People Copy

Betsy has spent the past 7 years running Higher Ground Labs. She founded the firm in 2017 and has built the political tech ecosystem through their work. Prior to HGL, she worked throughout the political space including as a founding partner at 270 Strategies and as the National Digital Organizing Director on the Obama Campaign. Her political work sat at the intersection of technology and politics. She has been recognized by Business Insider as “at the forefront of political innovation”and was featured on Forbes magazine’s “30 Under 30: Law & Policy” list.

Gerard has spent 15 years in the social good and political tech space working to scale electoral and social impact organizations by serving as VP of Product and Engineering at Kiva, as Senior Director of Product at Hillary for America, and as a political tech founder and political nonprofit senior exec. Most recently he served as Chief Product Officer at PDI.

Leah leads HGL’s portfolio support, partnerships, and programs including the Progressive AI Lab. She is an award-winning organizer and strategist with 12 years of experience in the intersection of tech and social impact, working across the US, UK, and Canada. 

Tova has twenty years of experience building people-centered organizations that deliver business results and social impact. She’s advised numerous boards and executives through transformative operational and cultural changes. Her experience as a senior leader and advisor spans startups, nonprofits, and Fortune 500 companies.

Prior to joining HGL in 2019, Sarah was the COO and General Counsel at 270 Strategies and the the GC of After School Matters, a large not-for-profit in Chicago. Sarah spent the first 10 years of her legal career at Jones Day, with a focus on fund formation and securities law. Sarah earned her BA from Colgate and her JD from Northwestern School of Law.

Jose Cornejo has spent over a decade working in advocacy and campaigns, most recently as the Vice President of Mobilization at the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee. Prior to that, he worked at the DNC (2020 cycle) and as a consultant for advocacy groups like Planned Parenthood, the Fight for $15, and more. He brings firsthand knowledge of how teams approach and leverage technology and infrastructure across organization types and ballot levels.

Olivia has spent the last five years orchestrating statewide organizing efforts across the U.S., notably contributing to Maura Healy’s gubernatorial campaign in Massachusetts. Her expertise lies at the intersection of political campaigns and technology, backed by a strong background in tech implementation and management.

Ali is a passionate campaign organizer and a civic engagement advocate with a proven track record of driving voter registration efforts. Prior to joining HGL, Ali was part of Civic Nation’s When We All Vote initiative serving as the My School Votes Coordinator. His previous experiences equipped him with skills in managing databases, virtual training programs, and external partnerships. He and his team received the 2nd Annual Anthem Award for Social Impact and has earned a certificate of Congressional Recognition for Public Service.

Clara Sandler is originally from Los Angeles and recently graduated the University of Chicago, where she studied Religious Studies and Democracy Studies. Clara brings her experience in PR and political fundraising to HGL, and is excited to use her communications skills to further HGL’s mission and promote political tech advancements.

Shomik is a veteran of both Obama Presidential campaigns and served as Special Assistant to the White House Counsel and as an Advisor to Federal Communications Chairman. BA from Williams College; MBA from Wharton Business School.

Hillary Lehr is the CEO of Quiller, a Higher Ground Labs portfolio company, and an HGL Operating Partner. Prior to this new role, Hillary served as HGL’s Principal of Partnerships for four years, the VP of Client Success at Hustle, managed partnerships at Brigade and Causes.com, and spent five years innovating digital resources to scale nonprofit organizing campaigns. She earned BA and BS degrees from UC Berkeley and a Public Leadership Credential from Harvard Kennedy School.

Andrew has served as Deputy CTO of the United States, partner at betaworks, CEO of Digg and Instapaper, senior exec at Medium and Tumblr, head of global public policy at Google, and Chief Policy Officer of ICANN. B.A. from Yale University; J.D. from Harvard Law School.