Your Partners in Creating Impact and Saving Democracy.
Our Team
Betsy Hoover
Founder and Managing Partner

Betsy Hoover
Founder and Managing Partner
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.
Hillary Lehr
Operating Partner

Hillary Lehr
Operating Partner
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.
Gerard Niemira
Managing Director, Fund IV

Gerard Niemira
Managing Director, Fund IV
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.
Tova Vance
Financial Consultant

Tova Vance
Financial Consultant
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.
Shomik Dutta
Co-Founder and Board Member

Andrew McLaughlin
Partner

Our Board of Advisors
Kat Atwater
Founder & CEO, Community Tech Alliance

Kat Atwater
Founder & CEO, Community Tech Alliance
Beth Bafford
CEO, Climate United

Beth Bafford
CEO, Climate United
Julia Barnes
CEO, The Movement Cooperative

Julia Barnes
CEO, The Movement Cooperative
Jeremy Bird
Chief Policy Officer, Lyft

Jeremy Bird
Chief Policy Officer, Lyft
Catherine Bracy
Co-Founder & CEO, TechEquity Collaborative

Catherine Bracy
Co-Founder & CEO, TechEquity Collaborative
Ben Brandzel
Founder, The OPEN Network

Ben Brandzel
Founder, The OPEN Network
Gary Brown
President, Political Data Inc.

Gary Brown
President, Political Data Inc.
Ron Conway
Founder, SV Angel

Ron Conway
Founder, SV Angel
Jose Cornejo
Advisor

Jose Cornejo
Advisor
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.
Charlton Cunningham
Ecosystem Navigator, The Continuum

Addisu Demissie
Principal & Co-Founder, 50+1 Strategies and Campaign Manager, Cory 2020

Addisu Demissie
Principal & Co-Founder, 50+1 Strategies and Campaign Manager, Cory 2020
Jon Favreau
Founder, Crooked Media

Jon Favreau
Founder, Crooked Media
Anthony Foxx
Former U.S. Secretary of Transportation

Anthony Foxx
Former U.S. Secretary of Transportation
Richard Frankel
Founder, Rocket Fuel and Co-CEO, Chatwin

Richard Frankel
Founder, Rocket Fuel and Co-CEO, Chatwin
Kate Gage
Executive Director, Cooperative Impact Lab

Kate Gage
Executive Director, Cooperative Impact Lab
Kathleen Gasperine
First Vice President Social Impact Banking, Amalgamated Bank

Kathleen Gasperine
First Vice President Social Impact Banking, Amalgamated Bank
Julius Genachowski
Former FCC Chairman and Managing Director at Carlyle

Julius Genachowski
Former FCC Chairman and Managing Director at Carlyle
Josh Hendler
VP, Schmidt Futures

Josh Hendler
VP, Schmidt Futures
Matt Hodges
Founder, Ilium Strategies

Matt Hodges
Founder, Ilium Strategies
Ilyse Hogue
Former President, Reproductive Freedom For All

Ilyse Hogue
Former President, Reproductive Freedom For All
David Horne
Partner, Fenwick

David Horne
Partner, Fenwick
Allen Kramer
Co-Founder, Mobilize

Allen Kramer
Co-Founder, Mobilize
Raffi Krikorian
CTO, Mozilla

Raffi Krikorian
CTO, Mozilla
Shrina Kurani
Deputy Director of Venture Capital, IBank California

Shrina Kurani
Deputy Director of Venture Capital, IBank California
Martha Laning
Co-founder & President, stac labs

Martha Laning
Co-founder & President, stac labs
Noam Lee
Founder, Birdseye Strategies

Noam Lee
Founder, Birdseye Strategies
Aveek Majumdar
Founder, TSQ Advisors

Aveek Majumdar
Founder, TSQ Advisors
Marlon Marshall
CEO, City Fund

Marlon Marshall
CEO, City Fund
Caitlin Mitchell
Deputy Senior Vice President of Development, League of Conservation Voters

Caitlin Mitchell
Deputy Senior Vice President of Development, League of Conservation Voters
Tamer Mokhtar
Co-Founder & Executive Director, All Americans Vote

Tamer Mokhtar
Co-Founder & Executive Director, All Americans Vote
Tamim Mourad
Serial Tech Entrepreneur

Tamim Mourad
Serial Tech Entrepreneur
Tatenda Musapatike
Founder, Voter Formation Project

Tatenda Musapatike
Founder, Voter Formation Project
Emily Norman
Former CEO, Democratic Data Exchange

Emily Norman
Former CEO, Democratic Data Exchange
Jose Nunez
Co-founder, Contrast Campaigns

Jose Nunez
Co-founder, Contrast Campaigns
Michael O'Neil
Co-founder & Partner, Overture VC

Michael O'Neil
Co-founder & Partner, Overture VC
Derek Parham
Former Deputy CTO, Hillary for America

Derek Parham
Former Deputy CTO, Hillary for America
Michael Podhorzer
Co-founder & President, Michael Podhorzer

Michael Podhorzer
Co-founder & President, Michael Podhorzer
Laura Quinn
Co-founder & President, Catalist

Laura Quinn
Co-founder & President, Catalist
Mollie Ruskin
Partner, Trestle Collaborative

Mollie Ruskin
Partner, Trestle Collaborative
Aia Sarycheva
Vice President, Bessemer Venture Partners

Aia Sarycheva
Vice President, Bessemer Venture Partners
Mike Schneider
Partner, Bully Pulpit Interactive

Mike Schneider
Partner, Bully Pulpit Interactive
Sonal Shah
Former CEO, Texas Tribune

Sonal Shah
Former CEO, Texas Tribune
Ian Simmons
Co-Founder & Principal, Blue Haven Initiative
![Ian Color Headshot[1]](https://highergroundlabs.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Ian-Color-Headshot1-scaled.jpg)
Ian Simmons
Co-Founder & Principal, Blue Haven Initiative
Liesel Pritzker Simmons
Co-Founder & Principal, Blue Haven Initiative

Liesel Pritzker Simmons
Co-Founder & Principal, Blue Haven Initiative
Lynda Tran
CEO, Lincoln Room Strategies

Lynda Tran
CEO, Lincoln Room Strategies
Arthur Thompson
CTO, DNC

Arthur Thompson
CTO, DNC
Stephanie Valencia
Co-founder, EquisLabs

Stephanie Valencia
Co-founder, EquisLabs
Tommy Vietor
Founder, Crooked Media

Tommy Vietor
Founder, Crooked Media
Elizabeth Walters
CEO, TargetSmart

Elizabeth Walters
CEO, TargetSmart
Jonae Wartel
Partner, Arc Initiatives

Jonae Wartel
Partner, Arc Initiatives
Ross Weiner
CIO & General Counsel, Code Advisors

Ross Weiner
CIO & General Counsel, Code Advisors
Christine White
Former CEO, Georgia Alliance for Progress

Christine White
Former CEO, Georgia Alliance for Progress
Mike Yang
Investment Advisor

Mike Yang
Investment Advisor




