Joel Benenson, founder and CEO of Benenson Strategy Group, is the only Democratic pollster in history to have played a leading role in three winning presidential campaigns — making him the "go-to guy for any politico wanting to take the public´s temperature," according to GQ magazine. Joel has been the chief pollster and a senior strategist for President Barack Obama since the beginning of his 2008 campaign, and worked on President Bill Clinton’s polling team during the 1996 race. Since founding BSG in 2000, Joel has served as a strategic advisor and consultant to heads of state, domestic political leaders at all levels, Fortune 100 CEOs, and leaders of major advocacy and nonprofit institutions. His unique combination of communications expertise and astute analysis has led clients across sectors to win in the most challenging competitive situations. Joel’s corporate clients have included CEOs and top executives at Campbell Soup Company, HBO, Toyota, the NFL, Procter & Gamble, Panera Bread Co., Hearst, Blue Star Energy, and MSNBC. In the advocacy and nonprofit sector, he has worked with leading institutions including AARP, League of Conservation Voters, SEIU, Clean Energy Works and Grocery Manufacturers of America. Joel has been named "Pollster of the Year" by the American Association of Political Consultants, among the "most powerful" people in D.C. by GQ magazine, and a part of "the new lineup in Washington" by Newsweek magazine. He was also included on The New Republic´s "The O-List," which identified the 30 most influential players in Obama´s 2008 run for office. Joel and the firm also won the Ogilvy Award Gold Medal for Government and Public Service. Before becoming a pollster in 1995, Joel was a political journalist for the Daily News in New York and served as communications director for Governor Mario Cuomo’s 1994 campaign. He was also previously a Vice President at the New York ad agency FCB.

Lynne P. Brown, Ph.D., is the Senior Vice President for University Relations and Public Affairs. In that position, Dr. Brown is responsible for the University´s interaction with government at all levels, outreach to the community, strategic communications, and university events. She oversees the offices of: Government and Community Affairs, Civic Engagement, University Events, Advertising and Publications, Web Communications, Media Production, and Public Affairs. In addition to these ongoing responsibilities, she helped create and shape two major initiatives for the University: Sustainability: She served as the co-founder of the Sustainability Task Force, a university-wide group charged with assessing the University´s efforts on sustainability and creating a set of recommendations to reduce the University´s environmental footprint. Campus Planning and Expansion: Dr. Brown led a major effort, the first in NYU´s history, to guide strategic thinking about campus planning and the University´s presence in its urban environment. The result, NYU 2031: NYU in NYC, was a long-term blueprint to guide the University´s growth over the next two decades. The Core Project, a key aspect of that citywide plan, was approved by New York City in 2012. A political scientist by training, Dr. Brown received her B.A. from Smith College, where she was elected Phi Beta Kappa, and went on to receive her Ph.D. in political science from The Johns Hopkins University. At NYU, she taught a graduate seminar on the politics of higher education for twenty years. Before coming to NYU, Dr. Brown worked on Capitol Hill for Congressman (and now NYU President Emeritus) John Brademas and Congressman Thomas S. Foley during their tenures as Majority Whips in the House of Representatives. A native New Yorker, Dr. Brown serves on a number of civic boards, including the Union Square Partnership, where she is co-chair; New York Building Congress, where she is Vice Chair, as well as Co-Chair of the Higher Education committee; and the Village Alliance business improvement district. She is a trustee emerita of Manhattan College (Riverdale, New York).

