Year 2

Hello, I hope that your summer is going great! 
 
This past week we celebrated the 1-year anniversary of Forward Party joining forces with Renew America and Serve America Movement last summer.  600+ activists, volunteers and leaders celebrated via a webinar with special guests and speakers.  We raised $20k from grassroots supporters that was immediately matched by donors – it was an incredible event! 

We’ve accomplished a lot over the past year: hundreds of thousands of supporters, tens of thousands of volunteers, 48 states with leadership chapters, 12 states with executive committees, 6 states with legal recognition, and 20 elected officials affiliated with Forward including mayors and state legislators.  All of these numbers are set to grow quickly in the days ahead as dozens of candidates and current officials are poised to join us. 
 
It’s invigorating to talk to everyday Americans who sense that the status quo isn’t working and want to build a new approach.  These are passionate and optimistic Americans driven to do what’s right for the country and their community.  
 
If you want to see what Forward is doing, now would be a great time!  Click here to check out the Forward Party in your area or to stay updated. 
 
One of the newest members of the Forward Party is Kerry Healey, the former President of Babson College and Lt. Governor of Massachusetts, whom I interview on the podcast this week.  Kerry has had quite a journey – her last job was running the Milken Center for Advancing the American Dream. 
 
“I was motivated to improve things for families and children.  That’s what got me started in politics – issues around domestic violence and child abuse.  I ran for state representative in Massachusetts and lost but impressed some people.  Later, I was asked to join state leadership and became Lieutenant Governor with Mitt Romney.  We accomplished a lot together for families.” 
 
After leaving office, Kerry became President of Babson, one of the most entrepreneurial colleges in the country.  “We have a mandatory class on entrepreneurship that all of the students take their first year where they start a real business with real money in teams – and if they make money the get to keep it,” Kerry describes.  I ran an entrepreneurship organization for a number of years so I appreciate her work a great deal.  We’re going to need a lot more entrepreneurs in this era of economic transformation. 
 
Kerry recently joined the national board of Forward:  “It’s funny – for someone who has been in politics for a long time, I’ve always felt politically homeless.  It’s exciting to build a place for people like myself, and I know more and more Americans feel the same way I do.  I want to do this for the next 20 years.” 
 
It’s amazing to work with people like Kerry and volunteers around the country.  I personally think it will take us a lot less than 20 years to make an enormous mark on this country, especially if Year One is any indication.   
 
For my conversation with Kerry click here.  To check out the summer Forward gear click here – we sold $10k of it in its first day!   
 
I’m in San Francisco Monday night and then in Los Angeles the following week if you have friends in either place.  Enjoy the summer!