The Political Life

Andrew Kingman is a Senior Managing Attorney at DLA Piper, and General Counsel at the State Privacy & Security Coalition.  Kingman  counsels his clients on state privacy and cybersecurity laws, regulations, and compliance. As General Counsel to the State Privacy & Security Coalition, he represents leading technology, media, and retail companies as a legislative strategist and advocate on cybersecurity and privacy issues at the forefront of the policy arena in all 50 states.

Amy Whited is the founder of Pink Granite, a non-partisan community of women supporting women. Pink Granite's members and contributors each work or aspire to work in Texas politics and public policy. Consultants, activists, elected officials, lobbyists, staff, students, interns, and yes - even supportive men, all have a place at Pink Granite regardless of experience level or political affiliation.

Laura Bisesto is the Head of Policy at Checkr. Checkr’s mission is to build a fairer future by improving understanding of the past. Their platform makes it easy for thousands of customers to hire millions of people every year. Using Checkr’s advanced background check technology, companies of all sizes can better understand the dynamics of the changing workforce, bring transparency and fairness to their hiring, and ultimately build a better future for workers.

Brad Fitch is the President and CEO of the Congressional Management Foundation ("CMF"). Founded in 1977, CMF is a 501(c)(3) nonpartisan nonprofit organization with a mission to build trust and effectiveness in Congress. CMF does that by enhancing the performance of the institution, legislators and their staffs through research-based education and training, and by strengthening the bridge and understanding between Congress and the People it serves.

Geoffrey Becker is Director, State Government Affairs for Medtronic -  a global leader in medical technology, services, and solutions. He covers sixteen states for Medtronic by working to partner with policymakers, healthcare professionals, and industry stakeholders to advance new ways to develop solutions that deliver better patient outcomes.  We discuss Geoffrey's career, and what it's been like to be a part of the push to build and deliver ventilators in response to COVID-19. 

Jeb Ory is the CEO and Founder of Phone2Action. Phone2Action is the world's leading technology company for civic participation and stakeholder engagement. The platform has empowered advocates to make over 27 million connections with elected officials. 25% of all messages from constituents to the U.S. Congress are sent using Phone2Action's platform, through emails, phone calls, and more. 

Former Governor of Puerto Rico Luis G. Fortuño is the head of Steptoe & Johnson's corporate practice. He represents investment funds and Fortune 500 companies in regulatory, public policy, public-private partnership (P3) and project finance, finance, and other corporate matters in the United States and throughout Latin America.

Bret Beringer is the Chief Engineering Officer at Fybr, an end-to-end internet of things solutions provider, collecting and delivering data to advanced analytic tools to solve business and community-based issues. Fybr works in the transportation, power, and water management spaces, and also covers safety and quality of life issues for customers worldwide.

Sheila Nix is an American political strategist, most recently serving as Chief of Staff to Dr. Jill Biden. She is currently the President of Tusk Philanthropies, where she leads efforts to increase voter turnout and participation in U.S. elections through mobile voting. She has coordinated successful pilots in multiple U.S. jurisdictions that allowed some voters, including deployed military members, to vote using a blockchain-based mobile voting application that increases security and ease of voting. 

Today we sit down with Stephen Martinko, Government Affairs Counsel at K&L Gates. K&L Gates is a fully integrated global law firm with lawyers located across five continents. The firm represents leading multinational corporations, growth and middle-market companies, capital markets participants and entrepreneurs in every major industry group as well as public sector entities, educational institutions, philanthropic organizations and individuals.

Today on the show we have Qiana Patterson, Vice President of Strategic Development at HopSkipDrive. Qiana is a former educator who brought her teaching skills to the tech industry. Qiana talks to us about her move from the classroom to the tech industry, and what she sees for the future of school transportation. HopSkipDrive uses sophisticated technology to provide safe and reliable transportation for schools and families.

On today’s episode, we sit down with David London, Vice President of Public Policy & Politics at TechNet. Inspired by the internet boom of the '90s, David moved from Washington, D.C. to California to pursue a career in government affairs and the tech industry. David talks to us about his career path and the issues affecting the tech world.  

Today we sit down with Doug Pinkham, President of the Public Affairs Council.  The Public Affairs Council is the leading association for public affairs professionals worldwide. Their mission is to provide members with the education and expertise to succeed. The Council’s staff of professionals have experience in a host of communications-related areas, including lobbying, public affairs, and social media.

On today’s episode, we sit down with Hunter Bates, a Partner and Co-Leader of the Public Law & Policy Group at Akin Gump. Hunter has an impressive résumé. He talks to us about his career, and gives advice for those looking to get their start in politics. Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Field LLP is one of the world’s largest law firms with 20 locations and over 900 lawyers.

Today on the show, we sit down with Chris Lu, Senior Strategy Advisor & Josh Resnik, Chief Content Officer and SVP/Publisher at FiscalNote. Chris and Josh joined FiscalNote with impressive résumés - Chris worked for former President Obama, and Josh lead Gannett's digital department.  FiscalNote has a number of products and services - from issues management, to legislative and regulatory tracking, digital advocacy, and more.