NextGen America Announces New Ambassadors Council
New council of leading democracy activists, advocates and philanthropists will help NextGen elevate its national voter registration and mobilization efforts in 2022 and beyond
Austin, Texas — Today, NextGen America announced the first members of its Ambassadors Council. Comprised of individuals with extensive experience in politics, philanthropy, communications and progressive movement-building, the council will help NextGen grow its democratic engagement and voter mobilization programming for the largest and most diverse generation in American history.
“Over the last few years, NextGen has grown to become the largest and one of the most successful organizations in the country at mobilizing young people to enact real change at the ballot box,” NextGen America President Cristina Tzintzún Ramirez said. “Our new Ambassadors Council will help take that work to the next level by tapping the enthusiasm, expertise and professional networks of some of the most successful activists and philanthropists at work today. We’re excited to see what we can accomplish when we combine our seasoned organizing skills and infrastructure with their unmatched talent in their fields.”
“As the rising generations of Americans face a future threatened by climate change, economic inequality and outright attacks on our democracy, our work is more important than ever,” Tzintzún Ramirez said. “We’re honored to be joined by such a powerful group of allies.”
NextGen is mobilizing young voters in key states like Pennsylvania, Arizona, Wisconsin, Michigan, New Hampshire, Nevada, Texas and North Carolina for the 2022 election and beyond. Over the next two election cycles, NextGen America will register 840,000 young voters in these key states, talk to another 9.2 million young people and get 4.7 million to the polls.
Ambassador Council Bios
Tom Steyer, Chair of the Ambassadors Council, Founder of NextGen America and Co-Executive Chair of Galvanize Climate Solutions
Tom Steyer is the founder of NextGen America. He is a successful investor, business leader, philanthropist and activist who is currently fully committed to fighting the climate crisis. Tom founded and led Farallon Capital Management, a San Francisco-based hedge fund that pioneered the multi-strategy approach to investing, before leaving to give his time, money and energy to fighting for progressive causes. Tom is also the co-founder of Beneficial State Bank, a triple bottom line community development bank focused holistically on justice and sustainability.
He was a Democratic presidential candidate and in 2020 served as co-chair for Governor Newsom’s Business and Jobs Recovery Task Force. He co-chaired Vice President Biden’s Climate Engagement Advisory Council to help mobilize climate voters. Tom is now the co-founder of Galvanize Climate Solutions, a mission-driven investment platform that will provide capital, expertise and partnerships necessary to produce and scale vital and urgent climate solutions.
Cynthia Beard, Founder, Moon Song Fund
Cynthia Beard is a musician, musicologist and editor who currently lives on the traditional lands of the Arapaho, Cheyenne and Ute tribes in Colorado. Cynthia founded Moon Song Fund, a donor advised fund that makes grants at the intersection of the multiple crises facing our world today, and she is on the Women Donors Network Action board of directors. She focuses much of her advocacy work on anti-racism, climate change, progressive faith-based organizing and building a more equitable world for all.
Guy Cecil, Chairman, Priorities USA
Guy Cecil is one of America’s leading political strategists. He is currently Chairman of Priorities USA Action, an independent political action committee working to increase civic participation among underrepresented communities and fight voter suppression. He is also President of Miles Strategies. Guy has more than 20 years of experience managing high-profile political, nonprofit and issue advocacy campaigns, including having served as Executive Director of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee and Political Director for Hillary Clinton’s 2008 presidential campaign. He is recognized as a leading Democratic strategist with experience in every region of the country, including Senate races in 35 states.
Tom Chavez, Co-Founder, super{set}
Tom Chavez is a serial tech entrepreneur and co-founder of super{set}, a venture studio that founds, funds and builds technology companies. For the past 20+ years, Tom’s professional focus has centered on using data, decision science and AI to solve hard, interesting problems. Prior to forming super{set}, Tom was the CEO and co-founder of Krux, acquired by Salesforce in 2016. Before Krux, Tom was the CEO and co-founder of Rapt, acquired by Microsoft in 2007. Born and raised in Albuquerque, New Mexico, Tom lives and works in San Francisco. He supports and serves on the boards of nonprofits in the areas of education, immigration and entrepreneurship.
