Mary-Pat Hector

CEO, RISE Education Fund
Mary-Pat Hector is CEO of Rise, an organization that trains students to organize campaigns eliminating tuition and fees, expanding financial aid, ending student hunger and homelessness, and increasing voter turnout. Before becoming CEO in 2023, Mary-Pat was the Georgia State Director of Rise. At 19, she was the youngest woman and person of color to run for public office in Georgia, losing by only 22 votes which inspired her to found Equity for All, an ecosystem training young leaders to run for office and seek equal representation. She has developed initiatives ending student hunger on college campuses, rallies against police violence, and youth entrepreneurship programming helping hundreds launch licensed businesses. She hosts the “Okay But Listen” podcast, is an advisor to the King Center, and has board positions with Headcount.org, Facebook’s State of Youth board, and EAT global nonprofit. Mary-Pat graduated from Spelman College and Georgia State University.
Organization vision: A future where young people are the decisive political force that shapes policy and culture, ensuring every young voice is heard and valued in the decisions that define their generation.
Rise is a college student and youth-led nonprofit fighting to advance social mobility and make higher education more accessible and affordable for all by educating and inspiring young people to become the civic leaders of tomorrow. Rise’s unique peer-led leadership programming model empowers students to become engaged in lifelong civic participation as leaders who contribute to more equitable systems across the United States. Since 2018, Rise has been organizing young people through paid student organizing fellowships and a comprehensive civic engagement program, Rise University, which combines in-person and virtual programming on college campuses across the country. Their core audience is young people between the ages of 18-28, with an emphasis on organizing young voters of color through multiracial organizing strategies. Rise reaches young voters where they are: community colleges, large open-enrollment public universities, Historically Black Colleges and Universities, other Minority Serving Institutions, and non-college-enrolled youth in their communities. Rise coordinates in-person canvassing and community events to register and mobilize young voters while creating compelling online engagement through user-generated content with their Amplify creators, meeting young people on the digital platforms they use most. Rise builds sustainable organizing infrastructure while developing the next generation of political leaders.