Today we’d like to introduce you to Carla Wright and Giana Petrichella
Hi Carla and Giana, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
We bring over four decades of combined marketing expertise to the table, and we’re proud to have played a key role in Utah’s historic 2024 blue shift. Our work on Glenn Wright’s U.S. House campaign for District 3 not only flipped a county but also outperformed same-party, multi-million-dollar campaigns in voter turnout and engagement. This was my first political campaign and Carla’s fifth, capping her decade of political experience. Together, we boosted voter turnout by 5% across the district and specifically earned 33% more votes in Salt Lake County—all on a modest $72,000 fully-fundraised budget and in a traditionally red state.
Now, that we’re technically unemployed again, we’re hustling in this grotesque job market and we’ve decided to take the next step for ourselves. We’re getting ready to launch a political agency, the first and only agency of its kind in the state. As a minority-owned firm led by women, BIPOC, and LGBTQ+ leaders and allies, we’ll be exclusively dedicated to Utah candidates, nonprofits, and causes. And with our combined 40+ years of marketing, legal, and political experience, we’re here to redefine the landscape and help Utah embrace the progressive and needed change that we know is possible.
We’re damn proud of what we’ve done thus far, and we were going to keep going amidst the hurdles. Because there are plenty of hurdles.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It is never a smooth road, no—lol.
Carla: my story began in El Salvador, where I was adopted during the 1980s Civil War and grew up as a proud American citizen. As a brown, bisexual woman, my journey has been deeply shaped by personal experiences with racial injustice and the gaps in our nation’s healthcare and disability-support systems. Over nearly a decade in Utah politics, I’ve managed impactful campaigns, including Eileen Gallagher for Utah State Senate and Glenn Wright’s many runs for Summit County Council and congressional district 3 for U.S. House. Glenn is also my dad.
My professional background is rooted in digital marketing, advertising, and public relations, which has allowed me to grow professionally or “climb the ladder” if you will—something I don’t strive for. It is not how I define success but these areas of marketing have worked well for me. Originally from Miami, Florida, I’ve called Salt Lake City home since 2017, and I’m proud to be an advocate for the minority representation Utah’s growing population needs.
Giana: Challenges began early for me as a first-generation college graduate raised by a single mother, and with a Vietnam veteran father—both relationships deeply traumatizing and strained for different reasons. My higher education was only possible though, because of my father’s veteran benefits and I am very grateful for that. I do not come from generational wealth and have worked extremely hard for what I’ve earned. Which, ironically enough if I am being honest, today I have spent practically every hard earned dollar down to tapping into my 401k (don’t do that if you can) because of the volatile job market these past years and two consecutive layoffs. That’s a different story for a different day, but growing up, I saw firsthand the harsh realities of classism and the negative impact of governmental disparities on people, communities and families. Those experiences sparked my lifelong passion for justice and advocacy, and still do today.
In late 2022, I stepped into politics, joining Glenn Wright’s congressional campaign during the high-intensity of the 2024 Presidential election cycle—that’s me, dive right into something when it is at its’ peak, ha! My professional background includes decades in corporate marketing, where I’ve specialized in experiential and event-driven strategies, alongside a long history of humanitarianism and volunteering with nonprofits. I graduated from Cal State Fullerton with an undergrad in Business Administration and Legal Studies (pre-law) and I am originally from Orange County, California. Now in Salt Lake City since 2014, I am a proud single mother raising my son.
Together, Carla and I have a wealth of knowledge and similar paths. We both worked at law firm early on in our careers and ended up moving to Utah working together at FranklinCovey. We ended up working together a few more times while at tech companies, Pluralsight and Beans.ai. We have faced the struggles many women and minorities experience in the workforce, including layoffs, sexual harassment, and unfair treatment. We’re still pissed off about those hurdles, but despite them, our shared determination and DGAF attitude (is that still a cool acronym?) drive us to make meaningful change — both in our professional lives and in Utah’s political sphere.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
Carla and I have worked in corporate for the majority of our careers. This includes working in leadership positions and having managed digital, social, event, partnerships and integrated marketing campaigns with several thousands to million dollar budgets. We’re not as focused on climbing the ladder as we are driven by doing work we enjoy and are passionate about as much as possible.
Giana: I am the negotiator and driven by passion but I know in corporate that there is ALWAYS money on the table. This skill alongside my legal experiences has transformed my life. I am often my friend’s go-to person to coach them on asking for better salaries and livable wages. We all deserve to be able to grow our personal wealth and there is nothing wrong with wanting more from a society that has actively grown the income and opportunity inequality gap. This is also why getting involved in politics is vital to improving this mess for the collective, greater good.
What does success mean to you?
We sort of hate this question, when asked, no offense. We’re much less worried about or driven by success. As two women with dynamic backgrounds and mental health and disability struggles, we encourage everyone to define who they are, instead. See how that makes you feel, and likely it will drive you to where you want to go for personal happiness and success.
We define happiness as feelings and actions that keep you safe, curious and not being an insufferable asshole, really.
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