Julia Leitner has ten years of experience organizing and training for labor and electoral campaigns. She was the Director of Training with Arena, an organization that convenes, trains, and supports the next generation of progressive candidates and campaign staff. She joined Arena in 2018 and advised first-time candidates running for state legislature and Congress around the country. Julia then co-created and managed Arena Academy, an intensive training program that has graduated over 2,000 current and future campaign staffers. She served as Training Director for Elizabeth Warren’s 2020 campaign in California and ran a unique distributed organizing and training program. She has also organized with SEIU, UAW, Hillary for America 2016, Tom Udall for Senate 2008, and coffee farmers in Colombia. Julia has developed and led trainings for campaigns, advocacy organizations, and labor unions. She currently serves on the board of California Women’s List and also recruits women to run for state legislature through Close the Gap CA.Julia earned her bachelors degree at Harvard and Masters of Public Affairs (’23) at the Goldman School of Public Policy. While earning her Masters, she worked with the Possibility Lab and honed her passion for community-engaged research and helping public agencies design and implement effective programs. In her free time you can find her rock climbing, backpacking, skiing, hiking, cooking, or running with her dog, Denali.