Maria Cino is vice president for Americas, responsible for managing HP’s relationships with governments and political stakeholders in Washington, D.C. and throughout the Americas. She also oversees HP’s U.S. political programs, including the HP political action committee. Cino has over two decades of experience in senior-level positions in the executive and legislative branches, as well as the private sector. She joined HP in July 2012 from Pfizer, where she held the position of vice president for Federal Government Relations since 2009. At Pfizer, she led the Reimbursement & Regulatory Affairs, International Government Affairs, and Tax & Trade teams. Cino’s political experience includes a number of senior strategic positions, including President and CEO of the 2008 Republican National Convention in Minneapolis, where she organized the successful four-day event supporting 45,000 delegates. She also served as Deputy Chairman of the Republican National Committee (2003-2004), Deputy Chairman for Political and Congressional Relations of the Republican National Committee (2000), and National Political Director for Bush for President Committee (1999-2000). Previously, Cino was Executive Director of the National Republican Congressional Committee during historic victories in 1994 and 1996. In addition, Cino held two Senate-confirmed, Presidential appointments: Deputy Secretary of the U.S. Department of Transportation (2005-2007) and Assistant Secretary and Director General of the U.S. and Foreign Commercial Service at the U.S. Department of Commerce (2001-2003). At Transportation, Cino was responsible for the day-to-day management of a $61 billion budget, 10 modal administrations, and approximately 60,000 employees. At Commerce, Cino managed an annual budget of $200 million and supervised 1,700 employees at 105 domestic offices and 162 international offices in 85 countries. Cino is a native of Buffalo, New York and a graduate of St. John Fisher College in Rochester, New York.

Called “one of the most prominent voices in the [Democratic] party, and one of its top strategists and crisis managers” by Politico, Stephanie Cutter’s political and communications experience spans two decades in public service and the private sector. The New York Times called her “the polished, sometimes scarily organized strategist who gets things done” who “has a long and favorable reputation with some of the most influential journalists and opinion makers in Washington.” GQ named her one of “the 50 most powerful people in Washington.” From the halls of Congress, to the campaign trail, to the West Wing and the C-Suite, Stephanie has crafted communications and crisis-management strategies for the White House, and the nation’s leading campaigns and corporations. As The Atlantic notes, “Cutter’s ability to drive home a message with force and clarity is prized.” As a CNN contributor, she articulates sharp political commentary and analysis on the latest newsworthy topics. She also serves as a founding partner of Precision Strategies, a strategic consulting firm located in Washington, DC and New York City, NY that specializes in data-driven branding, message, digital and grassroots mobilizing campaigns for Fortune 500 companies, private organizations, non-profits and political campaigns. In 2011-2012, Stephanie was Deputy Campaign Manager for President Obama’s 2012 re-election campaign, Obama for America, in charge of communications, media, policy, and research, as well as being a member of the senior strategy team. Following the election, she then served as Chairman of the Board for the 2013 Presidential Inaugural Committee. Before joining the campaign, Stephanie was a Deputy Senior Adviser to President Obama in the White House, overseeing message and communications strategy . At the White House, she crafted the confirmation strategy for Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor and helped create the First Lady’s successful Let’s Move! campaign. From January to May 2009, Stephanie served as Counselor to Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner, handling the strategy behind the development and implementation of the Obama Administration’s Financial Stability Plan. Prior to the Obama Administration, Stephanie was the Chief Spokesperson for the Obama-Biden Transition, and served as Michelle Obama’s Chief of Staff on the 2008 Obama for America Campaign. From January 2005 to March 2006, Stephanie was a senior advisor to then Minority Leader Harry Reid and Democratic Senator Edward M. Kennedy. In this dual role, she crafted and managed a strategic messaging campaign that led to the Democratic takeover in the 2006 midterm elections. In fall of 2003, the John Kerry for President Campaign brought in Stephanie to serve as a National Spokesperson and to develop a communications plan to reposition Kerry for victory in the Democratic primaries. After the campaign’s come-from-behind upset, Cutter assumed the position of the Communications Director for the Kerry- Edwards 2004 presidential campaign. Before joining the campaign, Cutter was Communications Director to Senator Edward M. Kennedy. From 1994 to 2001, she held various positions in the Clinton Administration, including White House Deputy Communications Director and Deputy Assistant to the President. Stephanie sits on the boards of Organizing for Action, the University of Chicago Institute of Politics and the Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the United States Senate. In 2013, she was appointed to the President´s Committee on Arts and Humanities. A Massachusetts native, Stephanie lives in Washington, DC, and is a graduate of Smith College and Georgetown University Law Center.

