JENNIFER LEE

Founding Partner

Jennifer’s campaign strategies, whether they be for advocacy issues or electoral, are rooted in her record of creating, mobilizing, and building coalitions that drive grassroots movements, including ratification of the ERA in Illinois. Jennifer’s ability to bring together multiple constituencies and complex issues is a critical component in her campaign wins that include serving as the Director of Grassroots Outreach for the 2018 JB Pritzker campaign, winning adult-use cannabis with an emphasis on equity in Illinois, and increased access to mental health services for children in several states. 

Prior to launching LAVA Strategies with Dave Horwich, Jennifer founded and led JCL Consulting, a grassroots movement- and campaign-focused firm focused on creating and sustaining just and equitable communities. During that time she 

  • Created Legalize Illinois, the campaign that led to the first legislative win for adult-use cannabis in a state

  • Served as a senior advisor to the Project for Middle-Class Renewal housed at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign whose mission is to investigate the working conditions of workers in today’s economy and elevate the public discourse on issues affecting workers with research, analysis, and education in order to develop and propose public policies that will reduce poverty, provide forms of representation to all workers.

  • Served as the Transition Committee Director for Gov. JB Pritzker and Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton which oversaw thirteen committees of over 300 stakeholders. 

  • Was a senior advisor to Think Big Illinois and Vote Yes for Fairness which supported Governor Pritzker’s policy initiatives in Illinois. 

Jennifer’s additional experience includes:

  • Serving as co-President of the Illinois Democratic Women, an organization focused on increasing women’s participation in all levels of the Democratic Party and government

  • Serving as a board member for Personal PAC, whose single focus is making sure that Illinois always remains a state where abortion is safe, legal, and accessible to every woman

  • Helping establish an advisory board of midwest labor leaders within the Labor Education Program at the University of Illinois

  • Founding and leading Women Rising - Illinois to recruit, train and elect progressive women to office 

Jennifer is based in the Chicagoland area with her family.