About

Our Mission

Third Way is a national think tank and advocacy organization that champions a bold, combative centrism. We develop policy and political ideas that deliver for working Americans and can win the moderate middle to build power. Our work in the center left acts as a critical bulwark against political extremism on both sides.

Our Work

Principled.

We're motivated by a deep love of country and a belief in opportunity, freedom, and security for every American.
Political.

We design our work to resonate with the moderate majority and build a center-left coalition broad enough to win and govern.
Pragmatic.

We value progress over purity. Our solutions are ambitious and actionable — built for the real world, not think tank wish lists.

Our Approach

Our approach brings together rigorous policy research, deep knowledge of the people and places that decide majorities, and sophisticated public opinion and messaging data to create strategic advocacy campaigns designed to persuade elected officials and influencers on the defining issues of our time. We advocate for the vital center across eight programmatic areas: climate and energy, economy, education, foreign policy, health care, politics, social policy, and technology.

As passionate moderates—or “radical centrists” per the New York Times—our work is not about splitting the difference but about standing for a values-driven, reform-oriented politics that can both deliver electoral power and drive meaningful policy change. We believe in building an opportunity economy that rewards hard work, making progress on social issues to uphold our fundamental freedoms, winning the global clean energy technology race, and securing our safety against evolving 21st century threats.

Since our founding in 2005, Third Way has earned a reputation for innovative thinking and high-impact campaigns that shift the national debate, help moderates win elections, and motivate ambitious policy reform. We have been lauded as “the best source of new ideas in public policy” (The Washington Post), “the future of think tanks” (Reuters), and the “North American Think Tank of the Year” (Prospect Magazine).

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In the News

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Third Way in the News Published October 20, 2026NBC News

Centrist think tank warns 2028 Democrats against swinging too far left on immigration (external link)

Third Way in the News Published September 3, 2026Politico

Third Way rolls out “new economic bargain” platform for Dems (external link)

Third Way in the News Published August 7, 2026The Washington Post

Democrats are calculating a left turn. The math is inescapable. (external link)

Third Way in the News Published October 20, 2026Politico

Centrist Dems’ Supreme Court plan boosts momentum for revamp (external link)

Meet the People Behind the Work

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Alan Ahn

Deputy Director for Nuclear

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Sufia Alam

Senior Communications Advisor

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Todd Allen

Senior Visiting Fellow

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Jenny Archer

Senior Director of Philanthropy
Alexandra Aron

Deputy Director for the Leadership Academy
Imani Augustus

Director, Center for Entrepreneurial Opportunity

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Rashad Bates

Executive Coordinator
Emily Becker

Director of Communications

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Tanvi Bendigeri

Graphic Designer
Matt Bennett

Executive Vice President for Public Affairs

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Madison Bradley

Executive Coordinator
Xiavian Brown

Vice President of Business Operations
Rebecca Bullied

Philanthropy Associate
Madeline Burke

Senior Communications Advisor, Center for Entrepreneurial Opportunity

X handle: CEO_Policy
Stephen Burns

Senior Visiting Fellow
Emily Cain

Senior Strategic Advisor

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Where Great Work Gets Done

We've grown by 50% in the past three years. Today, we're a team of nearly 100 people who show up every day to fight for what they believe in—and actually enjoy doing it.

Join the team