John Della Volpe, Founder and CEO, Social Sphere Inc.
John Della Volpe is founder and CEO of SocialSphere. One of the world’s leading authorities on youth in politics, John has advised heads of state, Fortune 100 CEOs, military generals, athletes and entertainers — most recently, serving as pollster and strategic communications advisor to President Biden and his 2020 campaign. For two decades, John has also directed the most comprehensive survey of youth attitudes related to politics and public affairs for Harvard Kennedy School’s Institute of Politics. John appears regularly on MSNBC’s Morning Joe and has been featured in many national media outlets including the Daily Show with Trevor Noah. John recently published his first book, “Fight: How Gen Z Is Channeling Their Passion and Fear to Save America.”
Marc Elias, Attorney, Election Law Specialist
Marc Elias is a nationally recognized authority in voting rights, redistricting, campaign finance law and litigation. He is the founder of Democracy Docket, the leading progressive media platform dedicated to voting rights and democracy, and Elias Law Group, a mission-driven firm committed to helping Democrats win, citizens vote and progressives make change.
Sarah Haacke Byrd, Executive Director, Women Moving Millions
Sarah Haacke Byrd has been building, guiding and leading nonprofit organizations in Boston, Washington, D.C., and New York dedicated to expanding civil rights, promoting civic education, reforming the criminal justice system and ending sexual violence for more than two decades. In her current role as executive director of Women Moving Millions, Sarah is responsible for building strategy and scale around WMM’s mission for greater impact in gender equality. Previously, Sarah served as managing director of the Joyful Heart Foundation. Sarah also previously served as a founding advisory board member for Hive Gender Climate Justice Fund; current co-chair of Impact Finance Center’s National Women’s Impact Investing Landscape Scan Steering Committee; and is a 2021 Aspen Institute Civil Society Fellow and member of the Aspen Global Leadership Network.
David Lee, Co-Founder, Texas Signal
David Lee is the president and co-founder of the Texas Signal. He focuses on strategic partnerships, business growth, and policy for the organization. Previously, he was the Texas political director for Mike Bloomberg’s presidential campaign, the national finance coalitions director for Beto O’Rourke’s presidential campaign, and was a policy advisor for Beto O’Rourke during his 2018 U.S. Senate race. David is on the boards of New Leaders Council, Chicken and Egg Pictures, Vote Simple, Be The Solution, AAPI Victory Fund and the Philanthropy Workshop.
Nancy MacLean, William H. Chafe Professor of History, Public Policy, and Gender, Sexuality & Feminist Studies
Nancy MacLean is the William H. Chafe Professor of History and Public Policy at Duke University and the author of several award-winning books, most recently, “Democracy in Chains: The Deep History of the Radical Right’s Stealth Plan for America.” A New York Times bestseller, it was a finalist for the National Book Award and the winner of the Los Angeles Times Book Award in Current Affairs and the Lillian Smith Book Award for outstanding writing about the U.S. South. In 2021-22, she is researching a new book as the John Hope Franklin Fellow at the National Humanities Center.
Heather McGhee, Advocate and Author
Heather McGhee is an educator, advocate and author serving currently as the distinguished lecturer in Urban Studies at the City University of New York’s School of Labor and Urban Studies. She has also held visiting positions at Yale University’s Brady-Johnson Grand Strategy Program and the University of Chicago’s Institute of Politics. She is the recipient of honorary degrees from Muhlenberg College, Niagara University and CUNY Graduate School of Public Health & Health Policy. McGhee is the chair of the board of Color Of Change, the nation’s largest online racial justice organization and also serves on the boards of the Rockefeller Brothers Fund, the Open Society Foundations’ US Programs and Demos. Her book “The Sum of Us: What Racism Costs Everyone and How We Can Prosper Together” spent 10 weeks on the New York Times bestseller list and was longlisted for the National Book Award and Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Nonfiction.
Luis Miranda, Founder, MirRam Group
Luis A. Miranda, Jr. is an accomplished strategist and philanthropist who focuses on a diverse range of issues affecting working-class Americans. He has over four decades of experience as a leader in the public, private, political and advocacy sectors. As a founding partner of the MirRam Group, Luis has consulted on numerous successful political campaigns, including those of Hillary Rodham Clinton, Charles Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand for the U.S. Senate.
