling at the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC), successfully defending the Democratic majority in the U.S. House of Representatives, including protecting 21 incumbent Democrats who won in districts previously won by Donald Trump.  

A seasoned political operative, David’s professional background includes several research firms, including Tulchin Research, Feldman Group, and Brilliant Corners. In addition, his client-work had Defenders of Wildlife, the ACLU, the Southern Poverty Law Center, Prop 62 (Repeal the Death Penalty Initiative), Bernie Sanders for President, Gil Cisneros for Congress the DCCC independent expenditure (IE), to name a few.

@davidwhkor

Jermaine House – Senior Director of Communications 
Jermaine House is the Senior Director of Communication at HIT Strategies. Jermaine is an accomplished strategic communications manager with experience managing teams and driving communications strategies for corporate clients, public office holders, political campaigns, and a major cultural institution. Jermaine joins HIT Strategies from the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture. His strategic oversight included: communications planning for museum initiatives, earned media outreach, crisis communications, and managing the media affairs team.

Additionally, Jermaine brings extensive political campaign communications experience to HIT Strategies. Jermaine worked in communications roles for President Barack Obama’s 2012 reelection campaign, two members of the District of Columbia Council, two U.S. House of Representatives, and the Southern Regional Press lead at the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC). 

Twitter: @JermaineHouse

Joshua Doss – Analyst
As a research analyst, Joshua drives opinion research engagements across HIT’s political strategy and assists clients with message development, emerging consumer trends, and constituent values. Previously, Joshua served as a research analyst at Global Strategy Group in Manhattan, New York. Throughout his time at GSG, Joshua conducted quantitative and qualitative research for the Black Economic Alliance, Bryan Stevenson’s Equal Justice Initiative, the Democratic Campaign Committee, Senate Majority PAC, the Environmental Defense Fund, and many more.

Though Joshua began his career pounding the pavement as a grassroots organizer in his hometown of Chicago, his political interests pushed him to get involved with the 2019 Democratic presidential primaries. After serving as Kamala Harris’s traveling advance staff, Joshua ended the primaries as the Director of African American outreach in South Carolina for former presidential candidate Beto O’Rourke.

@AppliedScience

Sean Conner – Client Success Manager 
With over 15-years of relationship management experience, Sean Conner serves as HIT Strategies’ Client Success Manager, overseeing all sales and client-related activities. At HIT, Sean works with our clients in ensuring their success throughout their HIT journey by providing critical support from the proposal through to project completion.

Prior to joining HIT, Sean partnered with individual organizations to provide C-Suite executives with strategic guidance and support as they work to expand and scale their businesses. Sean’s efforts have allowed companies and teams to maximize efficiency, drive client retention, and identify and secure additional revenue streams. Sean is also a fierce advocate and supporter of mental health awareness and has personally fundraised over $100,000 towards the treatment and care of those who have mental illness in his home state of Oklahoma.

Twitter: @realSeanConner

Bex Pachl – Executive Assistant
Bex Pachl is the Executive/Research Assistant to HIT Strategies partners Roshni Nedungadi and Terrance Woodbury. As an Executive/Research Assistant, Bex manages the founding partners’ day-to-day operations and schedules to ensure productivity. Bex also works with the founders of HIT Strategies on macro-level, big-picture goals, working to drive the HIT Strategies business and prime the team for success.
Twitter @BPachl