Selected out of more than 20,000 applicants from 191 countries, the Center for Technology and Civic Life’s executive director, Tiana Epps-Johnson, is joining a diverse set of civic innovators from around the world in the inaugural Obama Foundation Fellows Class.

This first class of Fellows brings together 20 individuals representing 11 countries across the globe, who are confronting many of the world’s most pressing problems through civic innovation. Fellows are organizers, inventors, artists, entrepreneurs, educators, and more. They bring together a variety of disciplines and apply their knowledge to a range of missions.

“I am so excited for this opportunity to learn with and from other people who are tackling big civic challenges”, says Tiana. “And I’m beyond grateful for this investment in my leadership. I look forward to growing the ways I’m able to support the work we’re doing at CTCL to modernize the U.S. voting system so that it works for all of us.”

The two-year, non-residential Fellowship will give Tiana and other selected Fellows hands-on training and exposure to help them amplify the impact of their work while inspiring other civic innovators.

Fellows will participate in four multi-day gatherings to collaborate with one another, connect with potential partners, and break down silos to advance their work. The first Fellows gathering will be in Chicago in May.

Each Fellow will also develop and pursue with the Foundation a personalized plan to leverage the fellowship and Obama Foundation resources to take their work to the next level. As Fellows put their plans into action, the Obama Foundation will assist with access to mentors, coaches, and additional resources.

“The 2018 Obama Foundation Fellows come from diverse backgrounds but share a common desire to make positive change and create the world as it should be,” said David Simas, CEO of the Obama Foundation. “By bringing these individuals together, we hope to help amplify the work of our Fellows so it has a widespread impact. On behalf of President and Mrs. Obama and the Obama Foundation family, I congratulate our new Fellows and look forward to working with them.”

Find out more about the Obama Foundation Fellowship at www.obama.org/fellowship. Join the conversation on Twitter using #ObamaFellows.

Tiana Epps-Johnson is the Founder and Executive Director of the Center for Technology and Civic Life. Prior to CTCL, she was the New Organizing Institute’s Election Administration Director. At the Center, she and her team provide resources and training to support local election administrators in modernizing the ways they communicate with voters. They also publish free, open-source civic datasets that have been accessed over 200 million times through some of the most powerful tools that drive civic participation. Tiana holds an MSc in Politics and Communication from the London School of Economics and a BA in Political Science from Stanford University. Additionally, in 2015 Tiana was selected as an inaugural member of the Technology and Democracy fellowship at the Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation at the Harvard Kennedy School.