Mike Moschella is joining NationBuilder as vice president of organizing.
He comes to the political software developer from Truman National Security Project where he served as national political director—helping progressive candidates better understand foreign policy and military issues and assisting with organizing efforts within that community. Moschella also co-founded the New Leaders Council, which trains young progressive operatives, and has worked on numerous campaigns from the state to congressional level.
“NationBuilder has been recruiting me for about a year,” Moschella tells C&E. “But last year I was focused on that whole election thing.”
His first task: “I have to buy a car,” he says laughing. “I haven’t owned a car since I was on the campaign trail—maybe 2007.”
Add to that overcoming the culture shock; he’s moving from East Coast to West Coast, D.C. to L.A., progressive organization to nonpartisan company. “Well, I’m bringing my Celtics banner to Los Angeles—all 17 championships on it—whether Lakers fans like it or not,” Moschella jokes before adding, “You can be nonpartisan and be progressive and not get caught up in that culture in D.C.”
NationBuilder’s ultimate goal: changing the relationship between people and politics. “No matter what side of the aisle you’re on, there’s a whole new set of Internet-driven organizing tools,” Moschella says. “NationBuilder has created the best platform ever created.”
What attracted him to NationBuilder was how they were enabling candidates on both sides of the aisle to organize at a price line he calls “democratizing”—comparing it to the sea change of Ford selling the Model T. What he brings to the table is a career in organizing and leadership development. “You can’t have one without the other,” Moschella says. “So what I’m doing is shifting from the political side of things to the enabling side of things.”
At the Truman Project, Moschella was with an operation that worked on about 60 House races and a few dozen down-ballot races, and NationBuilder’s campaign clients number far greater.
Moschella will head up a team of 12 organizers to start that will grow to 30 by the end of the year—proven organizers that are people-oriented and genuine. He’ll be responsible for growing NationBuilder’s usership by streamlining organizing functions and deepening the skillsets of the organizers themselves.