Michael Vazquez is the Founding Partner of The Maiden Group, a social impact agency & research and consulting firm facilitating partnerships that serve as a vanguard against autocracy and in pursuit of an inclusive democracy. A public theologian and organizing, communications and policy strategist, Michael also currently serves as an Advisor at Public Private Strategies. Michael formerly served as the Religion & Faith Director at the Human Rights Campaign, Senior Communications Strategist at the USAID Office of Faith Based and Neighborhood Partnerships, and Founder of Brave Commons. With his roots in community organizing, Michael has served across civil society on a diverse policy agenda in pursuit of creating a more just and equitable society. Throughout all his work, Michael has supported secular civil society, faith-based organizations, and political and philanthropic leaders in understanding the growing threat of Christian Nationalism and other autocratic movements both in the U.S. and abroad, and helped craft strategies to combat extremism and defend democracy. d In 2021, Michael was named by the Center for American Progress as a “Faith Leader to Watch". Michael holds a Masters in Theological Studies from Duke University's Divinity School, and his work has appeared in National Catholic Reporter, Georgetown University's Berkley Forum for Religion, Peace, and World Affairs, and USAToday.