We’re tackling toxic political and social divisions through facilitated collaboration.

Civic Synergy was founded after the events at the US Capitol on January 6, 2021 by three MIT undergrads looking to bridge the political divide in service of solving the pressing challenges of our time. This is a critical moment for our nation to heal - for Americans to rediscover each other as neighbors, to find our common principles, and to share a common truth. For that, we need to engage with one another as fellow citizens, hearing each other’s backgrounds and stories and turning outward towards the social and economic problems we are facing as a country. We hope to find innovative solutions that push beyond compromise.

Our programs foster collaborative skill-building and productive cross-partisan collaboration, resulting in the crafting of bipartisan policy solutions sent to members of Congress and other public officials.

Our vision:

A democratic republic in which we problem solve collaboratively regardless of political, social, cultural, and ideological divisions; discuss, build, and assess ideas on their merit; create progress with everyone in mind; and focus on progress and outcomes rather than political gains.

Our mission:

Enable our nation to address pressing challenges by empowering young adults to communicate and collaborate effectively across divisions; feel comfortable deliberating with those who have different views; and connect and facilitate action beyond dialogue.

Our values:

COMMITMENT TO LISTENING

All voices should be heard and acknowledged. Ideas matter, not who said them.

CIVIC ENGAGEMENT

Greater civic engagement brings us forward, together.

RESPECT

We can and must maintain mutual respect, even when we disagree.

HUMILITY

Discussions should be approached with humility over conceit.

THE PROBLEM: A COUNTRY DIVIDED

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Meet the Team

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  • CO-FOUNDER & EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

    Laura Chen helped found Civic Synergy in 2021. She is a recent graduate from the Coro Fellowship in Public Affairs and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), where she studied chemical engineering. With experience ranging from the scale of molecules to the scale of communities through engineering and urban planning research, tutoring and teaching assistance in experiential learning environments, and project work across nonprofits, start-ups, local governments, and most recently philanthropy, she is deeply interested in improving the ways that our existing systems and structures work together to influence our daily lives, and what we can do better. Laura has been inspired by the hope and passion she has seen amongst her peers through Civic Synergy and is a strong believer in collaborative problem-solving towards better, more equitable outcomes for all. Outside of work, she loves being active and outdoors, discovering new music, and spending time with loved ones.

  • PROGRAMS DIRECTOR & UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI PROGRAM COORDINATOR

    Emily Danzinger is a current junior at the University of Miami triple-majoring in Political Science, International Studies, and Communication Studies. Following her participation in the Spring 2022 ‘Data Privacy and Security’ cohort, she shifted her academic focus to understanding and overcoming the multi-faceted beast that is political partisanship in America, and time and time again is moved by each passing cohort as they are able to overcome their partisan differences and prove that bipartisan change is possible. In Spring 2023, she worked to establish a partnership with the University of Miami’s newly-endowed George P. Hanley Democracy Center and officially piloted the first in-person Civic Synergy program. Outside of Civic Synergy, Emily enjoys watching 90s sitcoms and spending time with her friends.

  • MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR

    Richard Estrella is a proud first-gen, LGBTIQIA+ member, mental health advocate, and iskolar ng bayan. He finished his Master of Public Administration in Economic Policy Management at Columbia University in the City of New York where he also served as the Class of 2023 President. In New York, he became part of the NYSERDA's Clean Energy Internship Program for the Empire Clean Cities organization. He finished his undergraduate at the College of Business Administration, University of the Philippines Diliman. Most of his 12-year professional career was spent on marketing and general management, serving roles such as CEO, global and regional brand director across multinational companies.

  • PARTNERSHIPS & ALUMNI ENGAGEMENT COORDINATOR

    Mady Jenkins is a junior Political Science and Pre Law major at the University of Arkansas. She was a program participant in the Fall 2022 “Strengthening Our Republic” cohort with Civic Synergy. She has been on the leadership team since January 2023 working on the partnerships and programs team, and recently, she transitioned to piloting the alumni engagement team. She has ambitions to work in public office or with the State Department and she is dedicated to the depolarization of American politics, specifically, amongst our future leaders.

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  • SOCIAL MEDIA COORDINATOR

  • DIGITAL MEDIA COORDINATOR

    Cole is an alumnus of the Spring 2022 US & The World Cohort of Civic Synergy which served as his introduction to the organization. He joined the marketing team a year later in the spring of 2023, following his graduation from Marietta College where he studied journalism, political science, and leadership. Currently, Cole is working towards his masters degree in Public Affairs Reporting at the University of Illinois Springfield.

  • ALUMNI ENGAGEMENT + OUTREACH COORDINATOR

    Katie Hart is a senior at Carnegie Mellon studying Environmental Engineering and Engineering & Public Policy. She participated in Civic Synergy’s first cohort in the summer of 2021, which was focused on environmental policy. Since then, she has been involved in leadership on the Outreach team, as Head of Operations, and currently works on alumni engagement and outreach projects. She is very interested in clean energy development and policy, and has focused on this subject in research and internships. Outside of work and school, she loves to read, walk her family’s dogs, and spend time with friends and family.

  • COMMUNICATIONS COORDINATOR

Meet the Fall 2023 Interns and Fellows

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    Kayla Guest

    Fall 2023 Intern

    Kayla is a senior at Brigham Young University in Idaho studying Public Policy and Administration. As a pre-law student, she has become interested in the development laws and policies that shape and improve our democracy. Kayla is an alumni of the Civic Synergy Summer 2023 Program of Strengthening our Republic! She loves film photography, rock climbing, and camping!

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    Vivien Johnson

    Fall 2023 Intern

    Vivien Johnson is a high school senior at Friends Select School, member of Philadelphia’s Permanent Harriet Tubman Committee, and co-leader of Friend Select’s Black Student Union. She is the founder of the Thurgood Marshall Elementary school annual book drive.

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    Malay Oza

    Fall 2023 Intern

    Malay Oza is a junior at UNC-Chapel Hill pursuing Political Science, Economics, & Data Science. He enjoys driving and recreational sports in my free time. His current favorite sport is tennis!

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    Nicole Gonzalez

    Fall 2023 Fellow

    Nicole is a proud ambassador and enthusiastic alumni of Civic Synergy’s program. Currently studying in the DC area, her academic focus is on international relations and economics. She’s incredibly passionate about fostering collaboration, understanding diverse perspectives, and making a positive impact on society. She’s committed to bridging political divides and shaping a better future for all.

With gratitude to our Leadership Team Alumni

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Mallika Pajjuri, Co-Founder

Raleigh Adams

Madisen Carns

Diana Degnan

Marc Giudice

Jade Hawkesworth

Brittani Mays

Riley Poole

Paul Rhoades

Samantha Sambolin

Natalia Storz

Max Williamson

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