Generation Citizen (GC) is excited to announce that, as of January 1st, Kunal Modi is the new Chairperson of the National Board of Directors.
As we enter into an ambitious three year strategic plan, we are thrilled that Kunal will help lead the organization to the next level as it seeks to transform the way civics education is taught in this country and become the largest Action Civics provider in the country.
Kunal is an Associate Partner at McKinsey & Company, a global management consulting firm, in San Francisco. He met Generation Citizen while serving as an adviser to the Obama Foundation in the spring of 2016. Kunal began his career as an AmeriCorps *VISTA service member with the national anti-poverty organization, LIFT. He also previously worked at Teach for America’s national office in strategy and program development and has worked in national and local politics in several capacities.
At McKinsey, Kunal leads the San Francisco office’s pro bono partnership with the Mayor’s Office and has worked on efforts to bolster the City’s response to homelessness, strengthen emergency communications systems, and improve planning of major cultural events and festivals. Kunal is also a fierce advocate for gender equality and was a contributing author to Sheryl Sandberg’s Lean In: For Graduates. Kunal holds a BA in Economics and Political Science from Northwestern University, Master in Public Policy from Harvard Kennedy School, and MBA from Harvard Business School.
Upon joining Generation Citizen’s National Board of Directors, Kunal led the organization’s three-year strategic planning process. Partnering with our National Board, Executive team, and stakeholders like educators and students, Kunal helped to craft an ambitious strategic plan that puts Generation Citizen on the path to national scale. By the end of the plan, in 2020, Generation Citizen plans to:
- Serve 30,000 students per year (up from our current 10,000 student model and at least 10% of these students will be in rural areas)
- Operate across 8 regions, with a conscious mix of political, socioeconomic and urban/rural diversity
- Introduce legislation to make Action Civics more accessible in at least ten states
Kunal’s unique experience of working in the intersection between service, politics, and strategy consulting provides a perfect leadership profile to help Generation Citizen take momentous steps in its own growth.
“Kunal’s passion for the importance of an informed and engaged citizenry, coupled with his relevant and exceptional professional experience, will add significantly to GC’s ability to have a truly transformational impact on our democracy,” said Scott Warren, CEO and Co-Founder of Generation Citizen. “We are excited for his leadership as we embark on this critical time in our organization’s trajectory, and in the trajectory of American democracy.”
“I am grateful for the opportunity to lead Generation Citizen through this critical inflection point in the organization’s growth trajectory, in partnership with GC’s dedicated team and supporter community,” said Kunal. “The students and educators who consistently demonstrate the power of citizenship through GC’s action civics program give me real hope for the future of our democracy – our task is to ensure that every student has access to that same opportunity.”
Kunal succeeds Lisa Issroff after her two years of service as Chairperson. Under Lisa’s leadership, the organization grew from $1.3M organization of 13 staff to $3.8M with a staff of 40. We are grateful for her service.
Generation Citizen is also pleased to announce that Michael Gallagher will assume the Vice Chairperson role. Michael recently retired from Wells Fargo, where he was the director of the Enterprise Patent Office. Michael was one of the first employees of Ashoka, and has helped advise social entrepreneurs and non-profits throughout his entire career. Michael Gallagher received his MBA from Stanford University, and a degree in Anthropology from Princeton University.