Layla Zaidane is the President & CEO of the Millennial Action Project, the largest nonpartisan organization of young lawmakers in the United States. MAP works with over 1,600 Millennial and Gen Z elected leaders in Congress and state legislatures to bridge divides, collaborate on future-oriented policy, and scale a healthy culture of democracy. Layla joined MAP in 2016, and previously also served as Executive Director & COO. A nationally recognized expert on youth engagement, Layla has been featured in outlets including Forbes, Teen Vogue, The New York Times, The Washington Post, U.S. News and World Report, and Refinery29.
Prior to joining MAP, Layla served as the Managing Director for Generation Progress, where she led integrated communications, policy, and advocacy efforts around solutions to the challenges facing today’s youth, as well as spearheaded innovative new global youth engagement efforts. She helped launch and manage the It’s On Us campaign in partnership with the White House in 2014, and launched the Higher Ed, Not Debt campaign in 2013, a coalition group of dozens of organizations working to make higher education accessible and affordable for all.
Through insights-driven advocacy, press, marketing strategy, and engaging digital campaigns, Layla effectively mobilized target audiences around political, legislative, and advocacy goals. She was named by Fusion as one of 30 Women Under 30 Who Will Change the Election.
Before joining Generation Progress, Layla worked for LivingSocial as a marketing specialist, consulting with business owners across the country to increase their online presence and grow their customer base. Previously, she has held roles promoting the public’s voice in public education with DC VOICE and developing outreach strategies to connect college students with federal job opportunities and news at the Partnership for Public Service. Layla graduated from Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service and holds a BSFS in international politics.