As we reflect on an extraordinarily consequential political year, Leadership Now members played a unique and visible role in shaping key 2024 milestones. Members influenced actions by Congress, the president, their business networks, and broader public audiences, while investing over $40M in candidates and pro-democracy organizations. See below a brief recap of Leadership Now’s 2024 highlights:
Urged Biden to “Pass the Torch”
In July 2024, Leadership Now urged President Biden to “Pass the Torch” through a letter signed by over 450 business and civic leaders. The letter garnered support from 25 Democratic members of Congress and sparked widespread media coverage in outlets like The New York Times, Bloomberg, The Wall Street Journal, and CNN.
Leadership Now’s 2024 Annual Meeting: Extraordinary Leaders & Experts Gathered to Craft an Action Plan
In May 2024, over one hundred and fifty members, partners, world-class experts, and elected officials from across the country came together for Leadership Now’s 6th Annual Meeting at the Hearst Tower in New York City. We heard from extraordinary leaders, including Melinda French Gates, Governor Gretchen Whitmer, Former Congressman Adam Kinzinger, Scranton Mayor Paige Gebhardt Cognetti, Michael Waldman of the Brennan Center, and many more. We look forward to reconvening in June 2025.
(Melinda French Gates, Philanthropist and Businesswoman, joined Global Advocate; Modupe Akinola, Columbia University Professor for a panel discussion on women’s political power.)
(Adam Kinzinger, Founder, Country First; Former Congressman, Illinois 11th Congressional District received the Leadership Now Award, presented by Paul Tagliabue, Former Counsel, Covington & Burling; Former Commissioner of the National Football League)
Backed Highly Qualified, Moderate Candidates for Congress
Since 2018, Leadership Now has helped 32 highly qualified new candidates secure House seats, including several veterans and others coming from underrepresented professional backgrounds like science, engineering, and business. In 2024, 21 out of 25 of our Candidates to Watch won, with 13 emerging victorious in highly competitive races, including five by margins under 2%. Leadership Now members contributed $32M to candidates and PACs, including $759K to our Candidates to Watch.
Expanded Leadership Events Across Key Swing States Ahead of the 2024 Election
In addition to our state chapter efforts, Leadership Now expanded engagement, including in key swing states like Michigan, Georgia, and Pennsylvania. Notable events included:
Philadelphia: Over 100 business leaders gathered for a lunch and discussion with Rich Lesser, Chairman of Boston Consulting Group, and Shannon Williams, Senior Vice President of Advocacy at the Chamber of Commerce for Greater Philadelphia, discussing Pennsylvania’s election landscape and the challenges election administrators faced.
Houston: Former U.S. Congressman Adam Kinzinger joined over 55 business leaders to discuss their role in defending democracy.
California, Ohio, and Georgia: Leadership Now hosted regional women-focused events on the 2024 election, ways to get involved, and long-term strategies for protecting democracy.
Virtual briefings with Robert Rubin, former U.S. Secretary of the Treasury, and Ken Chenault, Chairman and Managing Director of General Catalyst, focused on economic risks and election impacts.
(In October 2024, Leadership Now CEO Daniella Ballou-Aares moderated a panel with Rich Lesser, Chairman of Boston Consulting Group, and Shannon Williams, Senior Vice President of Advocacy of the Chamber of Commerce for Greater Philadelphia at a business leaders lunch.)
(Tori Silas, Chair of the Cobb County Board of Elections, discussed the latest legal challenges facing Georgia's elections at a Leadership event in October 2024.)
Protected Elections and Election Officials
In Arizona and Wisconsin, Leadership Now took action to encourage voting while defending election officials facing rising threats. Efforts included open letters, op-eds, salon dinners, corporate voting programs, and filing an amicus brief in the Wisconsin Supreme Court to defend Elections Chief Meagan Wolfe.
Supported Objective Redistricting in Wisconsin
In 2022 and 2023, Leadership Now’s affiliated PAC and members played pivotal roles in supporting Gov. Tony Evers and Justice Janet Protasiewicz, both of whom were instrumental in securing fair maps and ending extreme gerrymandering in Wisconsin. In the 2024 election, 14 legislative seats flipped, ending the Republican supermajority, reducing the Senate majority to 18-15, and shifting the Assembly balance to 54-45, creating a more balanced legislature.
A Leading Voice on Political Risks and Leadership in the Business Press
In 2024, Leadership Now was covered in over 200 stories and podcasts in major media outlets, including The Financial Times, Fortune, Fast Company, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and Bloomberg. The organization also grew its academic network to 15+ leading business and policy schools, including Harvard Business School, the University of Michigan, Ohio State University, and Stanford University.
(At the 2024 Milken Global Conference, CEO Daniella Ballou-Aares joined a panel to discuss capitalism's role in safeguarding democracy.)
Issued Executive Analysis on Political Risk for Business Leaders
Leadership Now’s 2024 analysis included resources designed to help business leaders understand and navigate political risks. This included a framework for identifying U.S. political risks and assessing their potential impact on operations, as well as a guide for corporate boards, management teams, and investors to manage political uncertainty.
In preparation for the general election, we also released primers and guidance on the election process and risks ahead.
Other featured impacts:
Hosted 80+ briefings and in-person events with renowned academics, experts and authors; elected officials and candidates; and partners.
Filed an amicus brief with the New York Supreme Court to uphold the Vote By Mail legislation, arguing that the Early Mail Voter Act is not only constitutional but it enhances democracy by increasing voter participation and adapting to the modern workplace.
Launched Leadership Now Arizona, a group of Arizona business and community leaders—Republicans, Independents, and Democrats—who stand for a strong democracy and the protection of election officials.
Created Leadership Now’s AI & Campaigns, a guide series to help campaigns navigate AI at various skill levels, along with recommendations specific to misinformation and disinformation threats.
Recipient of an Anthem Award honoring Leadership Now’s work in Ohio and Wisconsin to ensure elections reflect the will of the people and that election administrators can safely perform their duties.
CEO Daniella Ballou-Aares authored a series of articles in Fast Company with strategies for preparing for what’s next—focusing on solutions that deliver for Americans, countering threats to your business, and protecting against overreach by political loyalists.
Thank you to our members, advisors, and partners for your invaluable support and collaboration throughout 2024. Our aim for 2025 is to strategically utilize our assets—networks, funds, and expertise—to maintain a check on power and respond to threats against the rule of law; support moderate, action-oriented leaders in Congress and priority states; and advance positive disruptions to improve government effectiveness and reform the political process.
Leadership Now Project is a section 501(c)(4) social welfare organization with a mission to protect and renew American democracy. Project Democracy is a separate, affiliated political organization that supports candidates who share that mission.