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Person

Michele Jawando

Nationality:

American
Organization:

Omidyar Network

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 Michele Jawando is a left-wing activist who as of 2025 was working as president of the Omidyar Network, a grantmaking organization founded by eBay founder Pierre Omidyar. 1 2 Jawando previously worked at Google, the Center for American Progress, and for U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY). 1

Background

Michele Jawando, born Michele Lawrence, grew up in New York. Her aunt, Lois Browne-Evans, was Bermuda’s first Black female lawyer and served as Attorney General of Bermuda. 3 4 1 Jawando’s family was involved in the civil rights movement in the United States, Bermuda, and Jamaica. 2

In 2002, Jawando graduated from Hampton University with a bachelor’s degree in English, pre-law. In 2005, she graduated with a law degree from the University of North Carolina School of Law, where she founded SisterFriend, a network for female racial minorities. 1 3

Jawando is married to and has four children with Will Jawando, the son of a Nigerian father and white American mother. 5 Will Jawando has served as a Member of the Montgomery County Council since 2018, and previously unsuccessfully ran for a U.S. House seat in Maryland as a Democrat. Earlier in his career, Will Jawando worked for the Democratic National Convention, the U.S. Department of Education and the White House during the Obama administration, then-U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH), the NAACP, then-U.S. Senator Barack Obama (D-IL), and U.S. Representative Nancy Pelosi (D-CA). 6

Career

Politics and Advocacy

In 2004, after graduating from college, Michele Jawando served as a fellow in the office of U.S. Representative Gregory Meeks (D-NY). 1

While in law school, Jawando worked as legislative counsel and campaign director of election protection for People for the American Way. 1

From 2009 to 2024, Jawando served as general counsel and senior advisor to U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY). 1 According to a bio of Jawando, she “was responsible for leading some of the office’s landmark work,” including a 9/11 health bill, repealing Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, and confirming U.S. Supreme Court Justices Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan. 3

From 2014 to 2018, Jawando worked as vice president of the Center for American Progress. 1 She co-hosted the organization’s Thinking CAP podcast. 3

Google

From 2018 to 2021, Jawando worked at Google as the head of progressive engagement and strategic partnership counsel. 1 At Google, Jawando oversaw the company’s strategic relationships with elected officials, think tanks, nonprofits, and thought leaders in the United States, and directed $80 million in spending toward elections, cybersecurity, gender equity, and disability rights. 7

Omidyar Network

In April 2021, Jawando became the senior vice president at the Omidyar Network. She led the organization’s efforts to promote environmental, social, and governance (ESG) principles at corporations and nonprofits. In May 2025, Jawando became the organization’s president. 1 2

Other Achievements

From 2020 to 2025, Michele Jawando was a board member of Higher Heights for America, a nonprofit exclusively dedicated to electing Black female left-wing candidates. 1

In October 2021, Jawando became an inaugural board member of the Georgetown University McCourt School of Public Policy. 1

In September 2024, Jawando became a member of the board of trustees at Hampton University. 1

From January 2024 to May 2025, Jawando served as an AI elections initiative advisory council member at the Aspen Institute. 1

Jawando has spoken at events hosted by the NAACP, the National Bar Association, Netroots Nation, Emily’s List, the Black Futures Lab, the Young Women’s Christian Association, the Open Society Foundations, the National Women’s Law Center, The National Urban League, the United States Student Association, Higher Heights for America, and Black PAC. 3

Jawando has been a commenter at MSNBC, Fox News, CNN, the Washington Post, the New York Times, the Baltimore Sun, the Associated Press, C-SPAN, and National Public Radio. 3

Advocacy Positions

In multiple biographies, Michele Jawando has been described as an “afro-tech futurist,” a cultural aesthetic concerning the intersection of technology and African and African-diaspora culture. 3 7

Jawando has advocated for an increased presence of philanthropy in the development and use of artificial intelligence to distribute the benefits of the technology. She has also advocated for introducing more diversity into AI development so the technology does not “reinforce […] existing global divides.” In an essay on the subject, Jawando claimed that “wealthier nations have historically exploited value from poorer countries—leading to massive gaps in economic prosperity, health and well-being.” 8

In 2020, Jawando supported then-U.S. Senator Kamala Harris (D-CA) for president. 9

References

  1. “Michele Jawando.” LinkedIn. Accessed May 25, 2025. https://www.linkedin.com/in/michele-lawrence-jawando/.
  2. Behrman, Greg. “ESG Next: An Interview With Omidyar Network’s Michele Jawando.” Nation Swell. August 29, 2023. Accessed May 26, 2025. https://nationswell.com/esg-next-an-interview-with-omidyar-networks-michele-jawando/.
  3. “Michele L. Jawando.” Caribbean American Heritage Award. Accessed May 25, 2025. https://caribbeanamericanheritageawards.com/test-home-2022/home-2020/honorees-2020/michele-l-jawando/.
  4. “Michele Jawando: Reimaging Global Philanthropy and Changing Impossible to Possible.” Bracewell. Accessed May 25, 2025. https://www.bracewell.com/resources/michele-jawando-reimaging-global-philanthropy-and-changing-impossible-to-possible/.
  5.  “Will Jawando.” Montgomery County Council. Accessed May 25, 2025. https://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/jawando/.
  6. “Will Jawando.” LinkedIn. Accessed May 25, 2025. https://www.linkedin.com/in/will-jawando-4658a55/.
  7. “Michele Jawando.” Future of Data Challenge. Accessed May 25, 2025. https://www.futureofdatachallenge.org/judges/michele-jawando.
  8. Jawando, Michele. “How philanthropy can thwart the ‘makers vs takers’ approach to AI.” Compiler. February 17, 2025. Accessed May 26, 2025. https://www.compiler.news/philanthropy-omidyar-ai/.
  9. “STAFFER: Michele Jawando.” Global Strategy Group. November 19, 2020. Accessed May 26, 2025. https://globalstrategygroup.com/2020/11/19/the-staffer-show-podcast-michele-jawando/.
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