In the wake of Occupy Wall Street, Zee Cohen-Sanchez’s passion for politics ignited. She saw the power of grassroots organizing and realized meaningful policy changes could be made when done through the power of people. Since then, she’s emerged as a notable force in political strategy with her company Sole Strategies. Her experience with high-profile campaigns, including those for Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, honed her awareness of the critical gaps in political consultancy—particularly the absence of diverse candidates and operational, on-the-ground efforts that go beyond mere advice. With Sole Strategies, Cohen-Sanchez sought to fill this void and change politics from the ground up. From the way a campaign is run to who is sitting in government seats, Sole has emerged as a firm that not only strategizes but executes, ensuring that political campaigns translate plans into action.
Filling the Gap in Political Campaign Execution
Recognizing the need for active engagement rather than passive consulting, Cohen-Sanchez founded Sole Strategies to offer something missing in the market: meticulous, hands-on campaign management. Time and time again, Cohen-Sanchez witnessed political consultants offering advice without having the teams to execute on-the-ground campaigns. This led to lost money, candidates spending on strategies that didn’t bring results, and first-time candidates getting beat purely because their opponents had more experience and hands-on teams. Cohen-Sanchez was determined to change this and ensure every candidate has the same opportunity as the veteran politicians.
Sole Strategies was designed to bridge that gap and offer both strategic planning and practical implementation, ensuring that actionable steps were taken to bring campaign visions to life on the ground. This approach not only improved campaign efficacy but also built a reputation for Sole Strategies in integrating strategic insight with campaign-winning ground-level action.
Empowering Women in the Political Arena
Cohen-Sanchez’s motivation extended beyond logistics; it was deeply personal. Her career, marked by firsthand encounters with the challenges women face in politics, revealed the stark underrepresentation and the unique struggles of women in political offices. Being a female political operative meant she wasn’t taken seriously by many of her colleagues and candidates. This revelation fueled her resolve to change the dynamics within political leadership. By founding Sole Strategies, Cohen-Sanchez envisioned a platform that not only supports but propels women into office, thereby fostering a more balanced representation that could challenge the status quo and advocate for societal change effectively.
Getting Diverse, Working Class Leadership Elected for Better Governance
Having diverse, working-class candidates elected to government was another focus for Sole Strategies. Cohen-Sanchez knew doing so was a matter of necessity. There were obvious inequities in politics for her as a woman, and she knew that working-class people and marginalized people were facing similar challenges. Research has shown that when leadership is more diverse, businesses are more likely to succeed. This is true for the government, too. Sole Strategies dedicated itself to fighting the status quo and giving everyone a fair chance at getting elected to government. Cohen-Sanchez wanted to change policy and government from the inside, and by providing a service that made running a campaign accessible to women, working-class, and marginalized candidates, she was able to initiate change across the nation.
A Call to Action
The path forward, as envisioned by Zee Cohen-Sanchez, requires a concerted effort to elevate women, working-class, and marginalized people to roles where they can affect real change. The success stories crafted by Sole Strategies serve as a testament to the potential of underdog initiatives in politics. For Cohen-Sanchez, the integration of diversity in political leadership isn’t just beneficial—it’s imperative for crafting policies that address the needs of a broader demographic.
Published by: Holy Minoza
