The Forward Party brings together people from across the ideological spectrum who have been leaders in business, politics, and culture.
Andrew Yang is a businessman, lawyer and philanthropist whose entrepreneurial endeavors led him to the new political party Forward.
Born on January 13,1975, in Schenectady, New York, Yang was raised in nearby Westchester County. His parents immigrated from Taiwan as graduate students at the University of California, Berkeley in the 1960s. After graduating from the elite Phillips Exeter Academy in 1992, Yang went to Brown University (1992-1996), studying political science and economics, and later attended law school at Columbia University (1996-1999).
After launching a variety of startups in the early 2000s, Yang eventually became CEO of Manhattan Prep, a test prep company, and later founded the successful nonprofit Ventures for America (VFA) in 2011, which prompted the Obama Administration to name him a “Presidential Ambassador for Global Entrepreneurship” in 2015. Yang has penned two books: Smart People Should Build Things (2014) and The War on Normal People (2018).
Yang was a Democratic candidate for president of the United States in 2020. He filed to run for the office on November 6, 2017. He suspended his presidential campaign on February 11, 2020. Yang announced his run for the presidency under the slogan “Make America Think Harder” (MATH) along with his defining policy proposal of Universal Basic Income (UBI), which is a supplemental income offered to American adults to prepare them for the economic challenges incurred by artificial intelligence and automation. Prior to suspending his presidential campaign in February 2020, Yang built a strong digital coalition and attracted a base of loyal supporters called the Yang Gang.
In 2021 Yang changed his voter registration from Democrat to Independent. In a statement about the change, Yang said, “Now that I’m not a member of one party or another, I feel like I can be even more honest about both the system and the people in it…I believe I can reach people who are outside the system more effectively. I feel more . . . independent.” In July 2022 Yang alongside former Democrats, Republicans and Independents formed the new political party Forward.
Michael S. Willner spent his entire career in the cable television industry. Prior to becoming Vice Chairman and CEO of Penthera, a provider of intelligent portable video software solutions for TV networks and content distributors; he co-founded Insight Communications in 1985. He served as the cable TV company’s CEO, a director and vice chairman of the board until the company was sold to Time Warner Cable in February, 2012. Michael began his career in 1974 as the program director and news reporter for a small suburban New York cable system after graduating from the Boston University College of Communications. Soon after, he shifted his focus to general management and eventually became the chief operating officer of Vision Cable Communications, a cable company owned by a division of Newhouse Newspapers.
After starting Insight Communications, Michael also became very active in industry affairs and has been one of cable’s most active and effective ambassadors on Capitol Hill, testifying regularly before Congress on industry issues and pending legislation. He has served two consecutive terms as chairman of the National Cable & Telecommunications Association (NCTA), the cable industry’s trade lobby, served on its executive committee for many years and chaired its political action committee (CablePAC) from 2000 until 2012. Michael also served as chairman of the board of the Cable Center from 2007 through 2011, on the executive committee of CableLabs, and on the board of directors of C-SPAN, and the Walter Kaitz Foundation.
Michael was a recipient of the NCTA’s 2004 Vanguard Award for Distinguished Leadership and a 2005 inductee into the Broadcasting & Cable Hall of Fame and was inducted into the Cable Hall of Fame in 2008..
Christine Todd Whitman is the President of The Whitman Strategy Group (WSG), a consulting firm that specializes in energy and environmental issues. WSG offers a comprehensive set of solutions to problems facing businesses, organizations, and governments; they have been at the forefront of helping leading companies find innovative solutions to environmental challenges. Governor Whitman served in the cabinet of President George W. Bush as Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency from January of 2001 until June of 2003. She was the 50th Governor of the State of New Jersey, serving as its first woman governor from 1994 until 2001.
As Governor, Christie Whitman earned praise from both Republicans and Democrats for her commitment to preserve a record amount of New Jersey land as permanent green space. She was also recognized by the Natural Resources Defense Council as having instituted the most comprehensive beach monitoring system in the nation. As EPA Administrator, she promoted common-sense environmental improvements such as watershed-based water protection policies. She championed regulations requiring non-road diesel engines to reduce sulfur emissions by more than 95 percent. During her tenure, the Agency was successful in passing and implementing landmark brownfields legislation to promote the redevelopment and reuse of “brownfields”, previously contaminated industrial sites.
She is the author of a New York Times best seller called “It’s My Party Too”, which was published in January of 2005 and released in paperback in March 2006.
