April 18, 2019
The Voqal Fellowship is an investment in a new generation of social entrepreneurs interested in launching the next “big idea” aimed at increasing equity for those who are least well off politically, economically and/or socially. In this month’s 2019 Voqal Fellowship spotlight, we take a look at Maria Yuan and her project IssueVoter Texts and Video.
Yuan’s project, IssueVoter Texts and Video, seeks to provide users with custom SMS alerts before Congress votes on issues affecting them and to distill complex bills into concise, engaging videos aimed at reaching underrepresented and young voters.
Yuan’s political experience includes introducing and passing a bill as a constituent, working in a state representative’s office and managing and winning one of the most targeted races in Iowa – an open seat in a swing district.
Her private sector experience includes recruiting, social enterprise, investment banking, strategy and corporate development. Yuan has consulted the San Francisco Conservation Corps, PlaNet Finance, Big Brothers Big Sisters and Urban Outfitters. She has served on the boards of Gibney Dance and The University of Texas Co-op and was a founding member of Friends of the Children NY’s Young Professionals Board.
Yuan has written for publications including The Hill and Huffington Post and has spoken as a keynote speaker and panelist at conferences, schools and companies including SXSW, TEDx, The Social Innovation Summit, ZenDesk, UBS, Ohio State and NYU. Maria received a Master of Business Administration degree from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from the University of Texas at Austin.
You can learn more about the Voqal Fellowship and this year’s cohort of Fellows here.