Our Team

Differentiators co-founder Jim Blaine has a rare combination of policy and political experience, along with a firm grasp of North Carolina’s history and demographic landscape.

Jim is the former chief of staff to State Senate leader Phil Berger, whom he helped architect many sweeping changes to the state’s tax, education and regulatory laws from 2011 to 2018. Jim has run successful political and issue campaigns at the local, district and statewide level. He functions as The Differentiators’ chief strategy officer, known for offering clients outside-the-box counsel, crafting persuasive messaging, and creating winning campaign blueprints. He was born and raised in North Carolina and lives in Raleigh with his wife and four daughters.

Ray Martin is a former newspaper reporter who co-founded The Differentiators after nearly a decade of successful communications work and campaign management. He led the North Carolina Republican Senate Caucus to three consecutive undefeated election cycles and has helped build The Differentiators into an award-winning political and public affairs firm. Ray oversees day-to-day operations of the firm, administers quality control and spearheads the firm’s advertising and media services. A native Oklahoman, Ray and his wife have called Raleigh home since 2009. They have three children.

Amanda Finelli runs Differentiators Data, which offers nonpartisan polling, data, research and insights for corporations, political entities, trade associations and nonprofits. With over a decade of experience, Amanda has worked for a range of non-profit and trade associations to help them achieve their legislative aims and elevate their political programs through data-driven strategies and tactics. Prior to joining Differentiators Data, Amanda served as the political strategist for the State Employees Association of North Carolina. Amanda received her Ph.D. from the University of Surrey (UK) focused in political philosophy. She holds an M.A. in English from Royal Holloway, University of London (UK) and a B.A. with Honors in English from The Ohio State University. She and her husband live in Wake Forest.

Collin is a public affairs professional with a background in increasing corporate and association engagement through strategic grasstops and grassroots initiatives, coalition building, and messaging. Before joining the Differentiators, Collin managed national public affairs campaigns for a firm in Washington, D.C. He also worked for two national political committees during the 2018 and 2020 election cycles, where he developed a keen understanding of state and national political landscapes. Collin is a graduate of North Carolina State University and lives in Raleigh, NC.