Running Start

Running Start has taught me how to proudly tell my story and not let circumstances define me but rather to believe that I can shape my own path. I went from being a small town girl from Covington, KY, in a low-income household facing adversity, to growing up and becoming a first-generation college graduate, the first in my family to join the Peace Corps, travel abroad, and work in policy. I am beyond excited to have been selected for this year’s Running Start #NextStep cohort! The Next Step program is a professional development initiative for Running Start alumni, designed to advance our political and civic leadership careers through training sessions, mentorship opportunities, and leadership development. I couldn’t have made it this far without the mentorship and guidance of such inspiring women: Susannah Wellford, Serena Saunders, Melissa Richmond, Vasundhara Kamath and Jessica Kelly. Thank you for everything you have done and continue to do.

Running Start’s alum network and community of women leaders are as far-reaching and diverse in interests as they are in accomplishments, and this list is growing every day. This month, we highlight their community of changemakers featured in their annual report, including: ??? Alyssa Anderson, Women’s Congressional Staff Association Leadership Impact Award ?? Samina Hydery Burke, 2024 Forbes 30 Under 30 Honoree in Finance ?? Allyson Carpenter, Affordable Housing Finance’s Young Leader Awardee ?? Anderson Clayton, North Carolina’s DNC Delegation Chair (youngest in the country) #WomensHistoryMonth2025

Continuing our celebration of Women’s History Month, for this week’s #tilsontuesdays employee spotlight, meet Heather Mills! Heather is a Principal Consultant on Tilson’s Broadband Consulting team. Her team’s primary goal is to expand broadband access and improve digital equity across the country by guiding public and private sector clients through planning, designing, implementing, and maintaining cost-effective broadband networks. In her role as Principal Consultant, Heather guides clients through the complex funding and grant landscape, helping private entities, municipalities, and states secure and use funding to improve internet access for underserved and unserved communities. “We do good work and do it with integrity and respect for each other and our clients,” Heather said about working at Tilson. “I’m impressed every day how our values shine through and make us better – I find joy every day in working with some of the best in the business.” Thank you, Heather, for sharing your wealth of knowledge with our clients. Also, happy one year anniversary with Tilson! We're so thankful to have you on our team. ?? Learn more about Heather's story on our blog: https://bit.ly/3LxnojA #onamission #broadband #womenshistorymonth

Did you know that a mere 28% of the 118th Congress are women legislators, and an even smaller number, 11%, are women of color? Our partners at Running Start are working to address that by training the next generation of young women running for public office. Their impact has been truly phenomenal, with 94% of program alums continuing to “pay it forward” in their own communities and as much as one-third of them running for office after graduating from the program. Here are some examples: - Savannah Lee graduated from the Congressional Fellowship and used her social media and communications skills to gain an online audience of over 27,0000 sharing content on how young women can break into foreign and public policy careers.?? - Madeleine Tofaeono-Galo, a Running Start leader, hosted a training for the Pacific Islander Student Alliance in the Pacific Northwest.? - Rana Abdelhamid started her involvement with Running Start when she was 16, and since then, has founded a nonprofit organization that trains women in self-defense, and also the first women’s center in Astoria, Queens.