Letter from Public Wise Board Chair

Since founding Public Wise in 2019, I have worked alongside Executive Director Christina Baal- Owens and an exceptional team of researchers, organizers, and partners to build an organization that I am incredibly proud of. This team is made up of smart, insightful, and passionate people for whom I have the utmost respect. They are people of integrity. They are people of intelligence. They are people of action.

From the Insurrection Index to grantmaking and countless research projects in between, we developed innovative, creative, and high-quality work that shed light on many of the issues threatening our democracy.

Like many of my peers and fellow advocates, I was deeply disappointed with the results of the recent election. It is a challenge for anyone who cares about democracy, to organize at a time when the voters just elected a man who attempted to subvert democracy. For me, it is now a time to think, strategize and regroup. Unfortunately, this means that Public Wise will be suspending operations as I consider the most effective path forward for myself and my resources.

I am not disheartened. I am not exhausted. I am not giving up. I will continue to fight for the causes I believe in. But for now, this chapter of Public Wise is ending.

Sincerely,
Eric Laufer