The Wilderness Creators & Guests

Jon Favreau is a political commentator and the former Director of Speechwriting for President Barack Obama. Favreau attended the College of the Holy Cross, graduating as valedictorian. He is the co-host of Pod Save America.

Terrance Woodbury is co-founder and CEO of HIT Strategies, He is widely recognized as one of America’s foremost pollsters and political strategists.

Nsé Ufot is the Chief Executive Officer of the New Georgia Project (NGP) and its affiliate, New Georgia Project Action Fund (NGP AF).

Cristina Tzintzún Ramirez is a Chicana Mexican-American organizer, author, and co-founder of the Workers Defense Project and Jolt.

Malcolm Kenyatta is a politician and community activist.

Carlos Odio is the co-founder of Equis Research.

Ruy Teixeira is an American political scientist and commentator who has written several books on various topics in political science and political strategy. He is most noted for his work on political demography, and particularly for The Emerging Democratic Majority (2002), which he co-wrote with John Judis, a book arguing that Democrats in the United States are demographically destined to become a majority party in the early 21st century. He writes and edits the weblog The Democratic Strategist.

Barack Obama is an American politician and attorney who served as the 44th President of the United States from 2009 to 2017, becoming the first African American to hold the office. A graduate of Columbia University and Harvard Law School, Obama began his political career as a community organizer in Chicago before serving in the Illinois State Senate and later the U.S. Senate. His 2008 presidential campaign, centered on themes of hope and change, captured global attention and led to a historic election victory. During his presidency, Obama signed landmark legislation such as the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare), oversaw the operation that led to the killing of Osama bin Laden, and implemented measures to combat the Great Recession. He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2009. Since leaving office, Obama has remained an influential public figure, authoring best-selling memoirs and engaging in advocacy through the Obama Foundation.

Simon Rosenberg is the Founder of New Democrat Network.

Sarah Longwell is a Republican political strategist and publisher. She is the founder of Republican Voters Against Trump.

Tim Miller is The Bulwark’s writer-at-large. He was previously political director for Republican Voters Against Trump, communications director for Jeb Bush 2016, and spokesman for the Republican National Committee.

Ben Wikler is an American political campaigner and Washington director at MoveOn, a political mobilization resource. He hosts The Good Fight podcast.

Lynn Vavreck is an American political scientist and columnist.

Jennifer M. Palmieri is a political advisor. She served as White House Director of Communications from 2013 to 2015.

Symone D. Sanders is a political strategist, commentator, senior advisor, and author.

Anat Shenker-Osorio is an author, strategic communications consultant, and host of Words To Win By podcast.

Faiz Shakir is a political advisor, known for having been the campaign manager for Bernie Sanders' 2020 presidential campaign.Previously, Shakir was the political director of the American Civil Liberties Union.Shakir started his career as a communications aide in the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy and as a legislative aide to Senator Bob Graham. He also worked on the John Kerry 2004 presidential campaign as a junior staffer. He worked as an aide to Congressional leaders Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid.Shakir received his B.A. in government from Harvard University, and his J.D. from Georgetown University.

Katie Porter is a law professor, attorney, and politician serving as the U.S. Representative for California's 45th congressional district.

Addisu Demissie is a Democratic Party political strategist. He managed Cory Booker's 2020 presidential campaign, Cory Booker's 2013 U.S. Senate campaign, Gavin Newsom's 2018 California gubernatorial campaign, Rahm Emanuel's 2011 Chicago mayoral campaign, and David Chiu's 2011 San Francisco mayoral campaign. He also worked on the 2008 presidential campaigns of Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, Clinton's 2016 presidential campaign, and John Kerry's 2004 presidential campaign. He worked for Organizing for America. He also founded 50+1 Strategies.