Keynote Speaker: Celinda Lake

Celinda Lake is a prominent pollster and political strategist. She currently serves as President of Lake Research Partners. Lake's polling and strategic advice has helped candidates such as Jon Tester, Senator Debbie Stabenow and Governor Bob Wise defeat incumbent Republicans and her expertise guided Senator Mark Begich to victory, making him the first Senate candidate in Alaska to oust the incumbent in 50 years. She has focused on women candidates and women's concerns, having worked for Speaker Pelosi, Governor Janet Napolitano, Senator Debbie Stabenow, Senator Barbara Mikulski, Mayor Carolyn Goodman, Mayor Annise Parker, and has helped to elect over a dozen women to the House and Senate . Celinda worked for the largest independent expenditure to take back the House and has been a key player in campaigns launched by progressive groups such as the AFL-CIO, SEIU, Sierra Club, Planned Parenthood, Vote Vets, HRC, and EMILY's List. Lake co-authored the book What Women Really Want with Republican pollster Kellyanne Conway, which examines the way women are changing the political landscape in America, and she also served as pollster for Senator Joe Biden's 2008 presidential bid. She has worked on innovative message projects that helped redefine language on the economy, inequality, big money in politics, climate change, public schools, teachers, and criminal justice reform. Celinda is the recipient of an American Political Consultant Award and the Opportunity Agenda Creative Change Award.