Linda Douglass is a strategic communications consultant. Most recently she was Senior Vice President for Global Communications at the Atlantic Media Company, where she oversaw communications and messaging for all divisions of the company, including The Atlantic, National Journal Group, Quartz and Atlantic Media Strategies. She also served as the lead moderator for The Atlantic’s “Women of Washington” series, where she did in-depth interviews with high-profile women leaders in government, media and business before live audiences in Washington D.C. Douglass joined Atlantic Media in 2010, after serving as Director of Communications for the White House Office of Health Reform, where she was President Obama’s primary spokesperson leading up to the passage of the Affordable Care Act in 2010. Prior to that, she was a senior advisor to the 2008 Obama presidential campaign. Before working in government and politics, Douglass had a long career as a journalist. She spent 9 years as the Chief Capitol Hill Correspondent for ABC News, and, in 2000, received the National Press Foundation’s Everett Dirksen Award for excellence in covering Congress. Prior to joining ABC News, Douglass was a Washington-based correspondent for CBS News and was the lead reporter covering then-First Lady Hillary Clinton’s effort to pass health reform. Before moving to Washington D.C. in 1993, Douglass worked in Los Angeles, where she was a correspondent for CBS News and served as the political editor for KNBC-TV. She covered 6 presidential campaigns. Douglass is married to John R. Phillips, an attorney, who is the United States Ambassador to Italy. They have a married daughter, Dr. Katie Byrd, and a grandchild, Cullen.

Betsy Fischer Martin is the President of Fischer Martin Media and most recently served as the Senior Executive Producer and Managing Editor of NBC News Political Programming, where she was responsible for the development and execution of political coverage for NBC News. She provided the editorial direction of coverage across all of the network’s shows and digital teams, as well as long-range major political and special events coverage. Additionally, she created and executed coverage strategy for NBC News-branded polls and research data. Before being promoted to the executive role at NBC News in July of 2013, Fischer Martin was at the helm of NBC’s top-rated Sunday morning public affairs program and the longest running television program in the world, “Meet the Press,” for 11 years. During this time, she oversaw all editorial content, guest-selection, strategic planning, production, marketing, special online programming, and financial decision-making for the program. In her long tenure as Executive Producer, she produced in-depth and revealing interviews with top newsmakers, including U.S. presidents, first ladies, cabinet officials, heads of state and presidential candidates. Fischer Martin also created and produced an award winning series of election year “Meet the Press” debates featuring the candidates in key U.S. Senate races. And in 2012, live from New Hampshire, she produced the program’s first presidential primary debate which included all of the Republican candidates for president. Additionally, she served as Tom Brokaw’s producer for NBC News’ coverage of the 2008 Presidential Election, including the party conventions, debates, and election night. In this capacity she also served as Brokaw’s producer when he moderated one of the three general election debates between Barack Obama and John McCain. Fischer Martin worked closely for 17 years with the late Tim Russert producing his headline making interviews for “Meet the Press” and also serving as his producer for NBC’s coverage of special events and four presidential elections, including the historic 2000 presidential election night and subsequent recount. Overall, Fischer Martin’s tenure with “Meet the Press” extended over 22 years during which time she held the positions of Executive Producer and Sr. Producer of “Meet the Press” and the NBC Political/Polling Unit. Her career at NBC News began with an internship at “Meet the Press” while in college and then, upon graduation, she became the political researcher for the program in 1992. She was promoted to Associate Producer in 1995, and Producer in 1997. A native of New Orleans, Fischer Martin did her undergraduate and graduate work at American University in Washington, DC. She is a cum laude graduate of their School of Public Affairs and earned a master’s degree in Broadcast Journalism from the AU School of Communications. She currently serves on the Dean’s Advisory Council for the School of Public Affairs at American University. Fischer Martin has been honored with several awards for her work with NBC, including three News and Documentary Emmys, the Walter Cronkite Award for Excellence in Political Journalism, and a Gracie Award from American Women in Radio and Television. She has been featured in several publications including profiles in Television Week, The New Orleans Times Picayune, Marie Claire Magazine, Washington Business Journal, Washingtonian’s 50 Best & Most Influential Journalists, Washington Life’s Power 100, and GQ’s Powerful People in Washington. In 2008, Fischer Martin was awarded the honor of a "Young Global Leader of the World" by The World Economic Forum, which recognizes global young leaders for their professional accomplishments, their commitment to society and their potential to contribute to the shaping of the future world. She is a life member of the Council on Foreign Relations and a member of the National Press Club and the International Women’s Forum. She lives in Falls Church, Virginia with her husband, Jonathan Martin, National Political Correspondent for the New York Times, and her daughter Ella, a 7th grader.

