{"type":"rich","version":"1.0","provider_name":"Transistor","provider_url":"https://transistor.fm","author_name":"How I Got Here with Dreena Whitfield","title":"From Organizing at 12 to Leading a National Movement | Mary Pat Hector | How I Got Here","html":"","width":"100%","height":180,"duration":2968,"description":"Mary Pat Hector started organizing at 12, advised President Obama at 18, and ran for office at 19 — losing by just 22 votes. That loss reshaped her entire path. Today she's CEO of Rise, a national organization fighting for free college and student basic needs across 10+ states, and the founder of Equity for All, a platform helping young people of color in the South gain political power.Key Takeaways:She advised President Obama on criminal justice reform at 18 and has since helped mobilize over 4 million voters through Rise.When a Black woman takes over from a white male founder, the funding dynamics shift overnight.The most impactful skill a young leader can learn is fundraising — without it, you'll always work for someone else.Progressive organizations are facing a post-2024 crisis as foundations pull back out of fear of political retaliation.In this conversation with Dreena Whitfield, Mary Pat opens up about the real cost of being the youngest, the first, and the only in the room. She shares what happened when she stepped into the CEO role after a white male founder — and how fundraising, dynamics, and expectations shifted overnight. She talks about building sisterhood as a leadership survival tool, balancing being a new mom and CEO, and what she's hearing from young people who are losing faith in democracy.This episode covers: growing up in a service-driven household in Atlanta, what it was like in the Oval Office at 18, the emotional toll of running for office as a teenager, founding Equity for All after her election loss, leading a hunger strike at Spelman, her path to leading Rise, navigating progressive fundraising after 2024, the personal sacrifices young leaders make, and the legacy she hopes to leave behind.If you're a young person figuring out how to lead, an organizer navigating burnout, or someone who wants to understand what it actually takes to build civic power — this episode is for you.About Mary Pat Hector: CEO of Rise, Founder of Equity for...","thumbnail_url":"https://img.transistorcdn.com/BdBbhpyNt_QCzr05Um48v_vIOKUIOTF2dTew_MTRoO4/rs:fill:0:0:1/w:400/h:400/q:60/mb:500000/aHR0cHM6Ly9pbWct/dXBsb2FkLXByb2R1/Y3Rpb24udHJhbnNp/c3Rvci5mbS80NGI3/MzFlMzYxNGE2NDZi/M2ZhNDM3ZWM3YzVh/NjYyMS5qcGc.webp","thumbnail_width":300,"thumbnail_height":300}