Meet Sara Gifford, COO & co- founder of ActiVote
How did a tech entrepreneur shift from making private companies run more efficiently to making civic participation more accessible? ActiVote co-founder and Chief Operations Officer, Sara Gifford shares her story.
Gifford, a New England native, explained that the idea for ActiVote – an app that helps take the guesswork out of elections – was developed by one of her co-founders.
One of ActiVote’s co-founders, who is now an American citizen, grew up in the Netherlands, where Gifford says, “His dad used to wake him up at three o’clock to watch the US presidential debates. He explained, ‘This is really important; the Americans liberated the Europe from the Nazis. This matters and my kids are going to be aware of this.”
Along with these formative moments, Gifford explained that one of the former US ambassadors to the Netherlands said something that resonated with the team. “He’d spent a third of his life taking advantage of the US public education system, the next third of his life taking advantage of the US economy – by working and making a living. He wanted to spend the next third of this life in public service.”
One of ActiVote’s co-founders, who is now an American citizen, grew up in the Netherlands, where Gifford says, “His dad used to wake him up at three o’clock to watch the US presidential debates. He explained, ‘This is really important; the Americans liberated the Europe from the Nazis. This matters and my kids are going to be aware of this.”
Along with these formative moments, Gifford explained that one of the former US ambassadors to the Netherlands said something that resonated with the team. “He’d spent a third of his life taking advantage of the US public education system, the next third of his life taking advantage of the US economy – by working and making a living. He wanted to spend the next third of this life in public service.”
It was this idea of giving back through public service that inspired Gifford and her two co-founders to create ActiVote. “We said, ‘OK, we have tech skills. We can use those skills to build something that tries to empower and engage, to inform and depolarize.’ That’s the shift from corporate tech to civic tech.”
ActiVote is nonpartisan and encourages users to build civic habits by learning and exploring topics important to them as individuals. The ActiVote team knows that voting can be daunting – whether it’s your first time, or your fiftieth. Says Gifford, “[When] you look at a ballot, depending on the type of election, there could be 40 or 50 decisions on there. You’re asked to have an opinion and that could be intimidating. Don’t be embarrassed, even for experienced voters we feel that way.” She shares that often the biggest thing that helps with gaining confidence at the polls (besides the ActiVote app) is from having conversations with the people around you.
“Ask your family and friends things like, ‘Hey, who are you voting for and why?’ One of the best pieces of advice someone gave me was: ‘Just ask everyone’s opinion; ask everybody’s advice.’ Then, take the best and leave the rest.”
Outside of election seasons, ActiVote is working to provide its users information about legislation and what their elected representatives are doing.
Gifford recalled a time when getting out and talking to people reminded her that voters need to not only feel empowered and heard at the polls, but also long after elections are over.
“At one point, I was knocking on doors… and this woman answered. I was talking about a candidate and she said, ‘You guys don’t care about me. You were here four years ago, and now you’re here again. I haven’t heard from you in the middle – I have no idea what you’ve done.’ I left thinking ‘Oh my gosh, shame on us. We talk about voters being apathetic but this is why.
ActiVote is nonpartisan and encourages users to build civic habits by learning and exploring topics important to them as individuals. The ActiVote team knows that voting can be daunting – whether it’s your first time, or your fiftieth. Says Gifford, “[When] you look at a ballot, depending on the type of election, there could be 40 or 50 decisions on there. You’re asked to have an opinion and that could be intimidating. Don’t be embarrassed, even for experienced voters we feel that way.” She shares that often the biggest thing that helps with gaining confidence at the polls (besides the ActiVote app) is from having conversations with the people around you.
“Ask your family and friends things like, ‘Hey, who are you voting for and why?’ One of the best pieces of advice someone gave me was: ‘Just ask everyone’s opinion; ask everybody’s advice.’ Then, take the best and leave the rest.”
Outside of election seasons, ActiVote is working to provide its users information about legislation and what their elected representatives are doing.
Gifford recalled a time when getting out and talking to people reminded her that voters need to not only feel empowered and heard at the polls, but also long after elections are over.
“At one point, I was knocking on doors… and this woman answered. I was talking about a candidate and she said, ‘You guys don’t care about me. You were here four years ago, and now you’re here again. I haven’t heard from you in the middle – I have no idea what you’ve done.’ I left thinking ‘Oh my gosh, shame on us. We talk about voters being apathetic but this is why.
Gifford and the ActiVote team want you to know they’re here for voters every day. “It’s part of our tech mission.
”We’re going to be there today, the day of the election, and the days after the election. We’re going to talk about policy. We’re going to talk about legislation. These people who you just elected – are they doing things right? Do you like what they’re doing?”
Find out more about what’s going on in your area with ActiVote.
”We’re going to be there today, the day of the election, and the days after the election. We’re going to talk about policy. We’re going to talk about legislation. These people who you just elected – are they doing things right? Do you like what they’re doing?”
Find out more about what’s going on in your area with ActiVote.
