Advocator Mission
To give everyday people a seat at the political decision table by providing them with the same tools that big business and billionaires use to influence government.
It started out of frustration with the political process. In mid-2013, when between 83-91% of America supported stronger gun laws in the wake of Sandy Hook, Congress couldn't pass a new law that reflected the wishes of the vast majority of the country. That's when we knew democracy was broken.
Since then, a research paper co-authored by scholars from Princeton and Northwestern Universities has found that the preferences of the average American appear to have only a minuscule, near-zero, statistically non-significant impact upon public policy. Basically, statistically-speaking, the opinion of everyday Americans doesn't matter anymore. Well, we're here to change all of that. If you want to make real change, you have found the place. Take these tools, these instructional videos, and run with them.
Here is your chance to be the change you wish to see in the world.
Create a Coalition Page, grow your supporter base, hire a lobbyist, start a PAC, and make something happen in government.
David Richeson- CEO & Digital Strategy Specialist
David brings over 20 years of experience in business strategy, creative writing, technology, integrated marketing, and social media to develop and execute 360-degree communications campaigns to drive action and advocacy for clients with digital as the core. He was named one of the 25 most innovative people in Communications by the Holmes Report and is considered a thought-leader on the evolution of communications in the 21st Century.
David has served as Chief Digital Officer and Managing Director of several social media and communications firms, such as Marina Maher Communications, Fenton Communications, and Kaplow Communications, leading data-driven, digitally-led communications programs with social media at the core for many for profit and non-profit organizations.
His clients have included: Procter & Gamble (Gillette, Tide, Downy, Head & Shoulders, Herbal Essences), COTY (COVERGIRL cosmetics, Clairol), Skype (including Skype’s social good programs), the AVON Foundation, CVS, Unilever (Nexxus, St. Ives), Bloomberg Foundation and Young Men’s Initiative, Futures Without Violence, Covenant House, Blue Shield Foundation of California, and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
He is also the President an instructor and student of The Institute for Hermetic Philosophy, an organization dedicated to helping people increase their level of consciousness in daily life.
Richeson completed his undergraduate study in Philosophy at Brown University.
Darlene Richeson- COO & Principal Lobbyist
Darlene has over 30 years of business experience and has excelled as an executive with several of the top corporations in the United States. Included are 20 years of domestic and international government relations experience in Washington, DC. As Vice President, Federal Government Relations for Verizon and as Director of Federal Government Relations for GTE and AT&T;, she was responsible for performing legislative and regulatory advocacy and formulating policy on myriad telecommunications and internet issues. At the three corporations, she developed and fostered relationships with Congressional delegations, House & Senate Committees, Leadership, Federal Communications Commission (FCC), Federal Trade Commission (FTC), and the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC).
In 2003, Darlene founded Darlene Richeson & Associates, LLC a government relations firm, which was later renamed Mazie Global Solutions, LLC. There, she coordinated with domestic and foreign clients to advocate policy, promote business, and develop relationships with Members of Congress, the Administration, and stakeholder organizations. Some of the firm‘s clients included Government of Bermuda, Johnson & Johnson, Verizon, Georgetown Partners Private Equity, T. Rowe Price, and State of Maryland.
Darlene is a Brookings Institution Congressional Fellow, holds a Bachelor of Science (BS) Degree from University of Maryland, College Park, MD, and a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree in Marketing/Management from Widener University, Chester, PA. She has completed executive management programs at the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth University in NH and Columbia Graduate School of Business in NYC. She also studied in Tokyo, Japan while with Brookings. Darlene serves on the Boards of several non-profit organizations. She was recently unanimously voted as Vice President of the School of Education, Social Sciences and the Arts (SESA) Executive Board at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES), where she has also developed an Advocacy Workshop for the Doctoral Program in Organizational Leadership.
