Millennial Action Project Announces New President & CEO, Layla Zaidane, and Renews Commitment to Young, Post-Partisan Leadership
April 7, 2021
The Millennial Action Project officially named Layla Zaidane as the organization’s next President & CEO. Zaidane previously served as MAP’s Executive Director and COO, and will lead MAP in activating its network of more than 1,600 bipartisan young lawmakers to develop relationships along generational lines, create coalitions to tackle urgent policy issues, and deepen their skills to build a more empathetic and collaborative political future.
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Stacy Lewis
WASHINGTON — TODAY, the Millennial Action Project (MAP) officially named Layla Zaidane as the organization’s next President & CEO. Zaidane previously served as MAP’s Executive Director and COO, and will lead MAP in activating its network of more than 1,600 bipartisan young lawmakers to develop relationships along generational lines, create coalitions to tackle urgent policy issues, and deepen their skills to build a more empathetic and collaborative political future.
As Executive Director and COO, Zaidane oversaw a massive expansion of MAP’s footprint and impact. Since joining MAP in 2016, Zaidane has led the organization through many of its biggest milestones: 31 states and 1,600 young legislators in the State Future Caucus Network; an active Congressional Future Caucus through three Presidents and four Congresses; scaling MAP to a multimillion dollar organization; and expanding the size of Team MAP sixfold — all in just over four years.
“Since day one, I have been truly inspired by MAP’s vision of a more inclusive democracy, led by young people,” said Zaidane. “There’s simply no way we can find responsible climate policy, build an equitable criminal justice system, protect our democracy, and define the future of work without building coalitions and developing future-oriented solutions together. It’s hard to imagine a more important time for our country to move beyond the partisan framework that’s defined our politics for far too long, and I am honored to be leading MAP and our network of young legislators in this movement.”
Having previously served as managing director for Generation Progress, Zaidane’s appointment as President & CEO is a powerful next step in a career dedicated to improving public service, building generational coalitions, and redefining leadership—the unifying causes that will guide MAP’s mission in 2021 and beyond.
“For over four years, Layla has been by my side for every major decision at MAP. She brought energy, conviction, and dedication to her role first as COO and then as Executive Director & COO — there is no better person suited to lead MAP into this next chapter,” said Steven Olikara, Founder and former CEO of MAP. “As I step down from serving as CEO at the organization I helped found over eight years ago, I’m proud to pass the baton to such a capable leader. It’s honestly a dream come true.”
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