A personal update.

Transitions.

I wanted to share an update with you. I’ve decided to take on an important role in the new administration as Deputy Communications Director of Economic Justice.

I’m stepping into this role at a moment when affordability is the city’s defining challenge. In City Hall’s communications team, my focus will be on listening to New Yorkers and connecting their lived experience to how this administration is using governing power – across economic policy, consumer and worker protections, and a more serious approach to building and development – to bring down the cost of living and ensure dignity.

I’m excited and honored to be stepping into this role at a moment when governing power for working and middle class people is urgently needed. I believe deeply in the direction of this administration and in the work ahead.

I will be concluding my time as the founding Executive Director of The Bloc. At the same time, I want to share a difficult update. After careful deliberation and conversations with our board, advisors, partners, and funders, we have decided to wind down The Bloc in 2026.

This wasn’t the outcome I wanted. Over our first full year, we assembled an exceptional team and did work I’m genuinely proud of. That included helping movement partners respond to rapid federal attacks, building a cross-movement spokesperson bench, strengthening communications capacity, and media accountability that brought scrutiny to mainstream media coverage. I’m grateful for what we built together for today’s attention economy and populist era.

But The Bloc is still a young organization, and the fundraising environment has been challenging. After weighing our options carefully, it became clear that attempting a founder transition this early would put people and partners through unnecessary uncertainty. Rather than push forward under those conditions, we’re choosing to close the organization with care and intention.

Over the coming period, we’ll focus on closing out our work responsibly and supporting our staff and partners through the transition.

For program-related questions, please follow up with ilona at the-bloc.us. For overall transition and wind-down matters, jee at the-bloc.us is the right point of contact.

To our donors, partners, and supporters: thank you. You took a bet on something new and gave us the trust and space to try to build infrastructure where it was missing. And to the staff who rolled the dice with me over this past year, I’m deeply grateful.

This will likely be my last Substack for a while as I step fully into public service and comply with the city’s guidelines. I hope to return to writing in time, but for now, my focus is on the work ahead.

With real thanks,
Waleed