From the Ground Up: The Progressive Path to Political Leadership

  • 10am - 4pm
  • Ames Courtroom, Austin Hall, Harvard Law School, Cambridge, MA

Event videos posted below.

On April 6th, in partnership with Civic Engagement Fund, we are bringing together fundraisers, community organizers, faith leaders, political professionals, lawyers, and elected officials to discuss the path forward for the progressive political movement. Leaders of progressive organizations will share ideas, speak about their missions, and address how they are converting the energy of community activism into effective political action.

Agenda

10:00am – Opening Remarks

  • David Harris, Managing Director, Charles Hamilton Houston Institute for Race and Justice
  • Andrea Hailey, Founder, Civic Engagement Fund
  • Victoria Budson, Founding Executive Director of the Women and Public Policy Program at the Harvard Kennedy School

10:30am – Keynote Address by Rashad Robinson, Executive Director of Color Of Change

11:00a-12:15pm – Panel 1: The Path Forward: Reflecting and Rebuilding

  • Karen Finney, Spokeswoman for Hillary Clinton and MSNBC Contributor
  • Andrea Hailey, Founder, Civic Engagement Fund (moderator)
  • Nadeem Mazen, Cambridge City Councillor/Founder of Jetpac Inc.
  • Tram Nguyen, Co-Executive Director of New Virginia Majority
  • Shally Venugopal, Founder of Myolo LLC

12:15-1:15pm – Lunch (provided)

1:15pm – Recorded address by Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal

1:30-2:45pm – Panel 2: Community Activism: Mobilization and Technology

  • Debra Cleaver, Founder and CEO of Vote.org
  • Brionne Dawson, Fellow at Civic Engagement Fund (moderator)
  • Ximena Hartsock, Co-Founder and President of Phone2Action
  • Rose Jackson, Founder of Assemble
  • Catherine Vaughan, Co-Founder and CEO of flippable.org

2:45-4:00pm – Panel 3: People Make it Happen: Issue Organizing & Leadership Development

  • Ashley Allison, Former Deputy Director and Senior Policy Advisor for The White House Office of Public Engagement
  • Rev. Thomas Bowen, Director of DC Mayor’s Office of Religious Affairs/Minister at Shiloh Baptist Church, DC
  • Clare Bresnahan, Executive Director of She Should Run
  • Indivar Dutta-Gupta, Co-Executive Director, Georgetown Center on Poverty and Inequality (moderator)
  • Jeohn Favors, Advisor, The Arena/HLS ’17
  • Amber Goodwin, Founder of Community Justice Reform Coalition
  • Yasmin Radjy, Co-Founder, Resistance School

4:00pm – Closing remarks

 

Keynote

Panel 1

Panel 2

Panel 3