Joan Blades is a true believer in the power of citizens and the need to rebuild respectful civil discourse while embracing core shared values. As a co-founder of LivingRoomConversations.org, Blades uses the open source platform to encourage discussion across ideological, cultural and party lines. A veteran of providing space for discourse, she previously co-founded Momsrising.org, a forum for over a million moms working together to make our country more family friendly, and MoveOn.org, which brings together millions of members working for progressive change.

Blades is co-author of The Custom-Fit Workplace: Choose When Where and How to Work and Boost Your Bottom Line and The Motherhood Manifesto. A mediator and attorney by training, she uses these skills in her entrepreneurial endeavors, including co-founding Berkeley Systems.