Jotaka Eaddy
Jotaka Eaddy is the former Senior Advisor to the President and CEO and Senior Director for Voting Rights for the NAACP. Eaddy has vast experience directing external affairs and strategic initiatives on a variety of issues. Most recently she has lead the NAACP’s strategy to defend and expand access to the ballot box. Before working at the NAACP, Eaddy served as the Senior Field Manager for USAction and the USAction Education Fund, and also served as Domestic Program Director for the National Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty, among other roles.[1]
She is the founder and CEO of Full Circle Strategies, LLC - a social impact consulting firm committed to advancing transformative change and global impact.
Described as the “Olivia Pope of Silicon Valley” by Forbes Magazine, Jotaka is a dedicated and seasoned strategist with more than 20 years of experience in policy, advocacy, and movement building.
Within her current practice, Jotaka works with clients including corporate, non-profit, foundations, technology and government organizations seeking to advance policy, ideas, and change. Jotaka has led regulatory, legislative, and social impact initiatives at the federal and state level for leading non-profits and within the C-Suite of leading technology companies, helping to bridge the gap between Washington DC and Silicon Valley.
Jotaka has served at the forefront of efforts that have created lasting change. In 2020 she founded the movement #WinWithBlackWomen, an intergenerational, intersectional group of Black women leaders representing business, sports, movement, politics, entertainment and beyond.
The network, which has garnered more than 600 million impressions on social media is committed to supporting the agenda and efforts led by and in support of Black women and the communities in which they serve. #WinWithBlackWomen is credited with making a significant impact on the historic election of 2020 which resulted in the United States first Black woman Vice President.
As one of the few black women that has served in the C-Suite of a Silicon Valley based company, Jotaka is a passionate advocate for increased diversity and impact metrics in the tech sector. Committed to social impact and social justice; Jotaka serves as a board advisor to several tech start-up companies including Maker’s Row, Inc.; Gauge, Inc., Tech Dojo, and Hustle, Inc.
Jotaka served as Vice President of Policy; Strategic Engagement, and Impact for LendUp. Within her capacity, Eaddy served as a member of LendUp’s Executive Management team. Eaddy's team was responsible for measuring how LendUp's products benefited consumers, such as saving customers more than $200 million in fees and interest and creating a series of financial education courses that have been viewed more than 2.1 million times.
From 2009-2014, Eaddy served as Senior Advisor to the President and CEO and Senior Director for Voting Rights for the NAACP. Within that capacity she directed external affairs and strategic initiatives on behalf of the Office of the President and CEO and led the NAACP’s strategy to defend and expand voting rights. Under Jotaka’s leadership – the NAACP played a pivotal role in a wide array of voting rights initiatives including: changing the Delaware State Constitution to expand voting rights to people with felony convictions, stopping the spread of voter suppression laws such as photo id, and secure the voting rights of more than 300,000 citizens with felony convictions in the state of Virginia through an executive order signed by the Governor.
In addition to domestic advocacy, Jotaka has lobbied within various international forums including the United Nations Human Rights Council, African Union, the Organization of American States, and Council of Europe, among others.
In 2004, Jotaka directed the national lobby and international advocacy campaign against the juvenile death penalty in the United States. Those efforts contributed to the 2005 landmark US Supreme Court decision Roper v. Simmons which abolished the juvenile death penalty in the United States and was supported by an amicus brief signed by more than 50 nations.
A noted speaker and advocate, Jotaka has traveled extensively, serving as a guest lecturer and strategist on human rights and social impact at various institutions and universities covering 49 states and 25 countries.
As a student at the University of South Carolina, Ms. Eaddy served in a number of leadership capacities, including tenure as student representative on the University’s Board of Trustees. As a student senator, she authored legislation and coordinated strategies that resulted in the passage of the University of South Carolina’s student resolution calling for the removal of the Confederate flag from the South Carolina State House Dome. Most notably, Ms. Eaddy was elected Student Body President, becoming the first black woman to be elected to the position in the University of South Carolina’s 213-year history and the first black woman elected to such a position in the state of South Carolina.
