I recently learned about Emerge America, an organization which is changing the face of American politics by identifying, training and encouraging women to run for office, get elected and to seek higher office. 
I had an opportunity to meet the Emerge America founder Andrea Dew Steele, who in addition to her work to grow Emerge groups in more and more states, serves as the director of the California Committee North at Human Rights Watch. Prior to moving to the west coast, she worked for many years learning the Washington D.C. landscape in fundraising and doing policy work for Democratic candidates. The organization offers an intensive, cohort-based seven-month training program for women interested in getting into politics. As the number of elected Democratic women remains flat or even declines, the need for their work is growing across the country. Emerge America currently works in 14 states: Arizona, California, Colorado, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, Vermont, Virginia, and Wisconsin. Emerge America’s role is to serve the states where they work, open new state programs and to build capacity to train more women in each of their current states. I attended their Trailblazers luncheon with U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand in San Francisco, where they honored Emerge women and talked about the program. In addition to Gillibrand, Susie Tompkins Buell also took the stage, a leader in advancing women’s representation in politics and Trailblazer awardee Darcie Green. While the event was predominantly women, not only did men attend, but there were men in attendance who are behind Emerge’s efforts, from mentoring to funding. 
MSNBC’s Richard Wolffe was a special guest emcee who spoke to the audience about the importance of grassroots efforts. He said, “Grassroots is vital – it’s important that people engage directly but we also need people on the ground and behind the scenes who can feel the pressure of that change in real time.” 
Darcie addressed the issue around women and minorities, particularly in the Latino community. From East San Jose and proud of it, she asserts that social inequalities can be corrected. “The power of the people is more powerful than people in power,” she said. I was impressed with Darcie’s wit, style, confidence and resilience as she took the stage. Nancy Pelosi‘s daughter showed up to read a letter she wrote to the Emerge community, which included a strong message around being committed to diversity, since it is diversity that can get us as women to win. I was thrilled to learn about the organization and their efforts to help women get to the next level in politics and beyond. Since the first Emerge state was launched in 2002, Emerge has trained more than 1,200 Democratic women to run for office to-date. The proof of their success is in the numbers: 43% of Emerge alumnae have run for office or been appointed to local boards or commissions. Of those who have run for office, 60% have won. In addition, they have a strong record of diversity – 40% of their alumnae are women of color. 
Kudos to Andrea and her growing team for their efforts so far and if you want to help or contribute financially or otherwise, have a look at the various ways you can help or get involved. 
All photos by the photographer at the event Tim Williamson.
Renee Blodgett is the Founder and Managing Editor of We Blog the World, a global travel, culture and lifestyle publication exploring the world through the lens of meaningful experiences, human connection and cultural depth. Having lived in 10 countries and traveled to 95, Renee has spent much of her life immersed in the people, traditions, landscapes and ideas that shape how we experience the world.
Since launching We Blog the World in 2007, she has written and produced extensive editorial coverage spanning boutique and luxury travel, culinary experiences, arts and culture, wellness, adventure, technology, spiritual traditions and transformative travel. Her work is rooted in the belief that travel is about more than where we go—it is also about what a place, culture or encounter awakens within us.
Renee brings more than three decades of experience across journalism, photography, media, brand strategy, technology, wellness and global storytelling. She has worked with companies and organizations around the world on brand positioning, communications, product launches, media strategy, speaker positioning and storytelling. Through Blue Soul Media, she works with authors, entrepreneurs, thought leaders and purpose-driven brands to clarify their message and expand their impact, which includes speaker coaching/training for high-profile stages such as TED and bringing authors’ work to market while retaining authors rights.
She is also the co-founder of Blue Soul Earth, an educational platform exploring consciousness, ancient wisdom, spirituality, healing and the intersection between science and the nature of reality. Renee is the producer and host of the award-winning Blue Soul CHATS, a conversational series bringing together leading voices in science, technology, consciousness, wellness and spirituality.
Her growing body of work also includes Blue Soul Living, which extends her interest in consciousness and well-being into the spaces we inhabit, exploring how intentional design, energy and environment can support greater harmony and connection.
Renee is the award-winning co-author of the bestselling Magdalene’s Journey and founder of the Magdalene Collection, inspired by women’s voices, stories and wisdom across cultures and generations.
A longtime photographer and storyteller, Renee has documented people, places and cultures around the world and produced photographic collections focused on destinations including the Galápagos Islands, London, South Africa, Rome and Ecuador. She also co-founded Traveling Geeks, an international initiative that brought entrepreneurs, journalists, creators and technology leaders together with their counterparts in other countries to exchange ideas and explore innovation across cultures.
Renee’s work has been recognized by Forbes, the United Nations and others for her influence in media and social storytelling. Across her work in travel, media, consciousness and culture, a common thread remains: curiosity about the world, the stories that connect us and the ways meaningful experiences can change how we see ourselves and one another.
