Positive Sum Strategies has built comprehensive media, advocacy and legislative strategies for companies and non-profits. We have crafted budgets, workplans, OKRs, talking points and timelines for comprehensive, multi-million-dollar advocacy campaigns. Positive Sum Strategies has designed media strategies to achieve strategic earned media and has achieved coverage for clients in The New York Times, Semafor, Huffpost, The Atlantic and other leading publications.
Positive Sum Strategies has deep relationships with federal, state and local offices holders and their staff and has facilitated meetings between companies and non-profits and senior members of Senate Majority Leader office, numerous Governor’s offices and House Majority Leader.
Positive Sum Strategies has testified as an expert witness on data analysis and policy design and testified on behalf of successful Automatic Voter Registration (AVR) campaign in New York. Positive Sum Strategies has deep expertise in public opinion and survey research and has designed and field surveys for a wide variety of clients to advance messaging, support legislative strategy and shape media narratives.
Positive Sum Strategies helps you achieve your goals.
Sean McElwee
Sean McElwee has spent ten years at the intersection of public opinion research and public policy. He founded Data for Progress in 2018 and Positive Sum Strategies in 2021. The public opinion research Sean oversaw has been cited by President Biden, Majority Leader Schumer and Speaker Pelosi and informed the strategy of Senate campaigns, large SuperPACs and climate change advocacy campaigns. With Data for Progress and Positive Sum Strategies he has had the DNC, DSCC, SMP and battleground Senate campaigns as clients in addition to dozens of leading advocacy organizations. His polling informed allocation decisions for more than $30 million in SuperPAC spending in the 2022 election cycle and continues to inform startups, NGOs and VCs.
What I’m reading: Showdown at Gucci Gulch, an absolute must-read for anyone who wants to influence policy. This is the comprehensive history of the 1986 tax reform.
How I spend my free time: Climbing, board game nights and frequent pot lucks in DC and NYC.
What I’m watching: Yellowstone!