Sara Guillermo (#VoteHerIn, Episode 74)

Two Broads Talking Politics

On #VoteHerIn, a collaboration of Two Broads Talking Politics & Rebecca Sive:
Sara Guillermo is the CEO of IGNITE, the largest and most diverse young women's political leadership program in the country. Prior to assuming the CEO position in June 2021, Sara was Ignite’s Executive Director. As Sara noted in June regarding her plans for IGNITE:
“After an incomparable [2020] political season, I am even more committed to bringing IGNITE training to all 50 states through virtual and in-person programming that mobilizes a new generation to prioritize civic engagement and political activism. I’m also passionate about increasing the representation of young women of color, especially in local office, as well as on boards and commissions, across the country, and we will work to dramatically accelerate young women’s paths to the ballot.”
With 2022 midterms on the horizon, IGNITE is seizing the momentum of 2020 to dramatically expand its training and mobilization efforts so that today’s generation of young women are active participants in American democracy as candidates, advocates, campaign team members, voters, and community organizers. Guillermo is committed to launching 100 new candidates in the next two years through acceleration of IGNITE’s Run Now cohort training
As a founding member of the IGNITE team, Sara was instrumental in growing the organization from a small high school-based program in the California Bay Area. Via the program model that Sara co-developed with IGNITE’s Founder, Anne Moses, (previously a #VoteHerIn guest), IGNITE has trained upwards of 10,000 young women across 30 states. Sara's previous leadership positions at Seeking Common Ground, Aspire Public Schools, and buildOn inform her passion and expertise in community service, youth leadership development, program management and capacity building. As a breast cancer survivor, Sara is deeply committed to reforming local health care policies and systems to better meet the needs of diverse communities. She currently serves on the Concord/Pleasant Hill Healthcare Community Board where she serves as a voice to advance community healthcare priorities. Sara was recently recognized as a Roddenberry Fellow for her vision and leadership. Sara holds an MSW from the University of Denver and a B.A. in Psychology from UC Santa Cruz.*