Aly worked closely with Pelican Institute CEO Daniel Erspamer to rebuild the organization practically from scratch. After the untimely passing of founder Kevin Kane in 2016, Daniel quickly stepped up to relaunch the organization and get it back on track. Aly was his first hire.
“I think when you have a brilliant visionary like Daniel, you've got to pair that with someone who can take that big picture and break it down, make it really tangible,” Aly said. “And so that's really where I've come in with working to recruit talent. Without incredible people executing on that vision and mission, you're not going to go anywhere.”
But she brought more than just business know-how. She helped foster an environment of camaraderie, team work, and positivity. “If we can't have fun, this can be really hard work,” Daniel said. “If we can present something that is light hearted and optimistic, that's the way we're going to approach. Being able to approach big, hefty ideas with humor and optimism and that joie de vivre has really made a difference in standing out among our ideological opponents.”
This collaborative environment has carried Pelican Institute through many hard-fought wins. After Daniel secured Atlas Network grant funding through one of the organization’s pitch competitions, their team stepped up their effort to roll back Louisiana’s incredibly restrictive job licensing laws. The state poses license requirements on more jobs than any other in the United States—even requiring a license from the state for a resident to practice as a florist, the absurdity of which the team highlighted in a recent video skit.
Through their Right to Earn a Living project, Pelican Institute set a precedent in favor of rolling back these requirements. They helped pass legislation of the same name, which put the burden of proof on lawmakers to show that individual license requirements are necessary for public health and safety. This has not only made it much more difficult for the state to issue new licensing regulations, it has created a legal pathway for those harmed by current requirements to sue to have them repealed. Pelican Institute is now representing two veterinarians, one of whom is the subject of an Atlas Network documentary, as they seek the removal of overly-restrictive rules on the recognition of valid out-of-state veterinary licenses.