Dan Cohen founded Full Court Press in 2001 with a vision of providing public relations, public affairs and crisis counsel to companies, foundations and non-profits who wish to use strategic communications to make social change.

Dan is a veteran public relations, political communications and media strategist. He applied his belief in brand building public relations to all of the General Mills Brands including Wheaties, Cheerios, Box Tops for Education & Betty Crocker. His work at General Mills in the mid-1990's was recognized by the Wall Street Journal as being on the forefront of leveraging brands to greater PR success.

Dan was a political consultant for initiatives and Democratic candidates for offices from mayor to Congress. He was recently named by the East Bay Business Journal as one of its "40 under 40," and serves on the Board of Directors of Alameda County Meals on Wheels. Dan is a licensed attorney but chooses to practice strategic communications … his passion.

Melissa Daar, Senior Vice President, has vast experience in media outreach, public affairs strategy, grassroots/community action programs, and online organizing and advocacy. 

She was most recently the California Policy and Field Director for People For the American Way where she directed the state’s political, legislative and advocacy agenda. Prior to that, she played a leading role on the political team for Working Assets. Her previous experience includes working on ACLU of Northern California’s communications team, serving as staff for a San Francisco Supervisor, leading on-line advocacy efforts against a ballot initiative, and managing a technology start-up's public relations. During her career she has helped launch the ACLU’s Driving While Black or Brown campaign on race-based police stops, spearheaded a corporate volunteerism program that won Company of the Year from the Entrepreneurs' Foundation, and organized a business, government and advocates’ collaboration to support federal immigration reform.

Melissa has also been a social entrepreneur. She founded and led an Oakland-based organization for a decade that organized cultural exchange travel to Cuba and Brazil.

Nicole Catalano has a strong media strategy and public relations background, working professionally in both corporate and agency settings throughout the Bay Area and Seattle since 1998.Before joining Full Court Press, Nicole worked in the high-tech sector and has serviced several Silicon Valley start-ups as well as large software companies including Microsoft. Her combination of corporate, product, and brand building experience is central to her work at Full Court Press.

In 2007, after nearly 8 years of working in the technology industry,  Nicole decided to leave the industry and take a personal, one year sabbatical in Central America where she did volunteer work on issues she’s most passionate about including Fair Trade, Natural Resource Management, Sustainable Development & Tourism,  Microenterprise Development,  and Conservation issues.  Upon her return to the U.S. and prior to joining Full Court Press, Nicole consulted for Alter Eco Fair Trade, a San Francisco based organic food company where she was responsible for increasing both company and product visibility.

Nicole is fluent in German and Spanish.  She is a graduate of the University of Connecticut in English Literature and Journalism. She also studied at the Professional School of Journalism at the University of Montana in Missoula.  Her interests outside of work include Latin American and Environmental studies, and sports such as cycling and surfing.

Ché Soto-Vigil's grassroots and political organizing experience in the Bay Area drives Full Court Press' on-the-ground efforts. He has worked extensively on education and public health related issues. Ché is an Account Executive at Full Court Press.

Ché has toured with Kaiser Permanente's Educational Theater Program as a professional actor and peer health educator, covering a range of subjects including HIV/AIDS, teen suicide, and violence prevention.

In recent years, Ché has worked with Contra Costa County Elections Department in voter education projects as well as for the Alliance for a Better California. Through his involvement in social justice related issues he was a participant in the World Social Forum in Brazil. He has a degree in International Development Studies from UCLA, where he was a contributing editor for La Gente de Aztlan and served at the University's EXPO Center as an intern placement director, helping to secure internships for 70 students in Washington, DC.

Jessica Weddle brings government advocacy, policy research, community outreach, and event planning to her work at Full Court Press. She has broad experience in governmental and non-profit sectors at both the local and international levels.

A fluent speaker of French, Jessica spent time working for the United Nations Office of Drugs and Crime in Brussels and spent a summer at the US Embassy in Paris doing research on international institutions and policy coordination. She has worked for the Jewish Community Federation as an event coordinator and for Jewish Vocational Service in San Francisco coordinating internship and employment training programs throughout the Bay Area. Jessica earned a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and French from the University of California at Berkeley. A native of San Francisco, Jessica grew up in Sonoma County. Her interests include swimming and bicycling.

Jordan Pierce comes to Full Court with a broad range of experience well-suited to our mission; including work in local government, event production, and the non-profit sector. He recently served as co-chair of the Mayor Dellums Task Force on Transparency where he facilitated the research and drafting of policy recommendations related to the city’s contracting process.  Jordan’s international experience includes time working for the New Zealand Department of Labour and a semester studying Mexican literature and history at the Universidad Veracruzana, in Xalapa, Mexico. An Oakland native, he is a graduate of Haverford College where he earned a degree in English literature.