Named the most powerful unelected person in California Democratic politics by the Sacramento Bee, Kimberly Ellis has helped shape the landscape of progressive and grassroots politics in California and beyond.
After running national operations, including the shepherding of the state and federal incorporation and launch processes as the National Affiliate Director at Emerge America (the nation’s most effective training program for Democratic women who run for office) in 2010, Kimberly was tapped to lead the flagship affiliate, Emerge California, as its Executive Director.
For nearly a decade, Kimberly led the California affiliate with incredible success, growing what had been a regional training program into a statewide electoral powerhouse for Democratic women, earning her the reputation for revolutionizing Democratic politics in the Golden State.
In 2017 (and again in 2019), Kimberly emerged on the national stage as she stepped forward to lead the California Democratic Party into the 21st Century with honesty, integrity and a renewed commitment to organizing. A consensus bridge-builder who brought together the fractious Clinton and Sanders camps, Kimberly mounted historic and acclaimed campaigns that turned a once sleepy and widely unknown election into one of the most watched and hotly contested elections in Democratic politics.
Catapulting her from state political operative to national Progressive firebrand, Kimberly’s campaigns remade the composition of California’s delegation, forcing multi-million dollar opposition efforts, internal recounts and ultimately election and Party reform.
Inspired by her grandmother’s lifetime of community service, Kimberly launched Unbought - Unbossed (UnB2) in summer 2018. An incubator for the next generation of political disruptors, at its core UnB2 is about civic education, civic engagement and civic empowerment. Unbought - Unbossed was designed to be a powerful vehicle to drive a collective narrative to elevate and support the voices and work of everyday activists who seek to create progressive change in their communities.
Kimberly has appeared on syndicated television and radio, being frequently interviewed by leading political media outlets, including The New York Times, The Washington Post and Associated Press. She is a frequent contributor to a number of online and print dailies, including the San Francisco Chronicle, Los Angeles Times and Huffington Post.
Connect with Kimberly on social media @RealKimberlyE or check out her website at: www.kimberlyellis.com