Civic Ventures

Founded in 2015 as the policy incubator of left-progressive political donor, venture capital investor, and political donor Nick Hanauer, Civic Ventures supports higher minimum wage in Washington state, higher payments for overtime work, expanded background checks for firearms, and restrictive gun control measures. ^{4 5 6 7 8 9 10}

Civic Ventures shares the same address as Hanauer’s Nick and Leslie Hanauer Foundation, ^{11 12 13} co-founded the left-of-center Civic Alliance for a Prosperous Economy (CAPE) with labor-union-aligned Working Washington and OneAmerica Votes, ¹⁴ and is the parent organization of Civic Action, ¹⁵  a left-progressive activist group that focuses on political organizing and raises funds on the left-of-center platform Act Blue Civics. ^{16 17 18}

History and Leadership

Civic Ventures was founded in 2015 by left-progressive political donor, venture capital investor, and political commentator capitalist Nick Hanauer. ^{6 7 19}

Hanauer and his wife, liberal political activist Leslie Hanauer, also run the Nick and Leslie Hanauer Foundation, ¹⁹ which shares the same address as Civic Ventures. ^{11 12 13} Nick Hanauer is the president and co-founder of the left-of-center League of Education Voters (LEV). ¹⁹ He was a major advocate for the national labor union-backed “fight for $15” campaign to raise the minimum wage and was a director of the left-of-center Democracy Alliance. ⁶

Stephanie Ervin is the vice president of advocacy and campaigns for Civic Ventures, responsible for Civic Ventures’ political operations Ervin is also the PAC director for the left-of-center, anti-gun Alliance for Gun Responsibility. ²⁰ Previously she worked for Governor Christine Gregorie (D-WA) and U.S. Rep. Suzan DelBene (D-WA). Civic Ventures president Zach Silk helped run Washington state’s same-sex marriage ballot initiative in 2012. ²¹

Activities and Funding

Civic Ventures is a left-progressive advocacy group of “political troublemakers” that promotes “many progressive concepts,” ²¹ influences policymakers, ^{11 13} and attempts to “build social change” ² with what it identifies as “disruptive ideas” in Seattle, Washington; Washington state; and the broader United States. ³

Civic Ventures supports expanded overtime payments at a threshold of three times the minimum wage, ¹⁰ a higher minimum wage in Washington state, expansion of background check requirements to acquire firearms, ⁹ and other restrictive gun control measures. ²²

Civic Ventures is the parent organization of Civic Action, ¹⁵ a left-progressive activist group that focuses on political organizing and raises funds on the left-of-center platform Act Blue Civics. ^{16 17 18} Civic Action was formed in 2016 as an organizing tool after the election of President Donald Trump. ^{7 23}

Civic Ventures is also the co-founder of the left-of-center Civic Alliance for a Prosperous Economy (CAPE) with labor-union-aligned Working Washington and OneAmerica Votes. ¹⁴

Civic Ventures runs the left-progressive podcast Pitchfork Economics ^{24 25}  and an economics newsletter, The Pitch. ²⁶ Civic Ventures is associated with the blog Civic Skunk Works ²⁷ and posts its own content on the site. ²⁸ Other articles hosted on Civic Skunk Works claim the U.S. tax code is “racist,” ²⁹ urge the Democratic Party to side with labor unions to win future elections, ³⁰ claim that abortion is an “economic issue,” and share links to the pro-abortion National Organization for Women (NOW). ³¹