Our Vision and Mission
Vision
Women’s Democracy Lab envisions an American democracy where diverse women hold equal representation at every level of public service and are driving governance that is just, accessible, and responsive to all communities.
Mission
Women’s Democracy Lab empowers elected women at every stage of their journey, co-creating solutions to transform institutions .
Alumni Map
See where WDL is making a difference
Our reach spans coast to coast.
The Women's Democracy Lab alumni network stretches across the US and includes elected Indigenous women and femmes of color from all levels of government, from local to state to federal. This map visualizes WDL's reach and indicates the most recent elected office of each of our alumni.
Key
WDL Representation
WDL‘s Impact
62
Members
50/50
Representation of 62 state and local officeholders across 25 states
“We are picking the right people. The elected women of WDL are the rock stars. I’m on the circuit and I am coming across my cohort and WDL women from other cohorts as I travel the country. We are leading transformative bills; we are collaborating and sharing our legislative work. I have been able to look to this community on several occasions to quickly support the things that I’m doing. And the thing is that we are leading on work that others won’t, particularly when it comes to protecting women.”
-WDL Elected Senior Advisor
WDL Members By Geographic Location
City
36.7%
County
11.6%
State
51.7%
36.7%
11.6%
51.7%
“People can’t understand what it feels like to have money in your campaign account and to look and have no money in your own personal account. Lead2030 literally saved the financial situation my family was put in when my employer decided after I was elected that my having a party affiliation as an elected official was a problem, and without warning, let me go. Not only has it made a difference in our ability to meet our bills but I am getting to dig in on work that I absolutely love…and so thank you for building this room today. We really needed this space. I needed this space.”
-2023 Lead2030 Fellow
100+
Coaching hours for WDL Members in 2023, in addition to 2 FPP in-person retreats, 3 Safety convenings, and 10+ virtual training sessions
93
Confident that FPP helped them envision their future as an elected official (2023 FPP Cohort)
69
Confident to move to the next stage of their electoral career (2023 FPP Cohort)
“Just being with other power women/femme folks of color bring me great joy and inspiration. I left the April in-person meeting feeling like I could do this, when just right before it I felt like I needed to step down or I was not the best person for my seat.”
-FPP 2023 Cohort
WDL Members By Region
Far North Region
1.7%
Northeast Region
41.6%
Northwest Region
20%
Southeast Region
25%
Southwest Region
11.7%
1.7%
41.6%
20%
25%
11.7%
“In committees, I speak to what is good – across the grain to help all the kids in Georgia. This made me a target of MAGA – they went on social media, FOX news – all over the country- my face, my address, my kids, my husband – from Feb to May – constant filth being said, the most horrible things – threats – if I run into you these are the things I am going to do to you…Women of color are on the front lines. There is a visceral attack that is left in the body. And if it mounts then it will cause us great physical harm. We won that fight in GA. But when it was over I had a stroke. Luckily, we got to the hospital in time.”
–2023 Safety in Service (SiX Conference, Denver, CO)
Newsletter
Stay connected with the latest Our Alumni News and Updates.
Women’s Democracy Lab Quarterly Newsletter: Q4 2024
Author: Women’s Democracy Lab
In this final newsletter for the year, we celebrate your 2024 election wins, share some highlights from last week’s...
Women’s Democracy Lab Quarterly Newsletter: Q3 2024
Author: Women’s Democracy Lab
Welcome to the Q3 2024 edition of our newsletter, where we celebrate the incredible Indigenous women and women of...
Our Co-Founder and Executive Director
Muthoni Wambu Kraal is an impact connector, veteran political strategist, team builder, organizer, trainer, and advisor to political parties and leaders in the U.S. and internationally. She is a former leader for the Democratic National Committee and EMILY’s List – shaping opportunity for women leaders at every level of the ballot. She is African American and first generation Kenyan American.
Our Story
After more than two decades of helping recruit and train our community members to run for office, the founders of Women’s Democracy Lab are pooling our lived experiences and reimagining a democracy where solutions are created, tested, and implemented by the people most directly affected by structural barriers and systems of oppression.
WDL has 62 members and counting, with nearly 50/50 representation of state and local officeholders, as well as demographic and geographic diversity across all programs.
There is currently no other organization serving this sector of the democracy ecosystem in the way we can as seasoned practitioners in sectors spanning politics, policy, leadership development, and systems change.
We are building up and, importantly, sustaining the progressive talent pipeline by fortifying elected and developing with them the ways to best support them through the stages of their service, alongside effective ways of overcoming barriers to serving (and staying) in office.
Team
Chief Finance and Operations Officer
Tasha Speed (she/her)
Program Associate
Gabrielle Weinand (she/her)
Chief Program Officer
Irene Shin (she/her)
Co-Founder
Anathea Chino
Founder Emeritus
Sayu Bhojwani
Get In Touch
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