Fireside Chat with Stacey Abrams
Former Georgia House Democratic Leader Stacey Abrams made history in 2018 when she earned the Democratic nomination for Governor of Georgia. Her campaign turned more voters than any Democrat in Georgia history, including former President Barack Obama, and invested in critical infrastructure to build progress in Georgia. After witnessing the gross mismanagement of the election by the Secretary of State’s office, Abrams launched Fair Fight to ensure every Georgian has a voice in our election system.
Abrams received degrees from Spelman College, the LBJ School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas, and Yale Law School. Dedicated to civic engagement, she founded the New Georgia Project, which submitted more than 200,000 registrations from voters of color between 2014 and 2016. Under the pen name Selena Montgomery, Stacey is the award-winning author of eight romantic suspense novels, which have sold more than 100,000 copies. As co-founder of NOW Account – a financial services firm that helps small businesses grow – Stacey has helped create and retain jobs in Georgia. And through her various business ventures, Stacey has helped employ even more Georgians, including hundreds of young people starting out. And as House Minority Leader, she has worked strategically to recruit, train, elect, and defend Democrats to prevent a Republican supermajority in the House, and has worked across the aisle on behalf of all Georgians. During her tenure, she has stopped legislation to raise taxes on the poor and middle class and to roll back reproductive healthcare. She has brokered compromises that led to progress on transportation, infrastructure, and education. In the legislature, she passed legislation to improve the welfare of grandparents and other kin raising children and secured increased funding to support these families.
Stacey and her five siblings grew up in Gulfport, Mississippi with three tenets: go to school, go to church, and take care of each other. Despite struggling to make ends meet for their family, her parents made service a way of life for their children – if someone was less fortunate, it was their job to serve that person. This ethic led the family to Georgia. Stacey’s parents attended Emory University to pursue graduate studies in Divinity and become United Methodist ministers. Stacey and her younger siblings attended DeKalb County Schools, and she graduated from Avondale High School.
Lisa Borders is the President and CEO of TIME’S UP, leading the organization’s work to create safe, fair and dignified workplaces for women of all kinds.
Borders has nearly 30 years of experience in operations, marketing, government relations and public service. Most recently, she served as President of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) where she was responsible for developing the vision and overseeing the league’s day-to-day operations.
Borders has worked and delivered results in all three sectors: public, private and non-profit. Prior to the WNBA, Borders was Vice President of Global Community Affairs at The Coca-Cola Company and Chair of The Coca-Cola Foundation. Borders also served as Vice Mayor of Atlanta and President of the Atlanta City Council during Mayor Shirley Franklin’s administration.
Borders is a trustee of Duke University and is an advisory board member of Operation Hope. She serves on the Advisory Board for the Association of National Advertisers’ #SeeHer initiative, ensuring the positive portrayal of women and girls in media. Borders also and chairs the Borders Commission for the United States Olympic Committee (USOC).
Borders holds a bachelor’s degree from Duke University and a master’s of science in health administration from the University of Colorado. She has a son, Dijon Bowden, who is a photojournalist and film producer in California.