Vanessa Cardenas

Vanessa Cárdenas is a seasoned political strategist who has worked at the global, national and local level. Currently at EMILY's List she works to expand the organization's reach into key states and communities. Prior to EMILY's List, she worked at the World Wildlife Fund where she supported efforts towards a global climate agreement. Before that, Vanessa founded the project Progress 2050 at the Center for American Progress (CAP) which examines the implications of demographic change. In that role she conceptualized and was the main editor of the book All In Nation https://allinnation.org/ which makes the argument that closing racial gaps is not just a moral imperative but an economic necessity. Prior to CAP, she worked at the National Immigration Forum where she worked with local and national allies in the struggle for a fair and just immigration system. Vanessa started her career as a teacher assistant for the Arlington County Public Schools. Her expertise includes Latino political participation, women’s issues, climate change, US demography, immigration policy, and political communications.