Todd Harris is one of the nation’s preeminent media and communications strategist. Politico called Harris “One of the brightest young minds in politics today,” while Roll Call dubbed him “A spinner extraordinaire in the world of political communication.” In the 2010 election cycle, Harris served as senior strategist for former Speaker of the Florida House Marco Rubio’s campaign for the U.S. Senate. He has served as a senior communications strategist and spokesman for some of the nation’s most prominent elected officials, including Senator John McCain, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and Governor Jeb Bush. On the corporate side, Harris has advised some of the nation’s largest corporations and trade associations on communications strategy including Wal-Mart, Pfizer, 2929 Entertainment, Magnolia Pictures, The State of Florida, The Coalition for a Democratic Workplace and many others. He is a sought-after media source for journalists, with his commentary appearing regularly in The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Associated Press and many others. He is a regular guest on a variety of political news programs on CNN, MSNBC and FOX News.

David Kochel is the founder of Redwave Communications and Redwave Digital. With more than 30 years of political and public affairs experience in Iowa and around the nation, Kochel has been a senior consultant to a who’s who of successful political and corporate clients. A sought-after media source for political reporters across the nation, Kochel’s analysis and commentary has appeared in New York Times, theWashington Post, Politico, the Wall Street Journal and many others. Kochel served as a senior advisor to the 2008 and 2012 Romney for President campaigns, providing strategic advice and marketing support in Iowa, Florida, Nevada, New Hampshire, Colorado, Virginia and nationally. He has also served as Executive Vice President at one of the nation’s leading grassroots/public affairs firms, running an innovative and highly effective federal grassroots effort for AT&T in the late 1990’s and early 2000’s. In 2014, Redwave Communications helped guide the senate candidacy of Joni Ernst as an early advisor and direct mail vendor. Redwave also handle voter contact services for the 2014 Senate campaign of Scott Brown. Kochel is also a key member of the Branstad Iowa campaign team. He was on the RNC voter contact team in 2010, producing direct mail creative for 72 winning congressional races.

Kevin Madden was Senior Advisor and Spokesmen for the Romney 2012 campaign. He is Executive Vice President of Public Affairs for JDA Frontline, a firm with offices in Washington, D.C. and Charleston, S.C. Prior to joining JDA Frontline, he was a Managing Director with The Glover Park Group, a leading public affairs firm based in Washington D.C. During the 2008 election cycle, Madden served as National Press Secretary and Senior Communications Strategist for the Romney presidential campaign. He previously served as Press Secretary to then-House Majority Leader and now-House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio). In that capacity, Madden was a top communications strategist for the House of Representatives leadership office, charged with directing legislative action on a wide range of issues including financial services, energy, national security, legal reform, transportation and telecommunications policy among others. Madden also served as the Department of Justice’s national spokesman on issues ranging from national security to litigation before the federal courts. During the 2004 presidential campaign, Madden was a member of the communications team directing President George W. Bush’s re-election effort and was the president’s campaign spokesman for regional, national and international news organizations.

Jonathan Martin is national political correspondent for The New York Times. Before joining The Times, he had served as senior political writer for Politico since its inception in 2007. He began covering politics for National Journal’s political publication, The Hotline, and then reported on party politics and the aftermath of the 2006 midterm elections for National Review magazine. Mr. Martin is a co-author of the New York Times best seller “The End of the Line: Romney vs. Obama: The 34 Days That Decided the Election” (December 2012), the fourth and final e-book in Politico’s 2012 series on the race for the presidency. His work has been published in The New Republic, National Journal, The Washington Post and The Wall Street Journal. He has appeared frequently on television and radio as a political analyst and commentator, including on CNN, ABC, CBS, NBC, PBS, MSNBC and NPR. Originally from Arlington, Va., Mr. Martin graduated from Hampden-Sydney College.

