Pride Action Fund is building grassroots power across New Jersey to defend LGBTQ+ rights, strengthen our communities, and elect leaders who believe in dignity, safety, and equality for all.
New Jersey Is Our Home. We’re Protecting It Together.
The Stakes Have Never Been Higher
New Jersey has long been a leader in equality, but that progress is under growing threat. Across the country and here at home, anti LGBTQ+ rhetoric is increasingly being translated into policy across our country and in our home state. We must act now to not only to protect our community but to ensure we continue to make progress.
Federal Threats
National leaders are advancing policies that weaken civil rights protections and attempt to erase LGBTQ+ people from public life.
Local Attacks
Organized groups are targeting New Jersey communities, pushing efforts to censor LGBTQ+ identities in schools and restrict access to affirming health care.
A Critical Moment
We cannot rely on past victories to secure our future. This moment demands organizing, advocacy, and action.
Our Mission: Real Results. Equal Rights.
Pride Action Fund is a 501(c)4 advocacy organization dedicated to building political power for the LGBTQ+ community in the Garden State. We aren’t just here to talk about equality — we’re here to secure it.
We believe every New Jerseyan deserves to live in a state that is safe, equitable, and free from discrimination. Our work is grounded in grassroots community advocacy that delivers tangible results for our families and neighbors.
Strategy in Action
- Grassroots Power: We mobilize a statewide network of advocates to hold elected officials accountable at every level of government.
- Legislative Advocacy: We lobby at every level of government across our state to pass proactive policies that expand protections and block extremist attempts to roll back our rights.
- Transparent Endorsements: We support candidates who make LGBTQ+ rights a top priority and champion our community through both their votes and their voice.
Meet The Team
We're not newcomers to this fight. With over 30 combined years in advocacy, community organization, and leadership, our team has been on the frontlines lifting the LGBTQ+ community toward equality and emboldening community voices across New Jersey.
We've learned that lasting change requires both bold vision and strategic action — and we're here to deliver both.
Elizabeth Schedl serves as Executive Director of Hudson Pride Center and Pride Action Fund, bridging direct services and policy advocacy to drive systemic change for LGBTQ+ communities. Since joining Hudson Pride in 2013, she has led a decade of growth that expanded access to affirming healthcare, social services, and cultural programming, while building sustainable infrastructure through strategic partnerships and public investment.
Through Pride Action Fund, Elizabeth channels her passion for justice into policy, advocacy, and civic engagement. She believes direct services alone are not enough and that lasting change requires bold leadership, community mobilization, and accountability at every level of government. Her work focuses on protecting civil rights, strengthening public health systems, and advancing equity across New Jersey.
Elizabeth serves on New Jersey’s Advisory Council on HIV, STIs, and Viral Hepatitis and is a Council Member of the New Jersey Coalition Against Sexual Assault. In 2025, she was appointed by the Mayor of Jersey City as Co Chair of the Arts and Culture Policy Committee for the Mayor’s Transition Team, where she helps shape inclusive public policy and community driven governance.
Laura Bustamante is a dedicated professional with a strong commitment to public service, demonstrated through her extensive experience in political campaigns, strategic consulting, and grassroots organizing. She currently serves as the Chief of Staff to Jersey City Mayor James Solomon, a role in which she oversees the administration’s senior leadership team and spearheads the Mayor’s “People First” agenda focused on affordability, transparency, and inclusive governance.
A seasoned political operative, Laura most recently served as the Deputy State Director and Political Director for U.S. Senator Andy Kim. In that capacity, she led strategic engagement across the state and was credited as an instrumental part of building the people-powered movement that secured Senator Kim’s historic election victory in November 2024.
The Colombian native has compiled an impressive record of successful campaigns, including victories for Governor Mikie Sherrill, Paterson Mayor Andre Sayegh, and Dover Councilwomen Karol Ruiz. Before her time with Senator Kim, she served as Vice President at Tonio Burgos & Associates, one of New Jersey’s most influential lobbying firms.
Beyond her government service, Laura is a powerhouse in grassroots advocacy as a Founder and Board Chair of Pride Action Fund. Under her leadership, this statewide Political Action Committee is committed to championing issues that build grassroots power across New Jersey to defend LGBTQ+ rights, strengthen communities, and elect leaders who believe in dignity, safety, and equality for all.
Bustamante’s political acumen and community impact have earned her significant recognition. She has been named numerous times to Insider NJ’s LGBTQ+ OUT 100 Power List, and is recognized as a rising star. Her commitment to expanding political participation across overlooked communities is evident in her work in Union County, where she helped organize and improve Latino voter turnout, as well as her service on the Board of Hudson Pride Center and the Steering Committee of the Latino Action Network.
Laura is the first in her family to graduate from college, holding a Master of Public Administration & Public Policy and a Master of Science in Protection Management (specializing in emergency management in urban cities) from John Jay College of Criminal Justice. She also holds a Bachelor of Science in Political Science & National Security from New Jersey City University.
Neil Abadie is a technology executive and political advocate with over 20 years of experience driving innovation across Fortune 100 companies, nonprofits, and emerging enterprises. Since 2015, he has served as a fractional CTO for companies in renewable energy and SaaS platforms, including his current role with Abundia Global Impact Group, and serves as Director of FieldGroove, LLC.
