Fall 2024 Fellow
Carissa Joy Smith is an award-winning strategist in politics, government relations, and public engagement. Carissa currently serves as the Vice President of Government Relations for FOX Corporation, and has demonstrated a commitment to fostering transformational policy, outreach, and community engagement throughout her career.
Carissa was the Senior Advisor of Public Engagement for Women and Girls and Health in the White House under President Biden. In this critical role, she played a key part in advancing the cause of gender and health equity both nationally and internationally. Notably, Carissa was a part of the team that spearheaded the formulation of the groundbreaking National Gender Equality Strategy, the first-ever of its kind to be published.
Previously, during the 2020 election, she served as the National Women’s Vote Director for the Biden campaign. Carissa’s strategic vision contributed to shaping and mobilizing the women’s vote, a pivotal factor in securing victory.
Carissa has also worked for Congresswoman Joyce Beatty, the Ohio Democratic Party, and the House Majority Oversight Committee under Chairman Elijah Cummings.
Carissa is an alumna of American University’s We Lead Institute and the Congressional Black Caucus Institute, both renowned for nurturing and empowering policy leaders. She completed her undergraduate study at Bowie State University, Maryland’s oldest historically Black college. She has been honored as a U.S. Black Chamber of Commerce Power 50 Women honoree, a California Black Women’s Collective Hall of Fame Trailblazer the HBCU Buzz’s 30 under 30 award winner, and a Multichannel News Next TV 40 Under 40 Media Executive. Given her interest in global diplomacy, Carissa Smith was selected as an Aspen Institute 2023 National Security Forum Rising Leader.
Study Group- Gen Z to Gen Alpha: Engaging Young Voters in Democracy
Forty-one million members of Gen Z can vote this fall, and Gen Alpha will officially be able to vote in the 2028 election, creating the potential for a major impact on our electorate nationwide. This study group will explore current trends showing that Gen Z and Gen Alpha are heavily involved in the latest political and social movements both nationally and worldwide. Each week, we will examine how organizing, coalition-building, and outreach for young voters have played a role in previous elections. We will aim to understand the strategies and motivations driving younger voter engagement and their potential influence on future elections. Through guest speakers and interactive discussions, participants will gain insights into the dynamics of youth activism and its transformative impact on the political landscape.
Mondays, 5PM – 7PM PT
September 16
September 23
September 30
October 7
October 14
October 21
October 28