The Business of Politics

Strategic Advisor, Collaborate for California; Visiting Fellow, Pepperdine University School of Public Policy; Former Mayor, San Diego, California

Mayor Kevin L. Faulconer

Kevin Faulconer is a distinguished expert in governance, public policy, and operational excellence in large organizations. Faulconer has served as the 36th mayor of San Diego, on several national organizations, and as vice president at the global public relations firm Porter Novelli, specializing in strategic crisis management and public affairs. He is currently strategic advisor at Collaborate for California and Visiting Fellow and Pepperdine University School of Public Policy.

Senior Vice President, ML Strategies, Mintz Law

Congressman Frank C. Guinta

Frank is based in Mintz’s Washington, DC office and is Senior Vice President of ML Strategies.

Prior to joining the firm, Frank represented New Hampshire’s 1st congressional district in the US House of Representatives. He served for two nonconsecutive terms, from 2011 to 2013 and from 2015 to 2017. During his time in Congress, Frank served on several House committees. During his most recent term, he was a member of the Committee on Financial Services and served on its Financial Institutions and Consumer Credit as well as its Monetary Policy and Trade sub-committees. Previously he served on the Committee on the Budget, the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, and the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.

Frank was also co-founder and co-chair of the House’s Bipartisan Task Force to Combat the Heroin Epidemic, which successfully pushed for the passage of legislation that became part of the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act (CARA). He is currently a member of the National Advisory Board of the Addiction Policy Forum, a partnership of organizations, policymakers, and stakeholders committed to increasing addiction awareness and improving national policies.

In 2005, Frank defeated a three-time incumbent to become mayor of Manchester, New Hampshire, the state’s largest city. At the time of his election, Frank was Manchester’s youngest mayor in over 100 years. He is credited with introducing community policing policies that helped control crime in the city, and with reducing taxes. In 2007, he was elected to a second term. During Frank’s tenure, Manchester was cited by several national publications for its recession-busting economic development, responsible fiscal philosophy, and favorable quality of life.

Prior to becoming mayor of Manchester, Frank was senior policy advisor to US Congressman Jeb Bradley. From 2000 to 2004, he served in the New Hampshire House of Representatives. Earlier he was elected to serve on Manchester’s Board of Aldermen, where he represented Ward 3. Frank also had a successful career in the insurance industry, and ran his own insurance consulting firm.

Chief Executive Officer, Corporate Directors Forum

Jessica N. Grounds

Jessica N. Grounds is an internationally recognized leadership expert and a visionary executive who has spurred movements of change across business and politics by developing the next generation of leaders.

Over her two-decade career, she has advised Fortune 500 executives, trained political candidates and governments worldwide, and conducted original research on leadership, all through the lens of gender diversity as a proven strategy for innovation and impact.

Jessica is the CEO of Corporate Directors Forum, which equips board directors, executives, and company decision-makers with training and tools designed to enhance their leadership effectiveness and corporate performance. She also serves on Nasdaq’s Center for Board Excellence Insights Council and recently served on UN Women’s We Empower G7 Programme.

Most recently, Jessica co-founded Mine The Gap, which partners with Fortune 500 companies, organizations, and government agencies to create more effective and inclusive workplaces. She also co-authored reports about the impact of SB 826, the first-in-the-nation legislation to require women board directors on publicly held companies headquartered in California, and served as an expert witness on related court cases.

Previously, she was the Executive Director of Running Start, an organization she co-founded that has trained thousands of young women to run for elected office. Jessica speaks regularly about the importance of advancing women and historically overlooked populations and the barriers to gender equity in leadership. She has trained women leaders from every region of the globe, including extensive work with women in Sub-saharan Africa, the Middle East, East Asia, and across Europe.

Jessica and her work have been profiled in Bloomberg, Fast Company, Roll Call, The Hill, NPR, ELLE, National Journal, Washington Post, San Diego Union Tribune, Politico, Marie Claire, and Forbes. She’s received awards including The New Guard: America’s 50 Most Influential Women by Marie Claire magazine, “40 Under 40” recipient by the American Association of Political Consultants, Outstanding Alumni Pepperdine University, and the 2022 Magis Award from Georgetown Business School.