Kahlil Byrd is a political entrepreneur and an expert at building and managing large, disruptive, technology-based advocacy and political organizations. For the past decade, Byrd has focused on building long-term strategy, securing substantial investments and achieving reform at state and national levels. Currently, he serves as the chief investment officer of Fund for the Republic, a nonpartisan, nonprofit grantmaking fund committed to reducing the influence of money in American politics and policymaking. Most recently, Byrd was president of StudentsFirst, a multi-million dollar national reform effort focused on changing the nation’s legislative and policy landscape for public education. Working with founder Michelle Rhee and the board, Byrd was responsible for StudentsFirst’s long-term strategy, operations, budget, and effort to develop an optimal culture focused on growth. Prior to StudentsFirst, Byrd was chief executive officer of Americans Elect, a national start-up with the twofold mission of re-imagining, through technology, the U.S. presidential primary system and placing a bi-partisan presidential ticket on all 50 state ballots. Byrd and his team raised more than $40 million, oversaw over 150 paid staff, 5,000 contractors, and 3,000 volunteers nationwide. AmericansElect.org is the winner of the 2012 People’s Choice Award at South by Southwest, one of the country’s largest interactive technology conferences; the Campaigns & Elections 2012 CampaignTech Innovator Award; and two 2012 CLIO Awards for content and interactive excellence. Byrd was a Term Member of the Council on Foreign Relations and in 2006-2007 served as an International Affairs Fellow focused on international media. He is a graduate of Morehouse College and Harvard’s Kennedy School.
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