Maria Yuan

Maria Yuan is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of IssueVoter, a non-partisan platform aimed at enhancing civic engagement by enabling individuals to track legislative actions and communicate with their elected representatives. The platform was launched on November 9, 2020, and has since gained significant traction, with over two million users across all 435 congressional districts in the United States.137

Background and Education

Maria Yuan grew up in the Bay Area and Austin, where her parents instilled in her the importance of voting from a young age. She attended the University of Texas at Austin, where she majored in Finance, and later earned an MBA from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. Her early experiences included lobbying for student representation in Texas's higher education governance and working as an intern for a state representative, which shaped her understanding of the political process.125

Professional Experience

Before founding IssueVoter, Yuan worked in investment banking at JPMorgan and gained experience in strategy, corporate development, and social enterprise. She also managed a high-profile state senate campaign in Iowa, where she recognized the need for a tool that would keep constituents informed about legislative activities beyond election cycles.136

Mission and Impact

Under Yuan's leadership, IssueVoter aims to make civic engagement accessible and effective by providing users with alerts about relevant bills, facilitating communication with representatives, and tracking legislative votes. The platform's mission is to empower citizens to hold their politicians accountable and engage meaningfully with the democratic process.457

Yuan has been recognized for her innovative approach to civic engagement, receiving accolades such as the 2021 American Express NGen Leadership Award. She is also active in various boards and initiatives that promote community awareness and action against systemic issues, including anti-Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) incidents.25

Maria Yuan's journey reflects a commitment to enhancing democratic participation through technology, aiming to create a more informed electorate capable of influencing policy throughout the year, not just during elections.