Jotaka Eaddy

Recently described as the “Olivia Pope of Silicon Valley” by TechCrunch, Jotaka is a leading voice in social impact tech and pivotal force in connecting Silicon Valley and DC. Jotaka is VP of Policy, Strategic Engagement, & Impact for LendUp, a Silicon Valley-based, mission driven financial technology company. She is a member of LendUp’s Executive Management Team and represents LendUp's regulatory, legislative, and social impact initiatives. Eaddy's team is responsible for measuring how LendUp's products benefit consumers, such as saving customers more than $135 million in fees and interest to-date, and creating financial education courses that have been viewed more than 1.6 million times. Additionally, Eaddy focuses on strategic partnerships with elected officials, consumer advocates, and other stakeholders. Eaddy previously served as Senior Advisor to Ben Jealous, the President and CEO and Senior Director for Voting Rights for the NAACP. Within that capacity she directed external affairs and strategic initiatives. Eaddy has led major initiatives aimed at bridging the gap between DC and Silicon Valley. These partnerships have resulted in education and social impact initiatives reaching more than 2 million consumers. Committed to social impact and justice, Jotaka serves as a board advisor to several startups including Maker’s Row, Gauge, and Hustle. As one of few black women in the C-Suite of Silicon Valley-based companies, Jotaka is a passionate advocate for increased diversity in tech. Eaddy has served as a guest lecturer and strategist on human rights and progressive policy reform at institutions and universities in 49 states and 25 countries. She has lobbied within international forums such as the United Nations Human Rights Council, the Organization of American States, and Council of Europe. In 2004 she directed the national lobby and international advocacy campaign against the juvenile death penalty in the U.S., these efforts resulted in the 2005 landmark Supreme Court Decision Roper vs. Simmons which abolished juvenile death penalty in the United States. Eaddy is the receipt of several honors and awards like the Root 100 Most influential African Americans and Essence Magazine Woman to Watch. Her work has been highlighted in several publications like TechCrunch, Inc., Black Enterprise, MSNBC, CNN, Huffington Post, LA Times, Washington Post, BET, Essence Magazine, and many others.