Our Team

Little Lobbyists is a people-powered, family led organization with members in chapters across the country. Our staff support them in their critical work.

Elena Hung is the Executive Director and Co-Founder at Little Lobbyists. Her amazing daughter Xiomara was born with a number of serious medical conditions and is thriving today as a result of quality care (and a bit of luck).  Since 2017, Elena, Xiomara, and families like them visit Capitol Hill and offices across the country to speak with lawmakers and their staffers about what is possible when disabled children have access to the health care, education, and community integration they need to survive and thrive.

Elena was honored with the inaugural "Speak Up For Better Health" award by the Center for Community Engagement in Health Innovation at Community Catalyst and recognized as "Ally of the Year" by the Autistic Self Advocacy Network (2018).  She is a frequent speaker at conferences (including Families USA, Netroots, RESULTS International), as well as press conferences and public events.  Her opinion pieces have been published in the New York Times, Baltimore Sun, HuffPost, and other publications.  She has testified before Congress twice on health care matters related to disabled children with complex medical needs. 

Elena is also a lawyer and lives in the Washington, DC area with her two human children and two furry feline children. She enjoys hiking in the mountains, caring for her houseplants, and eating tater tots.

Victoria is the Community Engagement Coordinator at Little Lobbyists.

Victoria Schiano is a passionate advocate for community, connection, and support. With a career dedicated to assisting individuals with disabilities and their families, she has worked extensively across Pennsylvania to connect people with vital resources, navigate assistance programs, and foster environments where individuals can thrive at home and in their communities.

A lifelong lover of music, the arts, the outdoors, and animals, Victoria draws inspiration from the world around her and brings that same energy to her professional life. Above all, she is a devoted mom to her son, Cole—her pride and joy—who fuels her passion for helping families find strength and joy in their unique journeys.

Victoria is committed to building meaningful relationships with the families she serves and looks forward to supporting them as they create lasting connections and community.

Melissa Sabin is the State Outreach Manager at Little Lobbyists.

Melissa spent nearly two decades supporting U.S. diplomatic, stabilization, and reconstruction efforts globally before becoming a mother to Logan, her Little Lobbyist, in 2020. Born at 29 weeks and diagnosed with 5p- syndrome, Logan put Melissa on a new path—one rooted much closer to home. Navigating complex medical, insurance, and disability systems as a single parent reshaped her purpose. What began as a mission to support her own child quickly evolved into a passion for helping families like hers.

Melissa has been involved with Little Lobbyists since early 2025 as a State Lead for the Kansas Chapter. In this new full-time role, she’ll be supporting State Chapters across the country with development, event planning, and advocacy initiatives. She brings deep experience in strategic communications, coalition-building, and grassroots organizing—and we’re thrilled to welcome her to the team.

s.e. smith is the Communications Director at Little Lobbyists.

s.e. smith is a Northern California-based journalist, essayist, and editor with a disability-informed social justice focus and lived experience on Medicaid and other social safety net programs. smith's cultural criticism and reported features have appeared in publications such as the Washington Post, Time, The Guardian, Rolling Stone, Esquire, and Vice, in addition to anthologies, most recently Disability Intimacy (Vintage, 2024). smith received a National Magazine Award in 2020 for work in Catapult Magazine. smith is also a cofounder and worker-owner of The Flytrap, a journalism collective of feminist cultural critics.

Juan Escalante is the Digital Director at Little Lobbyists.

Juan Escalante is a nationally recognized digital strategist and a leading voice in immigrant rights. Once a DACA recipient, Escalante has since adjusted his immigration status and a fixture at state, local, and national campaigns advocacy campaigns. With over a decade of experience, Escalante’s expertise and insights have been featured in premier outlets such as The New York Times, USA Today, Univision, and CNN, amplifying his influence in shaping national conversations on immigration policy.

A proud Venezuelan-American, Escalante arrived in the U.S. from Caracas at the age of 11. He holds both bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Florida State University. He currently resides in Los Angeles, California, with his wife Susie and their dog Sophie, continuing to be a role model and thought leader in the fight for immigrant rights.