Eaddy is the receipt of several honors and awards including: National Action network Women of Power, Essence Woman to Watch, SF Business Times Most Powerful women- in Business, Digital Diversity Network Innovation and Inclusion Social Entrepreneurs Award 2017, Good Morning America 2020 All Stars, Black Women Roundtable Sistars Award, Rainbow Push, University of South Carolina College of Arts and Sciences Distinguished Young Alumnus Award, Black Professional Network: Black Excellence in the Bay Honoree.
She has also attained several speaking engagements including: United Nations Human Rights Commission, UN World Conference, Against Racism - South Africa, US Embassy Tunisia, Community College of Philadelphia 2014 Commencement Speaker, University of SC MLK Breakfast Keynote, NAACP, National Convention, NABJ National Convention, FWD Conference, Harvard Law School, Washington College of Law
Lendit Convention, Aspen Ideas Festival, Aspen Institute Finance Forward Series, Micheaux Film Festival, Salesforce Respresentation Matters Summit, Culture Shifting Tech and Society, NCNW Critical Ideas Symposium, ELC Black Economic Forum 2020, Financial Inclusion: CATO institute summit, Comply 2019, Black Enterprise Women of Power Summit, Spectrum Circle Women Who Lead 2017, NOBEL (National Organization of Black Elected Legisltive Women) Keynote, Future of Wealth Summit 2017, Social Capital (SOCAP) Summit, Bates College, World, Youth Forum - Barcelona Spain, National League of Cities Nation Summit
She serves on several boards including: University of South Carolina Alumni Association (Board of Governors), Marijuana Policy Project, and Board Advisor to Gauge, Inc., Makers Row, and Hustle, Inc.
Jotaka’s work has been highlighted in several publications including: Forbes Magazine, TechCrunch, Inc., Wall Street Journal, Newsweek, The Guardian, Essence Magazine, Fortune Magazine, Black Enterprise Magazine, Root 100 Most Influential African Americans, Politics365.com, MSNBC, CNN, Al Jazeera America, Aspire Network, Huffington Post, The Los Angeles Times, The Washington Post, BET, The Nation Magazine, Democracy Now, the Art of Activism, Black America Web.com, the American Prospect, among others.[2]
Married to Antonio Williams.
Education
Studied Political science at University of South Carolina - Columbia.
Career
- Vice President- Policy, Strategic Engagement, and Impact at LendUp
- Worked at Obama for America
- Worked at People's Action
- Former Senior Vice President for Government Affairs at PayNearMe
90s activists
Jotaka Eaddy October 8, 2010 ·
This is what it was it was all for!!! (Tag yourself if you were there) — with Aimee Castenell, Ana Aponte, Jackie Kendall, Jennifer Ann, Marvin Bing, Kirin Kennedy, Stefanie Brown James, Carmen Berkley, Matt Reents, Melinda Gibson, Kristen Kozlowski, Kirk Clay, Alethea Bonello, Kennie Gee, Sasha Hammond and Shelli Craver in Washington, District of Columbia.
'Engineered' Kamala Harris 2024 Campaign
From Van Jones's X Post dated July 2024:[3],[4]
- "Kamala’s 48-hour capture of the Democratic Party’s nomination will go down in history as the most successful political campaign in the history of the United States. Take 120 seconds to learn how and why she won."