Governor Whitman formerly served on the Boards of United Technologies Corporation, Texas Instruments Inc. and S.C. Johnson and Son, Inc. She is on the Advisory Boards of the Corporate Eco Forum and The Northeast Maglev (TNEM). Governor Whitman also serves a number of non-profit organizations including as Chairman of the American Security Project, Vice-Chairman of the Trustees of the Eisenhower Fellowships, and Trustee of the National World War II Museum. She is co-chair of the States United Democracy Center, the Forward Party, the Joint Ocean Commission Initiative Leadership Council, the Aspen Institute K12 Climate Action Task Force, and the National Institute for Civil Discourse. She is a member of the National Advisory Committee for the Presidential Climate Action Project, she is a founding member of the Climate Leadership Council, and she serves on the Meridian Institute Board. She is a member of the advisory boards of the Renew America Movement, the Rick Herema Foundation, and the ERA Coalition. She was co-chair of the Commission on the Rule of Law and Democracy at the Brennan Center at New York University. During the 2020 election cycle, she served as Chair of Republicans and Independents for Biden, and as one of the Advisory Board members for the Voter Protection Project.
In 2018, Governor Whitman was the recipient of the Panetta Institute’s Jefferson-Lincoln Award for her dedication to the key principles of the American democracy and the ideals of the nation. Governor Whitman was awarded The Eisenhower Medal for Leadership and Service in 2017.
Prior to becoming Governor, she was the President of the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities and served on the Somerset County board of Chosen Freeholders.
Governor Whitman holds a BA from Wheaton College in Norton, MA, and was married for 41 years to the late John R. Whitman. She has two children and seven grandchildren.
Dr. Kerry Murphy Healey’s career spans higher education, elected office, and foreign and domestic public policy. She currently co-chairs the Council for Responsible Social Media (CRSM) with former House Leader Dick Gephardt. CRSM is a non-partisan coalition focused on addressing on-line threats to youths, democracy and national security. From 2019-2022, Healey was the inaugural president of the Milken Center for Advancing the American Dream in Washington, DC, and continues with the Milken Center as a Senior Fellow.
In July 2019, she capped six years as the first woman president of Babson College, the 100-year-old business school consistently ranked as the country’s leading institution in entrepreneurship education. During her tenure at Babson, Healey championed women entrepreneurs, founded a global entrepreneurship conference, created greater affordability and access for domestic and international students, and oversaw a dramatic $200 million renewal of the Wellesley campus. In 2021, she was elected President Emerita of Babson College.
From 2003-2007, Healey served as the 70th Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts, where she led bipartisan efforts to improve services for the homeless and returning citizens, founded three Recovery High Schools, and increased protections for victims of child abuse, drunk driving accidents, and sexual and domestic violence. She was also integral in crafting the state’s pioneering health care reform legislation, led by Governor Mitt Romney.
Dr. Healey has been a fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government’s Institute of Politics and Center for Public Leadership, and currently is a member of the International Council of the Harvard Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs. She also serves as a non-executive director of Apollo Global Management and chairs their Sustainability and Corporate Responsibility Committee.
She holds an AB in government from Harvard College and a PhD in political science and law from Trinity College, Dublin. She is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, the Executive Committee of the Trilateral Commission and is a trustee of the American University of Afghanistan, the American University of Bahrain, Western Governor’s University and was a founder of the first co-educational business school in Saudi Arabia.
Lindsey Williams Drath is the Chief Executive Officer of the Forward Party, where she leads the effort to build America’s newest political party into a lasting force for democratic reform. As CEO, she serves as the national face of the movement and top executive in a growing organization; recruiting and leading professional staff, mobilizing supporters, engaging voters, and forging alliances with pro-democracy organizations to challenge the structural barriers that keep independents and problem-solvers out of public life. Lindsey works directly with grassroots leaders, donors, state organizers, and civic innovators to grow a party that puts community needs and practical governance ahead of partisan warfare.
Lindsey brings more than two decades of political, corporate, and entrepreneurial experience to this role, including senior leadership at Unite America, one of the country’s most influential democracy reform organizations. Since becoming CEO of the Forward Party, she has appeared on MSNBC, CNN, NewsNation, and FOX, and has been featured at the American Democracy Summit and the Independent National Convention – helping elevate the national conversation around political choice and functional governance.
Before leading Forward, Lindsey advised gubernatorial candidates, congressional leaders, and reform coalitions nationwide. In addition to her roles at the RNC and Romney for President, she co-founded a political strategy firm strengthening civic engagement investments, and guided leaders from Fortune 500 companies and national associations. She is widely respected as a coalition-builder seeking opportunities for alignment across the democracy movement demonstrating her commitment to creating a representative, responsive government for all Americans.
