Celebrating the Next Generation of Policy Leaders
Next100 policy entrepreneurs Michael "Zaki" Smith, Marcela Mulholland and Rosario Quiroz Villarreal speak at The Century Foundation's 100th year anniversary gala.
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Next100 Is Changing the Face and Future of Progressive Policy
Next100 is a startup think tank created for—and by—the next generation of policy leaders. We envision a future in which the policy space is inclusive of and driven by a diverse set of the next generation’s thinkers and doers, who are developing creative, rigorous, and relevant policy ideas, with a focus on translating these ideas into tangible change.
Meet the Policy Entrepreneurs
Emma Vadehra is the executive director of Next100. She previously served as chief of staff at the U.S. Department of Education under Secretaries Arne Duncan and John B. King, Jr. and as senior education counsel for the late senator Edward M. Kennedy. She is an education policy wonk, an advocate for progressive policy change, and a believer in the next generation.
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Levi is an advocate for progressive child care policy and high-quality early education. Levi previously served in the Obama administration at the U.S. Department of Education, and has worked in the U.S. House of Representatives and with education nonprofits. At Next100, Levi’s work focuses on expanding access to high-quality child care and early childhood development opportunities.
Isabel Coronado is a citizen of the Mvskoke (Creek) Nation. Her clan is the Wind Clan, and her tribal town affiliation is Thlopthlocco Tribal Town. At Next100, Isabel is focused on creating policy aimed at reducing the generational cycle of incarceration in Native communities, after witnessing the effects firsthand.
Roquel Crutcher is an advocate and activist for social justice and educational equity. At Next100, Roquel focuses on increasing educational opportunities and postsecondary outcomes for young people in marginalized communities. Roquel has worked at several educational nonprofits as an advocate for educational equity.
Taif Jany is a rising immigration reform policy expert. Taif’s journey from Iraq to the United States has helped him understand both the challenges of our current immigration system and the strengths immigrants bring to our communities. At Next100, Taif focuses on developing policies to strengthen our economy through immigrant integration and culturally inclusive communities.
Marcela is a climate activist. After growing up in South Florida and experiencing the impacts of climate change firsthand, Marcela chose to dedicate herself to climate change studies and activism. At Next100, Marcela works on issues related to climate change and the Green New Deal.
Michael “Zaki” Smith is an entrepreneur and activist with more than fifteen years of experience in youth empowerment and social justice. At Next100, his work focuses on dismantling the collateral consequences of incarceration, policies that have impacted him personally as a formerly incarcerated individual.
Phela Townsend is scholar-activist on a mission to transform how we think about—and value—labor and work in our society. At Next100, her work examines how today’s workers and labor organizations are using digital tools to rebuild worker power in the twenty-first century. Phela is also a PhD candidate at the Rutgers School of Management and Labor Relations.
Rosario Quiroz Villarreal is an advocate for immigrants and students. Growing up as an undocumented immigrant, Rosario understood that her parents made sacrifices in moving to a new country in order to secure better opportunities for the future. At Next100, Rosario focuses on protecting the rights and access to education of immigrant students, creating more culturally inclusive classrooms, and interrupting the school-to-prison pipeline.
