Tasha Cole

The Powerful IDEA Transforming Party Award honors a visionary leader who has significantly advanced the Democratic Party, making it more effective, inclusive, and equitable. This leader embodies strategic brilliance, driving foundational changes that empower the Party to win elections, enact progressive policies, and robustly support its Members and supporters. The recipient is dedicated to the Democratic Party’s crucial role in fostering progressive change, tirelessly working to enhance its accessibility to activists and ensure the success of its initiatives. 

This year, we award this to Tasha Cole, Deputy Executive Director and Chief Diversity Officer, DCCC.

Tasha is a transformational leader committed to transforming the status quo by changing approaches and solving intractable problems. In her time at the DCCC, Tasha has been:

• Responsible for managing and executing the organization’s commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion in several areas including operations, vendor recruitment, staffing, Congressional outreach and engagement and voter mobilization.
• Lead integration of equity, diversity, inclusion and belonging values into DCCC strategies and work including exterior-facing projects and partnerships and internal work plans and workplace culture.
• Transformed the organization’s approach to diversity including spending more than $30 million with minority owned and led firms during the 2020 and 2022 cycle – up from $700,000 in 2014.
• As a member of Punchbowl News 2022 Punch Up Racial Equity Cohort, she was a Group Leader for their Findings Symposium. The Findings assembled a group of diverse leaders across the public and profit sectors for a convening focused on equity, inclusivity, and sustainability.

Tasha has maintained a focus rooted in systemic, structural, and sustainable change as evidenced by policy and operational realignment geared toward the practice of equity. This determination did not start at the DCCC; here are just a couple examples of this commitment from her past:

• As a member of the 2022 Punch Up Racial Equity Cohort, she was a Group Leader for their Findings Symposium. The Findings assembled a group of diverse leaders across the public and profit sectors for a convening focused on equity, inclusivity, and sustainability.
• Served as an Elect Her Facilitator and has led college-based leadership programs for more than 300 young women across the country to encourage young women to run for student government and public office. 
• Served as a Running Start Elect Her Facilitator and led trainings for more than 300 young women across the country on the importance of running for student government and public office to inspire political confidence and lead to a more representative future.
• An Emmy Award-winning documentary producer, she produced documentaries that shed light on issues disproportionately impacting diverse communities, including adoption, domestic violence, and college athletics.

We are honored to present this award to Tasha Cole for her tireless dedication to making the Democratic Party more inclusive and opening doors to more people.