Simone Otus Coxe, Co-Founder and Director, CalMatters and Internews
Simone Otus Coxe has worked with nonprofit media from local to global. She is the director at Internews and an advisor at UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism. She is also the chair emeritus and co-founder of CalMatters, a nonpartisan nonprofit media organization focused on California state politics and government. She is also a former director at KQED, one of the nation’s largest public media organizations. From 1985 – 2002, Coxe was the CEO and co-founder of Blanc & Otus Public Relations, providing services to the high technology industry from offices in San Francisco, Boston, Austin, Atlanta, and London. In 1999, the firm was acquired by Hill and Knowlton, one of the largest public relations firms in the world. Simone now resides in Austin, Texas.
John Podesta, Founder and Chair of the Board of Directors, Center for American Progress
John Podesta is the founder and chair for the Washington, D.C-based think tank Center for American Progress and a founder and chair of the Washington Center for Equitable Growth. Podesta served as counselor to President Barack Obama, where he was responsible for coordinating the administration’s climate policy and initiatives. In 2008, he served as co-chair of President Obama’s transition team. He was a member of the U.N. Secretary General’s High-Level Panel of Eminent Persons on the Post-2015 Development Agenda. Podesta previously served as White House chief of staff to President William J. Clinton. He chaired Hillary Clinton’s campaign for president in 2016.
Congresswoman Katie Porter, CA-45
Congresswoman Katie Porter is serving her second term representing California’s 45th Congressional District. As a consumer protection attorney, Katie Porter has spent over twenty years fighting powerful interests and Wall Street banks on behalf of consumers and families. She’s a national leader in consumer protection and has won big victories against financial institutions who cheat consumers. She is now serving her second term in Congress where she is fighting for Orange County families and working Americans.
Jill Soffer, Founder, Our Part and Banking for Climate
Jill Soffer is a co-founder of Banking for Climate, an initiative of high net worth individuals and businesses pressuring their banks to stop funding fossil fuel expansion. She is a Colorado-based philanthropist focused on climate and democracy and an active board member of The Sierra Club Foundation and western Colorado’s Wilderness Workshop. Jill has been involved in conservation and environmental issues for decades. Previous careers have been in real estate development and design.
Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib, MI-13
Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib was born and raised in Southwest Detroit and is the proud daughter of Palestinian immigrant parents. Rashida represents Michigan’s 13th Congressional District, which includes several Detroit and Wayne County communities. She is a congressional leader in pushing for economic, racial and environmental justice.
Shelley Whelpton, Senior Managing Director, Arabella Advisors
Shelley Whelpton is a changemaker who brings energy, creativity, and an unwavering commitment to generating social impact. She is at the center of a network of front-line social entrepreneurs, donors, nonprofit leaders and policymakers, and is skillfully able to connect people with the partners and platforms they need to succeed at reaching their goals. At Arabella, she has partnered with her clients to find concrete, customized entry points for donors to launch or amplify their philanthropy and to spreadhead innovative organizational structures that enable donors to put their ideas into action. She lives in Washington, DC.
Sarah Williams, Co-Founder and CEO, Propel Capital
Sarah Williams is co-founder and CEO of Propel, which invests in entrepreneurs, innovators, and changemakers building a more just and equitable society. Previously Sarah led her own consulting firm, led the Pfizer Foundation and was an HIV/AIDS activist in NYC. She was named in 2021 to the 100 Most Powerful People Inside Philanthropy list and serves on the boards of the Brooklyn Community Foundation, Color of Change and New Media Ventures, among others.
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About NextGen America
NextGen America is the leading national organization for engaging young people through voter education, registration and mobilization. We invite 18-to-35 year olds — the largest and most diverse generation in American history — into our democracy to ensure our government works for them and to find new solutions to the dire challenges facing our society and the world. Since 2013, NextGen America has registered more than 1.4 million young voters and educated many millions more, delivering more than the margin of victory for progressives in key races and building an electorate that will lead American politics for decades to come.