By training, Matt Shinners is a scientist, writer, and student of the law. He has done research into antiretroviral medication, and worked on patent applications for a variety of inventions, including bulletproof vests, intelligent prosthetics, and other medical devices. He has ghost-written for award-winning journalists, authors, and political commentators.
His early career was focused in the education and ed-tech space, where he helped several companies develop new markets and manage their products and services. This eventually led him to a position at Kaplan, helping to manage their pre-law division.
In 2017, Matt joined Andrew Yang’s presidential campaign, focusing on operations, policy, and communications. He oversaw the research and creation of the platform, all external and internal communications, and contributed to campaign strategy and debate prep.
After the presidential campaign ended, he and his wife welcomed their first child – Kieran – into the world. His time was spent as a part-time father and part-time consultant in a variety of areas – education, public policy, journalism, and research. He also helped Andrew’s mayoral campaign design its launch platform and website, and contributed to its initial communications strategy around policy.
Matt worked with Andrew to establish the original incarnation of the Forward Party in October of 2021. He served as its Executive Director, bringing on the initial team and defining strategic direction and daily operations. He’s looking forward to continuing to serve the new Forward Party in a similar capacity, alongside the many dedicated public servants who want to fight for the heart and soul of our nation.
Matt has a BS in Biochemistry from Boston College and a JD from Harvard Law School. A long-time supporter of third parties, he recently discovered his law school admissions letter with a note from the Dean – “Come here and get the training you need to start that third party.” He’s a fan of the Philadelphia Eagles, the Jersey Devils, and Team Liquid eSports. He’s an avid hiker, enjoys high-intensity interval training, and plays way too many board games. He lives in River Vale, NJ, with his wife, son, and two dogs.
Michael Hecht is President & CEO of Greater New Orleans, Inc., the economic development agency for southeast Louisiana. GNO, Inc.’s mission is to create a region with a thriving economy and an excellent quality of life, for everyone. Under Michael’s leadership, GNO, Inc. has been named the “Top Economic Development Organization in the United States” by the International Economic Development Council.
Prior to GNO, Inc., Michael led Louisiana’s Hurricane Katrina Small Business Recovery Program, and worked for Mayor Bloomberg running NYC’s post-9/11 small business program. Michael holds an MBA from Stanford University and undergraduate degree from Yale University. With family roots in Louisiana back to the 1830s, Michael lives in New Orleans with his wife and two sons.
John Kingston is a lawyer by training and Fortune 500 senior executive by experience, who has been inspired by his faith to invest his fortune in awakening America to values that made her a nation unrivaled in human history. Kingston gained national attention in the 2016 and 2018 political cycles with innovative and inclusive campaigns positioned against the extremes of American politics, and has been active in national arts, culture, and political movements for two decades.
John Kingston is a husband, father, connector, and social entrepreneur. He is a lawyer by training and businessman by experience, but he has also been active in national arts, culture, and political movements for two decades, including in recent years launching Better For America in 2016, Uniting America in 2017, and running as a candidate for United States Senate in 2018. John launched American Awakening, an ambitious venture including a book, concert series, podcast, docuseries, and immersive entertainment experience—all part of a campaign for the soul of America, in an effort to slay the giant of death and despair in this American moment.
Maryfrances Metrick is founder of Ivy Hill IRBD, a consulting firm focused on advising alternative investment firms entering the US market and on capital development strategy for emerging alternative managers.
Previously, Maryfrances was a Senior Managing Director at Blackstone and Centerbridge focused on Business Development and Investor Relations. Over her career, she has been involved in raising over $50bn of capital for alternative funds, and has relationships with institutions throughout the US and Europe.
Maryfrances is focusing much of her time on political efforts that focus on constructive approaches to politics. In 2018, she worked on the SAM campaign for the NY Gubernatorial race and an independent race for CT Governor. Both races were a fusion ticket of a Republican and Democrat.
Maryfrances started her career as Associate General Counsel at Fosterlane Management, a subsidiary of the Kuwait Investment Office. Maryfrances graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with honors, Villanova Law School and was a 2017 fellow at the Harvard Advanced Leadership Initiative. Maryfrances is a member of the Villanova Law School Board of Consultors, The East West Institute Board of Consultors and a SAM Board Member.
“Culture eats strategy for breakfast, lunch & dinner. And will add hot sauce errytime.”
