Shannon Watts is the founder of Moms Demand Action, the nation’s largest grassroots group fighting against gun violence. Known as the ‘summoner of women’s audacity,’ she spent more than a decade leading one of the world’s largest field experiments for mobilizing women. She has been named one of TIME’s 100 Most Influential People, a Forbes 50 over 50 Changemaker, and a Glamour Woman of the Year.

Under her leadership, Moms Demand Action became one of the largest grassroots movements in the country. With a chapter in every state and over 10 million supporters, the organization is twice as large as the National Rifle Association.

After 11 years as a full-time volunteer leader of Moms Demand Action, Shannon stepped down in 2023. Today, she is an active board member of Emerge America, one of the nation’s leading organizations for recruiting and training women to run for office. Her first book, Fight Like a Mother: How a Grassroots Movement Took on the Gun Lobby and Why Women Will Change the World, was released in 2019. Her next book is expected in 2025, and she writes regularly for Substack and outlets like The Washington Post, Elle, Time, The 19th, and more. For more than 10 million people following Shannon on social media, her ideas on leadership help redefine what’s possible when audacious women unite to drive change.