Transcript of Video:
- "...and first of all um you know uh when you talk about ad Donna Brazile, Karen Finney, Jotaka Eaddy: these are African-American women who are the pillars of the democratic party. They do the hard work that nobody sees. They they touch people, they counsel people, they help people and they orchestrated and engineered this outcome not because Kamala Harris is a black woman but because they could not see the Democratic party in disarray and they wanted to make sure that if there was going to be a loose ball it landed in the most capable hands; someone who won as district attorney, someone who's won as attorney general, someone who's won as Senator, someone who's won as vice president. A winner who has delivered over and over again so they engineered the the football getting into their right hands and that was the first step. But then what happened which nobody necessarily predicted was we spent three weeks sitting outside the ICU with a death watch for democracy watching what would happen after that debate if Donald Trump were able to get back in the White House and it was terrifying it was 2025 it was this horrible uh speech that he gave and then suddenly a crack open of Hope one little heartbeat of Hope Kamala Harris raising her hand and saying I'll take care of this and you saw an explosion of support and energy you know black folks are getting a lot of credit of course but you have young people who have taken over Tik Tok for Comm hair you have commom Mania on Tik Tok you have Suburban women who are breathing a s of relief you have a whole"
Obama team SC
Jotaka Eaddy January 29, 2008 ·
Stacy Brayboy (SC State Director), Anton Gunn (SC Political Director), and Me. Stacy and Anton Made the victory in SC a reality. Big ups to Stacy-- SC Native and Anton -- USC ALum!
if you live in SC or not-- Please support Anton Gunn for State Legislature!!! He is a Change Agent!! — with Stacey Brayboy, and Anton Gunn.
USC Gamecocks for Obama
Jotaka Eaddy January 29, 2008 ·
USC Gamecocks for Obama Celebrate an oustanding Victory in SC!!! — with Hakeem Jefferson, Mitch, Georgina Shorey-Wilson, Kathryn Taylor, Derek and Hans Riemer.
Gamecocks for Obama take a picture with Michelle. — with Curtis D. Lowery II, Hakeem Jefferson, Mara Sirbu, Mitch, laure, Buster Brown, Kathryn Taylor, Michelle Obama and John Fullwood.
Palestine
Jotaka Eaddy March 29, 2014 ·
An amazing day! This was the surreal moment during lunch when the deputy prime minister of Palenstine told me that the NAACP and civil rights movement was a source of inspiration for the hope of a nonviolent Palestianian movement. #hope #peace — in Ramllah.
Traveled to Ramallah with Rocio Inclan and Cristobal Joshua Alex. [5]
Jealous connection
Jotaka Eaddy June 26 2018:
So many good emotions -- if you know me - you know that Ben Jealous has been my friend, brother, mentor, partner in good trouble for more than 22 years. No words to express how proud I am tongiht. Now let's win in November! #Benjealous #MyFamilyisDope
- Ive known @benjealous for more more than 20 years. He is a friend, a brother, leader, and most importantly a fellow activist. We first met when I was 16 years old and committed to abolishing the death penalty. He and Steve Hawkins saw something in me and gave me room to lead and organize. For years, we worked together to advance criminal justice reforms. We would soon celebrate victory nearly 10 years later, when the Supreme Court Abolished the juvenile death penalty.
- I had the honor of serving as Ben's Senior Advisor during his time as President and CEO of the NAACP. Ben was and remains committed to social justice and movement building. From helping build the NAACP to more than 1 million online activists, building a top notch team, retooling the field structure, fighting against voter suppression, advancing affordable health care, supporting the NAACP's call for Marriage Equality, to helping restore voting rights and second chances for those coming out of the criminal injustice system- Ben is a fighter.
- Ben saw that technology and innovation had the power to create social good and impact. He transitioned to help companies focused on using technology to expand their mission as a partner at Kapor Capital. He would soon convince me that Silicon Valley needed orginizers like me among its ranks.[6]
Southern Elections Fund
Southern Elections Fund, as of January 3, 2018;[7][8]
Board
- Benjamin Jealous (Board Chairman)
- Andrew Wong (Board Member)
- Steve Phillips (Board Member)
- Jotaka Eaddy (Board Member)
- Derrick Johnson (Board Member)
#freedom50
Makani Themba June 26, 2014
My sistars at #freedom50! #sistalove <3 — with Jotaka Eaddy and Jaribu Hill.