Catherine “Kiki” McLean is a leading public affairs and political strategist. She served as counsel for the Washington DC office of Porter Novelli and the agency’s global public affairs efforts. She assumed this role after four years leading the Washington DC and global public affairs practices and serving as a member of Porter Novelli’s Executive Committee. In her work, she drives message development for high profile clients; leads execution of public launches of major initiatives for not for profit and corporate concerns; manages rapid response strategies for clients in crisis; provides media training for CEOs and national political candidates; and builds communications infrastructure for new and growing organizations. One of the top public affairs strategists in the country, she appears frequently on national television as a commentator on politics and current events. A veteran of six presidential campaigns including the historic 1992 Clinton-Gore campaign, Kiki has more than 25 years of experience leading strategic communications initiatives. During the 2008 election season, Kiki served as a Senior Advisor to the Hillary Clinton for President Campaign and frequently appeared as an on-air surrogate for the Obama for America campaign. In 2004, Kiki helped develop the acclaimed Vice Presidential announcement strategy for the Kerry campaign. She served as the national press secretary and spokesperson to Vice President Al Gore’s presidential campaign in Washington, DC and was the spokesperson for Joe Lieberman as the Democratic Vice Presidential nominee in the 2000 general election. Under President Clinton, she was appointed the communications director to the Denver Summit of the Eight and spokesperson for the 1997 Presidential Inaugural. These roles followed her work as communications director for the 1996 Democratic National Convention in Chicago where she was responsible for all communications planning and execution, including overseeing a paid and volunteer staff of nearly 400 people. Following the convention, Kiki managed the Clinton-Gore ´96 debate communications operations, coordinating surrogate, press and rapid response strategies. Throughout her career, Kiki’s work has focused on the communications and politics of public policy. She was named communications director of the Democratic National Committee, after serving as member of the 1992 Clinton Gore Campaign communications team and communications director and advisor to Tipper Gore where she supported Gore´s unprecedented role as a fourth member of the dynamic campaign team. Continuing in that role, she also served as member of the Presidential Transition communications staff. As press secretary to the Democratic Leadership Council and its affiliated think tank, the Progressive Policy Institute, Kiki´s efforts were concentrated on the development of cutting edge policy and political initiatives. She served under the Chairmanships of Senator John Breaux (D-LA) and then-Governor Bill Clinton. Kiki founded the communications practice at Dewey Square Group and served as partner for a public affairs consulting firm for 15 years. Her experience in the private sector includes service as a public relations consultant with the Washington offices of Ogilvy and Mather Public Affairs. She has broad experience in the issue areas of taxation, international trade, labor and the environment. Kiki McLean is a native of San Antonio, Texas and received her Bachelor of Liberal Arts in Communications from Austin College in Sherman, Texas. She currently serves on several not for profit and corporate Boards of Directors including Polaris Project, CLEARCorps USA and Strategic Partnerships.

Steve McMahon is a Democratic strategist and co-founder (with Republican strategists Alex Castellanos and Bruce Haynes) of Purple Strategies, LLC, a bi-partisan advertising, communications and public affairs firm, whose clients include Fortune 500 companies, trade associations and business groups. McMahon got his start in politics on the Senate and political staff of Senator Edward M. Kennedy, where he served as Assistant Press Secretary and, later, as Deputy Director of Kennedy’s PAC, the Fund for a Democratic Majority. McMahon began working as a political strategist and media consultant in 1987, and has worked on dozens of senate, congressional, gubernatorial and mayoral campaigns across the country. He also worked in the U.S. presidential campaigns of House Minority Leader Richard Gephardt and California Governor Jerry Brown. He served as senior political strategist and media consultant for Howard Dean’s 2004 presidential campaign. In 2008, his firm produced the Democratic National Committee’s advertising in support of then-Senator Barack Obama’s presidential campaign against Senator John McCain. On the international front, McMahon and his partners have worked as strategic advisors or campaign consultants on three successful national campaigns—in Venezuela for Carlos Andres Peres; in Nicaragua for Violetto Chamarro; and in Greece for Andreas Papandreaou. McMahon appears regularly as a political commentator on MSNBC, CNN and FOX News, and has appeared often on the NBC Evening News, ABC World News Tonight, and The Today Show.

