Callie Gale Heilmann is the founder, President, and Co-Director of Bridgeport Generation Now. Callie was born and raised in Hartford, CT and is the 3rd generation in her family to attend Hartford Public Schools. Growing up in a family committed to civic life, a sense of place, and public education helped shape Callie's... lifelong commitment to social justice. A graduate of Tulane University with degrees in Women’s Studies and Art History, she also holds a Master’s of Arts at New York University in Visual Culture and a Master’s in Education from Hunter College, City University of New York. In 2013, Callie decided to move back to Connecticut and, wanting to raise her kids the way she was raised, moved her family to Bridgeport. After Bridgeport’s 2015 elections, Callie organized the first founding members of Bridgeport Generation Now into a room to begin building a movement and in May of 2016, she held Gen Now’s first official member meeting. She currently serves on the advisory boards of PT Partners and the Smilow-Burroughs Wakeman Boys & Girls Club, and is the Co-Director of Bridgeport Generation Now Votes, the 501(c)4 affiliate of Bridgeport Generation Now. Callie believes deeply in the power of organized people to move the places that matter to them toward positive social change.

Gemeem Davis is the Vice President and Co-Director of Bridgeport Generation Now. Passionate about democracy, Gemeem was born, raised and educated in Bridgeport and holds a degree in film from Pratt Institute. After living in New York City for many years, she moved back to Bridgeport in 2016 intent on making a positive ...impact on the lives of the people in her hometown. Gemeem became a member of Bridgeport Generation Now in 2017, was voted on to its board as Vice President in 2018 and has shared the role of Co-Director with the organization's founder, Callie Heilmann, since 2019. As a testament to Gen Now’s mission, Gemeem has successfully developed into a respected community leader whose independent voice is often called upon by the community, media and elected officials. In 2020, Bridgeport City Council appointed Gemeem to the Bridgeport Advisory Task Force on Public Safety where she advocated for and advanced key recommendations resulting in a $2.5 million increase for public education and $760,000 for a new social services unit. Gemeem has served as an elected member of Bridgeport’s Democratic Town Committee and is also the President of Bridgeport Generation Now Votes, the 501(c)4 affiliate of Bridgeport Generation Now, committed to increasing voter education and turnout in Bridgeport elections.

Niels Heilmann is a founding member and serves as the Treasurer of Bridgeport Generation Now. A graduate of Cornell University, Niels also holds a dual MD/MBA from Columbia University. Niels's favorite thing about Bridgeport is the raw potential of its downtown to become a vibrant city center that reflects the myriad o...f cultures represented in the city's population. Niels believes that Bridgeport Generation Now is an exciting and open-ended story; and that improvements will span art, business, politics and more when civically engaged people get active. Until 2021, Niels was the founder and portfolio manager of Elion Investments an investment firm at Millennium Partners focused on the healthcare sector. Niels is on the Board of Directors for the Jacob Riis Settlement House in Queens, NY and works part-time at the Freeman Center for History and Community on project development. Niels and Callie brought their family to Bridgeport to immerse themselves and raise their kids in a diverse community-oriented city.

Razul is a founding member of Bridgeport Generation Now. As a Special Events Coordinator and Project Coordinator with over 13 years of hands-on experience, Razul holds deep knowledge in creating, coordinating, administering and managing community & private events. Notoriously successful in maintaining client relationsh...ips, Razul has worked closely with dozens of Bridgeport-based non-profits, regional municipalities, and local commercial and private organizations. Razul’s greatest expertise is in community development & outreach, social media, brand identity design, creative consulting, content creation, print collateral and executive production. He is currently the Executive Director of the Bridgeport Arts & Cultural Council, runs a bicycle co-op called Bikeport, operates his own event space called BPT Creates, and owns his own event design business, Magnacon 7.

Maggie Gotterer is a founding member and brings more than ten years of experience in nonprofit management to her role at Bridgeport Generation Now. She previously worked as an independent nonprofit consultant for community-based non profits and social enterprises in Bridgeport. Currently, Maggie is the Executive Direct...or of Two Coyotes Wilderness School. She currently serves on a number of boards, including Green Village Initiative, which strives for food justice in Bridgeport. She is also a member of the leadership team of the Nature Connection Network. Her love for the outdoors was cultivated at an early age growing up in Redding, CT and spending summers on an island in Maine. She and her husband met as outdoor adventure guides at Georgetown University, and they are grateful to be raising their young family in the Bridgeport community.