Carlissia Graham is the President of New Media Ventures (NMV), a mission-driven venture fund and investor network funding early-stage media and tech companies to advance democracy. NMV has seeded innovative media disruptors like Blavity, Prism, Represent Justice, CrowdTangle, The Juggernaut, and 140 other mission-driven entities that are working to shift the structures of power in the US to benefit more people; many of which are now widely recognized pillars of the social change community. She is an impact investor, startup mentor, and serial entrepreneur working at the intersections of culture, advocacy & technology. She’s especially interested in getting capital to people who are reimagining and building a future marked by a thriving democracy, representational governance, responsible tech, and equal opportunities for underinvested communities. As a 5th generation journalist, Carlissia is committed to expanding the media ecosystem by reshaping the future of local news and creating pathways for underrepresented voices to have a greater institutional footprint. She believes that media and culture are some of the most powerful tools for accountability and mobilization in our democracy. Before impact investing, Carlissia spent ten years shaping the policy and governance of American institutions that are shifting society at scale - from the Obama White House to the U.S. Senate to Planned Parenthood Federation of America and even the U.S. Departments of Agriculture and Energy.