Joe Pichirallo is a veteran studio executive, film producer and a former Washington Post reporter. He began his film career as a creative executive with HBO Pictures and was one of the original executives hired by Fox to set up Searchlight Pictures, where he worked for nearly eight years and rose to be a senior vice president. He later was an executive vice president at Universal´s Focus Features. He also was head of the feature film unit for Overbrook Entertainment, Will Smith´s company, where he produced "The Secret Life of Bees" with Queen Latifah, Alicia Keys, Dakota Fanning and Jennifer Hudson and directed by Gina Prince-Bythewood and executive produced "Lakeview Terrace," directed by Neil LaBute and starring Samuel L. Jackson. While at Focus Features, he executive produced "Hollywoodland," starring Adrien Brody, Ben Affleck and Diane Lane, and directed by Allen Coulter and "Something New," with Sanaa Lathan, Simon Baker and Alfre Woodard. At Searchlight his films included "Antwone Fisher," the directorial debut of Denzel Washington, "One Hour Photo," starring Robin Williams and directed by Mark Romanek, "The Banger Sisters," with Goldie Hawn and Susan Sarandon, "Quills," which was nominated for three Academy Awards, starring Geoffrey Rush, Kate Winslet and Michael Caine and directed by Philip Kaufman, "The Slums of Beverly Hills," with Alan Arkin and Marisa Tomei and directed by Tamara Jenkins, "Girl Six," directed by Spike Lee and "The Brothers McMullen," a Grand Jury prize winner at the Sundance Film Festival. Joe Pichirallo is currently the chair of undergraduate film and television at NYU´s Tisch School of the Arts. Previously, he taught at the American Film Institute (AFI) for 14 years and also at Chapman University´s Dodge College of Film and Media Arts and UCLA´s School of Theater, Film and Television. Prior to his career in the entertainment business, he was on the staff of the Washington Post, where he covered national security, the criminal justice system and politics. He made the transition into the film business by spending a year as a screenwriting fellow in the AFI´s graduate film program. He has an A.B. in Journalism from the University of California at Berkeley, where he was editor-in-chief of the student newspaper, "The Daily Californian."

Joshua A. Tucker is Professor of Politics and (by courtesy) Russian and Slavic Studies at New York University, a co-Director of the NYU Social Media and Political Participation (SMaPP) laboratory (smapp.nyu.edu), and a co-author of the award winning Monkey Cage blog at The Washington Post. He is also the co-editor of the Journal of Experimental Political Science, the Vice-President of the Midwest Political Science Association and a Member of the Executive Board of the Association for the Study of East European and Eurasian Societies. Professor Tucker specializes in mass political behavior in East-Central Europe and the former Soviet Union, including elections and voting, the development of partisan attachment, public opinion formation, mass protest, and social media. He is the author of Regional Economic Voting: Russia, Poland, Hungary, Slovakia, and the Czech Republic, 1990-99 (Cambridge University Press, 2006). His work has appeared in numerous academic journals, including the American Journal of Political Science, the British Journal of Political Science, Comparative Politics, Comparative Political Studies, the Journal of Politics, and the Annual Review of Political Science, and his opinions have been published in The New Republic, The Wall Street Journal, Al Jazeera English, Time, and the International Herald Tribune. In 2006, he was awarded the Emerging Scholar Award for the top scholar in the field of Elections, Public Opinion, and Voting Behavior within 10 years of the doctorate. In 2012 he was part of an interdisciplinary four-person team of NYU faculty to win one the National Science Foundation´s inaugural INSPIRE - CREATIV grants. Follow him on Twitter @j_a_tucker.