Carlissia Graham is the president of the Center for American Progress Action Fund and counselor to the Center for American Progress.
Most recently, Graham served as president of New Media Ventures and New Rising Ventures, where she expanded progressive media, organizing, and civic engagement capacity and helped strengthen pro-democracy infrastructure across multiple election cycles.
Previously, she was managing director of policy, campaigns, and advocacy at Planned Parenthood Federation of America and the Planned Parenthood Action Fund. She also served in the Obama administration, holding leadership roles at the U.S. Department of Energy, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the White House.
Earlier in her career, she worked on Capitol Hill for Sen. Kirsten E. Gillibrand, Rep. Karen Bass, and Rep. Steve Cohen. She also worked in the Tennessee state legislature. She got her start as a political organizer in her hometown of Memphis, Tennessee, and has worked on local, state, and national campaigns. She holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Memphis.