The Story of Us
We've managed presidential campaigns, helped national nonprofits, and navigated tough political challenges. Learn how we got our start:
Nicole Derse and Addisu Demissie met during President Obama’s historic 2008 campaign while holding key positions in the battleground states of Wisconsin and Ohio and national leadership roles at Organizing for America. Having worked on grassroots campaigns for more than a decade, they founded 50+1 Strategies in 2012 with the hope of bringing more diversity, better community representation, and an organizer’s mindset to politics.
Since then, 50+1 has grown into one of the most prominent advocacy firms in the country, expanding from California-based field organizing to include full-service political consulting, communications, creative, and marketing operations across the U.S.
We have partnered with clients like the ACLU, Everytown for Gun Safety, the DCCC, Supreme Court Justice Rebecca Dallet in Wisconsin, and Planned Parenthood, and helped elect Governor Gavin Newsom in California, Senator Cory Booker in New Jersey, and President Joe Biden.
We’ve built programs for industry leaders like Airbnb and the Golden State Warriors, and served as strategic advisors for major domestic and international nonprofits. Co-owned and co-led by a woman and a Black man, our company is 60% women and majority people of color.
True to our roots after more than a decade of client work, we know that diverse perspectives make us a more effective team and help us better serve our clients and communities.
