Steering Committee

Steering Committee


The steering committee is a group of leading youth activists and organizations serving as thought partners to help make politics more productive. On each issue, the bipartisan pairs are constructing issue briefs affirming their shared values and policy starting points.

Benjamin Backer

Founder, American Conservation Coalition

Benji is an entrepreneur & political activist and a recent graduate of University of Washington. Through ACC, Benji works to unite Americans on pro-environmental reforms and change the narrative when it comes to the environment.

Maria Yuan

Founder, IssueVoter

Maria first envisioned IssueVoter while managing a State Senate campaign in Iowa. Through IssueVoter, Maria works to extend civic engagement and help people take action in more effective ways.

Jesse Barba

Senior Director, Young Invincibles

Jesse has nearly a decade of experience in public policy and government relations. At Young Invincibles, Jesse works to amplify youth voices and expand economic opportunity for our generation.

Andrew Brennen

Fellow, National Geographic
Chairperson, Seek Common Ground

Andrew is passionate about supporting youth-led movements and organizations around the world. A proud Kentucky native and current Harvard grad student, Andrew has held positions at the Obama Foundation, McKinsey & Company, Student Voice, The Next 50 PAC, and Seek Common Ground.

Anthony Marcum

Resident Fellow, R Street Institute

Anthony focuses on the federal judiciary and separation of powers disputes. He is also an adjunct professor at the GW School of Political Management & an Associate Editor of the American Bar Association’s Litigation Journal. Anthony has written for both scholarly and journalistic publications and appears on a variety of TV and radio outlets.

Daniel Di Martino

Activist, Speaker, Writer

Daniel is an advocate for free markets, using his experience in Venezuela to educate young Americans on the dangers of socialism. He has spoken on national TV & major political events and written for top news outlets. Daniel is currently pursing a Ph.D. in Economics at Columbia.