Early in his political career, Aten began working in Arizona’s youth organizing space with NextGen America, where the focus was on social media, content creation, and community organizing rather than traditional PR. Fresh off an internship with Raúl Grijalva, this work marked the start of his path into political communications and nonprofit advocacy.

In Arizona, Aten supported youth voter engagement efforts by creating digital content, activating peer-to-peer outreach, and building relationships with young leaders and organizers across the state. The approach centered on meeting voters where they already were and translating political issues into accessible, culture-forward messaging for first-time and young voters.

This early organizing experience helped Aten build lasting connections with political figures and movement leaders and laid the foundation for people-first storytelling, digital strategy, and coalition-building, skills that continue to shape his approach to communications today.