Who We Are
We’re a team of concerned citizens, public servants, and change agents from across the country committed to revitalizing our democracy.
Our Mission
The road to saving American democracy runs through the Democratic Party.
The Welcome Party launched in Fall 2019 with the mission to grow the Democratic Party by engaging less ideological, less partisan swing voters and conducting research demonstrating why a big-tent party is both a reality and a necessity.
We believe that the Democratic Party has a critical role to play in defending American democracy at this perilous moment — and that our party is most powerful when it welcomes a diverse mix of ideologies and perspectives.
Both on the ground and online, we’re putting creative, practical ideas into action to organize and mobilize voters who want a strong, productive party and democracy.
Our Team
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Lauren Harper
CO-FOUNDER
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Liam Kerr
CO-FOUNDER
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Naomi Wyatt
CHIEF OF OPERATIONS
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Dan Conway
POLITICAL DIRECTOR
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Melissa Hess
EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT
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Jess Hendrick
CONVENING DIRECTOR
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Eileen Navarro
OUTREACH DIRECTOR | RIVERSIDE COUNTY
Our Values
Our values guide our thinking and shape our work.
Empathy
We understand, respect and value the diversity in thought, identity, and experiences of the American people. We respect that diversity in both our research and our engagement with voters and candidates.
Pragmatism
At this critical moment for our democracy, we need change makers who can execute and maneuver in a rapidly evolving landscape. In our politics and in our organization, we seek the practical over the perfect.
Focus
There are too many distractions in our society and in our politics, and they have a tendency to stifle our ability to make a lasting impact. We are focused on what matters most: winning, solving problems, and strengthening our democracy. This effort takes collaboration, and if we want to go far, we have to go together — with focus.
Big-Tent
Far too many Americans view politics as an exclusive, detached, and buttoned-up pastime of Washington elites and establishment bureaucrats. We are pushing back against this kind of politics by building a friendly party where invitation and access is gladly granted. There are no strangers here. One could say we are… welcoming.
Work at The Welcome Party!
Our team and partners come from across the political spectrum and from a variety of geographies and partisan backgrounds. We share a commitment to conducting high-impact research, analysis, and convenings to protect our democracy and support a robust center-left faction of a Big Tent Democratic Party.
Our core team is based in Virginia, South Carolina, Massachusetts, Ohio, and Colorado and has worked on a range of Democratic and nonpartisan initiatives across the country.
If you’re interested in pursuing high-impact work in a fast-paced environment, we encourage you to check out our openings and apply.
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We don’t have any openings right now. Check back soon!