A civil society leader and political scientist, I’m dedicated to helping preserve and enhance democracy in America in the current era of polarization. My servant leadership is informed by more than 25 years of contributions across public, private and nonprofit environments where I’ve had the opportunity to serve as: • Leader of a start-up nonprofit seeking to reestablish Americans' capacity for self-government amid the myriad differences that are a feature, not a bug of our political system.• Foundation strategist, program director, and grant-maker working to improve representative democracy in the United States• Partner at the leading nonprofit consultancy focused on addressing the needs of under-served communities• Management consultant with a top-tier strategy firm advising global business leaders and senior government officials in Kuala Lumpur and Washington, DC• Researcher, writer, and blogger exploring how government and nonprofit leaders can join forces to fund and deliver social services more effectively• Academic political scientist conducting research, writing, and teaching about the challenges of leadership in American government and politics• Legislative staffer in the U.S. House of Representatives (where I got my real Ph.D. in politics!)I’m most energized when building and leading high-impact teams and programs, as well as developing talent within organizational cultures that are inclusive, respectful and honest. An eternal optimist, I gravitate to Václav Havel’s definition of hope when faced with the thorniest of problems: "Hope, in this deep and powerful sense, is not the same as joy that things are going well, or willingness to invest in enterprises that are obviously heading for success, but rather an ability to work for something because it is good."