Speechwriters of Color is a project of Players Philanthropy Fund a Maryland charitable trust recognized by IRS as a tax-exempt public charity under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code (Federal Tax ID: 27-6601178, ppf.org/pp). Contributions to Speechwriters of Color qualify as tax-deductible to the fullest extent of the law.
THE TEAM
Mintaro Oba
He / Him
Mintaro Oba is co-founder of Speechwriters of Color and Chief Speechwriter to the Secretary of Education, Dr. Miguel Cardona. He formerly served as Speechwriter to the head of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Kristalina Georgieva (described by POLITICO as “The Most Powerful Woman in Washington Not Named Nancy”). He is also a former State Department official and expert on foreign policy in the Asia-Pacific region who has shaped foreign policy messaging at the highest levels and written speeches and op-eds for leading politicians, Fortune 50 CEOs, non-profit leaders, and more on topics from artificial intelligence to climate change. Under his own name, he has been quoted or interviewed in The New York Times, The Washington Post, BBC, CNN, and more. In 2019, he was named one of forty Asian-American rising stars in national security and foreign policy and has received multiple honors for his work on U.S. diplomacy at the State Department.
Michael Franklin
He / Him
Michael is the co-founder and Executive Director of Speechwriters of Color. He serves as the Founder and Chief Thought Leadership Officer of Words Normalize Behavior LLC. A graduate of Howard University, Michael’s expertise centers around bringing people together and helping others tell their stories through coalition building, targeted outreach, and inclusive communications practices. Michael has previously worked with Black Futures Lab, The Collective PAC, Fenway Strategies, and the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City. His words have been quoted in various media outlets including Axios, BBC News, Washington Post, LA Times, and more.
Ashley Mitchell
She / Her
Ashley is a speechwriter and counsel in the U.S. House of Representatives. Ashley has written on a range of hot-button issues, including voting rights, economic policy, criminal justice reform, judicial appointments, and for occasions from keynote remarks and commencement speeches to video scripts and viral social media copy. Her words have appeared in The New York Times, HuffPost, Foreign Affairs Magazine, The Hill, and CNN.com. She is a graduate of the University of Florida and the University of Michigan Law School.
Shaan Heng-Devan
He / Him
As speechwriter to Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg, Shaan shapes messaging around climate change, equity, safety, and more for one of the most prominent members of President Biden’s cabinet. Previously, Shaan was a director at West Wing Writers, where he penned speeches for heads of global foundations, coached speakers from across four continents, and crafted remarks for leaders at every level, from grassroots activists to crowned royalty. A former high school English teacher and spoken word poet, Shaan loves writing in all its forms, and believes in its power to engage, inspire, and effect change.
Mallika Machra
She / Her
Mallika is a fellow at Fenway Strategies. Before joining the firm, she worked on a number of progressive southern campaigns, most recently on Senator Ossoff’s successful senate race in Georgia. She also wrote for former public defender Angel Harris and helped her unseat the incumbent in a criminal court race down in New Orleans.
Mintaro Oba
He / Him
Mintaro Oba is co-founder of Speechwriters of Color and Speechwriter to the head of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Kristalina Georgieva (described by POLITICO as “The Most Powerful Woman in Washington Not Named Nancy”). He is also a former State Department official and expert on foreign policy in the Asia-Pacific region who has shaped foreign policy messaging at the highest levels and written speeches and op-eds for leading politicians, Fortune 50 CEOs, non-profit leaders, and more on topics from artificial intelligence to climate change. Under his own name, he has been quoted or interviewed in The New York Times, The Washington Post, BBC, CNN, and more. In 2019, he was named one of forty Asian-American rising stars in national security and foreign policy and has received multiple honors for his work on U.S. diplomacy at the State Department.
Michael Franklin
He / Him
Michael is the co-founder of Speechwriters of Color, owner of Words Normalize Behavior LLC, and a Communications Associate at Black Futures Lab. A graduate of Howard University, Michael’s expertise centers around bringing people together and helping others tell their stories through coalition building, targeted outreach, and inclusive communications practices. Michael has previously worked with The Collective PAC, Fenway Strategies, and the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City. His words have been quoted in various media outlets including BBC News, Washington Post, LA Times, and more.
Ashley Mitchell
She / Her
Ashley is a speechwriter and counsel in the U.S. House of Representatives. Ashley has written on a range of hot-button issues, including voting rights, economic policy, criminal justice reform, judicial appointments, and for occasions from keynote remarks and commencement speeches to video scripts and viral social media copy. Her words have appeared in The New York Times, HuffPost, Foreign Affairs Magazine, The Hill, and CNN.com. She is a graduate of the University of Florida and the University of Michigan Law School.
Shaan Heng-Devan
He / Him
As speechwriter to Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg, Shaan shapes messaging around climate change, equity, safety, and more for one of the most prominent members of President Biden’s cabinet. Previously, Shaan was a director at West Wing Writers, where he penned speeches for heads of global foundations, coached speakers from across four continents, and crafted remarks for leaders at every level, from grassroots activists to crowned royalty. A former high school English teacher and spoken word poet, Shaan loves writing in all its forms, and believes in its power to engage, inspire, and effect change.
Mallika Machra
She / Her
Mallika is a fellow at Fenway Strategies. Before joining the firm, she worked on a number of progressive southern campaigns, most recently on Senator Ossoff’s successful senate race in Georgia. She also wrote for former public defender Angel Harris and helped her unseat the incumbent in a criminal court race down in New Orleans.
AND HELP US REWRITE THE WORLD OF SPEECHWRITING.