Meet the #unifyUSA Leadership Team
Paul Zeitz, Co-Founder
Dr. Paul Zeitz is a democracy activist, preventive medicine physician, epidemiologist, author, and award-winning champion of global justice and human rights. Drawing from over 35 years of advocacy, campaigning, and political movement leadership, Zeitz co-founded #unifyUSA, an inter-partisan citizens’ movement dedicated to hitting refresh on the U.S. Constitution through the power of Citizens’ Assemblies. His prior career work spans diverse sectors, including climate transformation, racial and gender equity, authentic democracy, sustainable development, child welfare, and global health. Zeitz is the author of four books, including Hit Refresh on the U.S. Constitution: A Revolutionary Roadmap for Fulfilling the Promise of Democracy and Revolutionary Optimism: Seven Steps for Living as a Love-Centered Activist.
Leigh Blake, Co-Founder
Leigh has been aligning celebrity influence with pressing social issues to create maximum impact for over 30 years. She co-founded #unifyUSA with Zeitz and focuses on engaging the artistic and philanthropic community in the pressing issues of democratic reform with creativity, pop culture, and political action. She is the founder of Fame Currency, a media and production company where she and her team have been nominated for an Academy Award, an Emmy, and a Cannes Lion award for her films and television projects. She directed social campaigns for celebrity partners, including Alicia Keys and Bono, and has produced large-scale charity events to raise awareness of issues critical to the modern day. To date, Leigh’s efforts have raised over $50 million for charitable causes around the globe.
Rosarie Tucci, Senior Advisor
Rosarie Tucci serves as Senior Advisor of #unifyUSA. She brings more than two decades of experience in a variety of positions supporting human rights and issues disproportionately affecting excluded populations. Most recently, she served as the director for Inclusive Societies, Peace Processes and Reconciliation at the U.S. Institute of Peace, deputy director for the Democracy, Rights and Governance Center at USAID, and senior advisor to the Deputy Administrator of USAID. Ro has worked to advance projects and policy on issues such as enhancing civic space, countering trafficking in persons, rights of LGBTI and persons with disabilities, youth engagement, and atrocity prevention. Tucci was a Fulbright Scholar in Sofia, Bulgaria examining the development of the human rights movement in a transitional democracy. She holds a master’s of law in international human rights law from the University of Nottingham and a bachelor’s in political science and communications from Boston College.
Danielle Reiff, Senior Advisor
Danielle serves as Senior Advisor of #unifyUSA. As an American diplomat for twenty years, Danielle promoted democracy, human rights, and peace around the world with the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). She supported peace and reconciliation processes in Uganda, Colombia, and South Sudan, as well as democratic transitions and women’s political leadership in the Republic of Georgia and Sri Lanka. She participated in and led official election observation efforts in multiple countries. During her career, Danielle designed, managed, and provided oversight for over $700 million in U.S. Government development assistance. In recent years, she has focused on violence prevention and peacebuilding in the United States.
Vinay Orekondy, Senior Advisor
Vinay Orekondy is an attorney, mediator, community organizer, advocate, and a coalition-builder, is originally from Australia. Upon emigrating to the United States in 2019 and he is now a U.S.Citizen. Over the past two years, he has committed himself to building a citizen-driven democracy where he is weaving together non-partisan democracy networks and hubs to take joint action. Vinay wears multiple hats these days, as he is a co-chair of the Braver Network at Braver Angels, a network of inter-partisan leaders dedicated to civic renewal, , he is Co-Founder and Partnerships Director at Better Together America, a national network of civic hubs and state convening platforms aiming to unify efforts and engage citizens in deliberative democracy at the local, State, and national levels. He is also a Senior Advisor of the Grand Bargain Project, which is designed to unite Americans around a practical plan to advance six objectives (e.g. economic growth, health, education) etc, that 90+ percent of citizens see as critical to their future.
Implementation Partners
Creative lead, engagement strategies, aligning celebrity influence with pressing social issues creating maximum impact through producing events, creating campaigns, making award winning film and tv, and philanthropic initiatives.
In partnership with #unifyUSA we will build a network of constituents, advocates, and community leaders.
In partnership with #unifyUSA we are drafting and launching a 4 page Constitution guide by April 1, 2025.
In partnership with #unifyUSA, Team Democracy’s Civic Credentialing will be used to certify inter-partisan deliberation as the basis for all activities, including Citizens’ Assemblies at the local, regional, and national levels through secure registration and credentialing.
#unifyUSA is collaborating with Peacebuilders Unite to develop a concept for: Empowering Citizen-Driven Deliberative Democracy in the United States and to undertake joint fundraising.
#unifyUSA is developing an online citizens deliberation on the U.S. Constitution with Frankly.
Undertaking joint fundraising with #unifyUSA.
Undertaking joint fundraising with #unifyUSA.
Undertaking joint fundraising with #unifyUSA.
Membership & Partners