Neil’s career began at age 19 as the youngest technology employee at Lehman Brothers, where he worked as a software engineer before continuing at Barclays Capital and Goldman Sachs. Throughout his tenure at these institutions, he led technology initiatives critical to business operations. He later served as Chief Technology Officer for SafeBus.
Driven by a deep commitment to LGBTQ+ equality and educational equity, Neil has devoted significant energy to political advocacy and community leadership. He served eight years on the board of Hudson Pride Center, New Jersey’s largest LGBTQ+ center, and was Ward E Captain for the Hudson County Democratic Organization from 2018 to 2021. He co-chaired LGBTQ for Biden’s North Jersey team and was recognized on the 2020 Insider NJ Out 100 LGBTQ list. He currently serves as a trustee for Learning Community Charter School in Jersey City.
Neil holds a degree in Information Technology and Network Security from the New Jersey Institute of Technology.
Jackie Cornell serves as Vice President of Government Relations & Public Affairs at MikeWorldWide (MWW), where she helps organizations navigate complex policy environments, strengthen stakeholder relationships, and advance strategic objectives through integrated government relations, communications, coalition engagement, and public affairs strategies. She partners with healthcare systems, advocacy organizations, nonprofits, and companies operating in highly regulated industries to align policy strategy with business goals and drive measurable impact.
With more than 20 years of experience across government, public health, advocacy, philanthropy, and statewide campaigns, Jackie specializes in translating complex political and regulatory landscapes into actionable strategies that influence legislative, regulatory, and budget outcomes. Her expertise spans healthcare, life sciences, social impact, and emerging policy issues, with a particular focus on the intersection of public policy, public health, and community engagement.
Appointed by President Barack Obama, Jackie served as Regional Director at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, supporting implementation of the Affordable Care Act and coordinating federal, state, and local partners during public health emergencies, including Zika and Ebola. She later served as Principal Deputy Commissioner at the New Jersey Department of Health, where she oversaw major public health initiatives focused on maternal and infant mortality, HIV prevention, health equity, medicinal cannabis expansion, and strengthening public health infrastructure.
Jackie is passionate about mentorship and leadership development. She co-founded the New Leaders Council New Jersey (now operating as the New Jersey Leadership Collective), serves on the New Jersey Advisory Commission on the Status of Women, and is a board member of the Women in Learning and Leadership (WILL) Program at The College of New Jersey. She also serves as an Adjunct Professor at The College of New Jersey and Rutgers University’s Bloustein School, teaching courses in public policy, advocacy, and gender and sexuality studies.
Anthony Campisi is the founder of Walnut Lane Strategies, where he leverages more than 15 years of experience in journalism, government, and strategic communications to help organizations advance public policy initiatives and shape public opinion. He develops campaigns for nonprofits, unions, trade associations, advocacy groups, and political action committees, helping clients influence legislation, executive action, and key policy decisions at the local, state, and federal levels.
Anthony also advises organizations facing high-profile crises, helping protect their reputations while preserving critical political relationships and government funding opportunities. His work combines strategic communications, media relations, public affairs, and campaign strategy to support clients navigating complex public policy challenges.
Prior to founding Walnut Lane Strategies, Anthony held senior roles at a leading regional issue advocacy firm, consulted for nonprofit advocacy organizations and political campaigns, and served in the administration of former Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter. Earlier in his career, he worked as a journalist for the Philadelphia Daily News, The Philadelphia Inquirer, and the New Jersey Statehouse Bureau of The Bergen Record, giving him extensive knowledge of the political and media landscapes across Pennsylvania and New Jersey.
Anthony currently serves as Vice Chair of the Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia and serves on the Vestry of the Church of St. Martin-in-the-Fields in Philadelphia.
Danielle King is the Regional Manager of the Babs Siperstein PROUD Center and the PROUD Gender Center of New Jersey at RWJBarnabas Health, where she leads initiatives to expand equitable, affirming healthcare for LGBTQ+ communities. Over the past decade, she has been a dedicated advocate for underserved populations, helping bridge gaps between marginalized communities and the healthcare system through education, outreach, and policy advocacy.
A veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps, Danielle served as an Intelligence Analyst during the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” era. Inspired by those experiences, she earned a Master of Public Health in Health Education/Behavioral Science and Epidemiology from the Rutgers University School of Public Health and dedicated her career to advancing LGBTQ+ health equity.
Throughout her career, Danielle has worked in HIV prevention, public health education, and legislative advocacy, supporting initiatives to raise the tobacco purchasing age to 21, expand resources for families affected by lead poisoning, preserve the 340B program, and increase funding for HIV and STD prevention. At RWJBarnabas Health, she helped grow the LGBTQ+ patient population from 120 to more than 4,500 patients and played a key role in expanding the PROUD Center into a dedicated LGBTQ+ healthcare facility. Working alongside the RWJBH Foundation, she also helped secure nearly $1 million in grant funding to improve healthcare access, transportation, HIV prevention services, temporary housing, food assistance, and support programs for underserved communities.
Danielle has educated more than 100 healthcare facilities across New Jersey and Pennsylvania and trained thousands of healthcare professionals on LGBTQ+ inclusion, cultural competency, and health equity. She previously served as Co-Chair of RWJBH Somerset’s PROUD Business Resource Group, formerly served on the Board of the Pride Center, and currently serves on the Cancer Institute of New Jersey’s Community Action Cancer Board. Through leadership, advocacy, and education, Danielle continues to advance accessible, patient-centered healthcare for LGBTQ+ and underserved communities.
