Alexis Anderson-Reed
She/Her
President of State Voices
Alexis Anderson-Reed is the President of State Voices, the largest progressive network in the country that works to champion a multiracial democracy and build power from the ground up.
Alexis joined State Voices as Executive Director in 2018, where she spearheaded a strategic transformation of the network to better meet the political fight of our lifetime. Since 2018, Alexis has significantly expanded the size and influence of State Voices. Under Alexis’ leadership, State Voices has grown to be a $100 million network. Alexis strengthened state infrastructure and the reach of the network from 17 to 24 State Tables, with another eight emerging states. In this time, State Voices has re-imagined and expanded data and technology infrastructure to meet the needs of 21st century organizing, training hundreds of data practitioners that support over 1,200 organizations, reaching tens of millions of voters through on-the-ground organizers and adding over 400 partners, leading to over 228 million voter contacts in 2020 alone.
Her focus on investing in organizing from the ground up, which includes more than $35 million dollars for grassroots infrastructure, has led to victories that impact people’s lives. From launching new municipal electoral strategies so communities have a voice in local elections, to winning on issues like reproductive freedom and economic justice, Alexis’ steadfast commitment to empowering people to have a say in the decisions affecting their lives resonates across the country.
Alexis’ superpower is creating strong cultures and rebuilding organizations to be more powerful. She says that “how we do the work is just as important as what we do.” This ethos of being a reflection of our values has been a model for organizations across the country and is exemplified in the piece Culture Eats Strategy for Breakfast. Alexis has deepened the network’s strategy and culture through instituting now-regular convenings for knowledge sharing, and working to ensure that BIPOC voices, women, and other underrepresented groups are reflected, particularly in leadership roles. An expert in progressive advocacy, Alexis serves as a thought leader at the intersection of organizing and philanthropy, with published pieces in The Guardian, Essence, and Inside Philanthropy.
Alexis’ vision to create a space “For Us, By Us” that invests in the next generation of leaders of color was realized in 2019 when Alexis co-founded the Strategic Resilience Network, a program that supports dozens of new executive directors of color who are at the helm of leading the country’s largest and most impactful progressive and social justice organizations.
Alexis has been an activist since she was a college student, inspired by her grandmother’s fight for the right to vote as a Black woman from Memphis, and her mother’s advocacy for women and children who are survivors of sexual assault. In college, she founded a nonprofit organization, Youth Reclaiming Our Communities, that organized young people around access to a quality public education. Before her tenure at State Voices, Alexis served as the deputy director of the Funders’ Committee for Civic Participation, a philanthropic affinity group dedicated to enhancing democratic participation in all aspects of civic life. Alexis has also served as the senior director of programs for State Voices and the executive director of Wisconsin Voices, where she played a pivotal role in passing a historic Living Wage ordinance, defending voting rights, building cross-sector alliances, and scaling civic engagement.
Alexis graduated with honors from Alverno College with a degree in History and Political Science and attended the University of Wisconsin-Madison where she studied in the Education Policy Masters Program. Alexis serves on the boards of the Alliance for Youth Organizing, State Innovation Exchange, and the Scherman Foundation. When not at work, she can be found trying out new recipes for family and friends and traveling with her husband, Derek.