Brandon Rochon is a 3rd culture kid whose life experience informs everything he does. He has spent his career proving that advertising means nothing if it can’t make a lasting impact on culture. Early in his career in Manhattan, he worked on major brands including Hennessy, Lugz Shoes, Sapporo Beer. He soon took his talents across the Atlantic to TBWA/Paris and created award winning campaigns for Absolut Vodka, McDonalds, PlayStation, Heineken, and Nissan. Soon he shifted to Ogilvy Paris to be the Global Lead of Coke Zero when it launched to the world while simultaneously heading accounts for Louis Vuitton, Perrier, and Ford. After moving back stateside, Brandon joined Samsung as the SVP, Global Creative Director of their Electronics division to help with their comeback.
Brandon has won most every award in the advertising industry and has been called “one of the world’s youngest and freshest CCO’s”. He comes to Forward with the intent to bring his unique style and branding experience to help do the important work that needs doing.
A highly respected political innovator and advocate for the rights of independent voters—now 40% of the American electorate—Jacqueline Salit has built the largest network of independent leaders and activists in the country. She is the President of IndependentVoting.org, the country’s leading strategy and organizing center for independents, with chapters in 40 states. Since 2005 she has hosted a bi-annual national conference for independents. Salit managed Michael Bloomberg’s three campaigns for New York City Mayor on the Independence Party (IP) line, playing a crucial role in delivering the IP’s “margin of victory” vote in 2001, the exodus of 47% of African-American voters from the Democratic Party to support Bloomberg in 2005, and the historic 150,000 votes for Bloomberg’s re-election on the IP line in 2009.
In 2011, Palgrave Macmillan selected Salit to write a book on the contemporary independent political movement in America. Independents Rising: Outsider Movements, Third Parties and the Struggle for a Post-Partisan America was released on August 7, 2012 and presents her firsthand account of this growing and influential voting block. Salit, who has spent 30 years as an insider in this growing movement of outsiders, also reveals how independents underestimate their own power and how they can make the most of their newfound influence in American politics.
Salit’s political commentaries have appeared in: USA Today, Christian Science Monitor, The Huffington Post, New York Daily News, San Francisco Chronicle, Washington Times, Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Legal Times, Buffalo News, Union Leader, Albany Times Union, and New York Newsday. She’s been a featured commentator on CNN, MSNBC, CNBC, CBC, PBS, FOX and CSPAN.
Salit is a regular contributor to the nationally syndicated radio program Fairness Radio and produced Talk/Talk with the late public philosopher Fred Newman. She is a native New Yorker who resides in Greenwich Village.
For the past 23 years Richard Sokolow created and managed global research departments for two leading multi-strategy, private investment funds — Elliott Management and Davidson Kempner Capital Management.
Richard Sokolow currently serves as a Senior Advisor to a multi-billion dollar Federally Funded Research and Development Center working on a diverse range of issues from securing digital currency and assets to finding effective reforms of the predominantly government funded US health care system. Richard leads a number of portfolio projects for a private investment fund including the development of a green data center that is being planned for on the site of a decommissioned coal generation facility.
Richard began his professional career working as a Washington, DC-based investigative reporter on projects for the New York Times Book Company, Sixty Minutes and syndicated columnist Jack Anderson. Richard had founded and ran a corporate investigative firm, InterSource, which specialized in complex multi-national investigations involving fraud, business intelligence and litigation. Working with the New York City Police Foundation, InterSource organized in 1999 a groundbreaking conference on Securing the Cyber-Market Place that brought together practitioners from law enforcement and the private sector. Earlier in his career Richard had also worked as one of Ralph Nader’s, “Nader’s Raiders” working on environmental issues and as a community organizer. He had also worked for three years as a New York City Public High School teacher and had lived and worked in Guatemala where he led a community development project for a village in the country’s Petan region.
Richard was a co-founder and Board Chair for the All Stars Project, a privately supported, performance based development non-profit for inner city youth. He has also been involved in various third party and political reform efforts both in New York and nationally dating back to the early 1980s. He currently serves on the Board of Open Primaries.
Richard lives in New York City with his wife and two children.
Keith Tom worked in tech for 15+ years, mostly at early stage startups using software to build web applications in consumer and finance spaces. He was an early enthusiast to Web 3.0 technologies and the potential for building decentralized organizations to provide more autonomy to the everyday person. Previously politically disengaged, Keith is interested in helping apply technology to improve our society. He lives in San Francisco with his Wife and son.