August 21, 2025. 12 PM EST
How Can We Improve Representation? Lessons from Run For Something
This week Rory will speak with Amanda Litman, the co-founder and president of Run for Something, which recruits and supports young, diverse progressives running for down-ballot office. Amanda will speak about barriers to effective representation in our democracy and ways they can be removed. She will also speak on the themes of authenticity and leadership outlined in her new book, When We Are in Charge: The Next Generation's Guide to Leadership.
Amanda Litman
Co-Founder + President, Run for Something
Meet the Speaker
Amanda Litman is the co-founder and president of Run for Something, which recruits and supports young, diverse progressives running for down-ballot office. Since launching in 2017, RFS has elected more than 1500 leaders across nearly all 50 states, mostly women and people of color. She’s also president of RFS Civics, a 501c3 that works to end the gerontocracy. Her new book, When We’re in Charge: The Next Generation’s Guide to Leadership, came out in May 2025 from Crooked Media Reads. Politico named Run for Something (and Amanda!) one of the 50 ideas driving politics in 2018. Bloomberg called her one of the people to watch in 2019. Fortune named her to their annual 40 under 40 list in 2020. In 2022, Amanda was one of the Time NEXT 100, a list of 100 rising stars from around the world. She was also a 2022 Dial Fellow at the Emerson Collective. Before launching Run for Something, Amanda worked as a digital strategist — she served as email director on Hillary Clinton’s 2016 presidential campaign, the digital director for Charlie Crist's 2014 Florida gubernatorial campaign, the deputy email director for Organizing for Action, and an email writer for Barack Obama’s 2012 re-election campaign. She graduated from Northwestern University in 2012 with a B.A. in American Studies. Amanda now lives in Brooklyn with her husband, two daughters, and their rowdy rescue dog.