How Tish James got Carlos Menchaca into politics: Atlantic Yards

According to Nick Powell's 10/17/13 profile, 2013 New York City Rising Stars: Carlos Menchaca in City&State, the new 38th District Council Member, who defeated incumbent Sara Gonzalez, owes his start in politics to Letitia James, the presumptive next Public Advocate, and Atlantic Yards:

Carlos Menchaca’s journey to the City Council began as the oldest of seven children raised by a single mother in El Paso, Texas. After attending a Jesuit university in San Francisco, where according to Menchaca the Jesuits “provided the foundation for all of the ideas that I have,” he set out for New York City through the Coro Fellows Program, a public affairs graduate school leadership training intensive. Two days into his time in the city he had a meeting with Councilwoman Letitia James, who inspired him with a passionate denunciation of the Atlantic Yards development in Brooklyn.
“She was giving hell about this big development, this Atlantic Yards thing, and she was just like a preacher,” Menchaca said. “Energetic, amazing! So that really started my injection into New York City politics.”

This was part of the 40 Under 40 feature. Here's the full article and full issue.