Title: Democratic Candidate for Governor of Maryland
Industry: Politics
A: My morning starts early. I give thanks and say a little prayer every morning and then I hit the gym and I start my day every morning with a workout to get things on the right foot. We are traveling across the state and connecting with Marylanders from sun up to sun down seven days a week, and so making sure I make time to exercise and on the right foot in the morning is a critical part of my routine.
A: I’m a Democratic candidate for Governor of Maryland. I’ve been a public servant for my entire career, I just have never been a politician. And so when you look at my life’s work, whether it is leading soldiers in combat as a captain in the 82nd Airborne in Afghanistan, or it’s building a small business in Baltimore that helped over 600 students succeed in college, or it’s serving as CEO of one of the largest anti-poverty organizations in America – I have devoted my entire life to fighting for what is right and increasing economic opportunity.
A: One of the last books I read that was remarkable was by my friend and fellow combat veteran Jason Kander, who wrote about the challenges veterans face and his own struggles with Post-Traumatic Stress as a soldier and coming back home. I appreciated it because it was a reminder of the hidden wounds of war and the cost of trauma, and the responsibility we all have to address it.
A: The one trend in politics that I want to make sure that we change is this level of divisiveness and vitriol that people — that somehow we attack somebody because they at that moment might not believe in your position. I believe in big tents. I like to say I’m pretty good at math and I don’t know how we get addition through division. And I want to make sure that we can move forward together as one state with one goal. The divisiveness is something that we plan on changing.
A: I take time to create a moment to mediate. I realized that one of things I do give me the greatest level of productivity is just taking a moment of peace and actually allowing you to clear your head for a little while, because I think it allows you to move more productively.
A: One of the greatest lessons that I have learned in business is that you’re not going to have all the answers. You need to make sure you’re reaching out to people and building a great team that challenges your thoughts, understanding, and ideas. I think a lot of people make the bad mistake of thinking that they have to learn things the hard way, when you need to make sure you have people who learn things the hard way themselves and can make you better because the mistakes you don’t make are what will help you succeed.
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About Wes Moore:
Wes Moore, a combat veteran, bestselling author, small business owner, Rhodes Scholar and former CEO of one of the nation’s largest anti-poverty organizations, has devoted his life’s work to a basic principle: no matter your start in life, you deserve an equal opportunity to succeed – a job you can raise a family on, a future you can look forward to.
Wes was born in Takoma Park, Maryland, to Joy and Westley Moore. When Wes was just three years old, his father died of a rare, but treatable virus. His father’s untimely death created instability in young Wes’ life, causing his mom to move the family to the Bronx, where Wes’ grandparents lived.
The family returned to Maryland when Wes was 14, when Wes’ mom found a job in Baltimore – the first job that paid her benefits.
Wes graduated with an Associate’s Degree from Valley Forge Military College in 1998 and then Phi Beta Kappa from Johns Hopkins University in 2001. As a teenager, he interned for former Baltimore Mayor Kurt Schmoke and then went on to earn a Rhodes Scholarship, which took him to Oxford University.
Inspired by his mentors at military school, Wes went on to serve as a captain and paratrooper with the U.S. Army’s 82nd Airborne, including leading soldiers in combat in Afghanistan. He also served as a White House Fellow, advising on issues of national security and international relations.
Upon returning home, Wes wrote “The Other Wes Moore,” a story about the fragile nature of opportunity in America, which became a perennial New York Times bestseller. It’s commonly assigned reading in Maryland schools. Wes went on to write other best-selling books that reflect on issues of race, equity and opportunity, including his latest book “Five Days,” which tells the story of Baltimore in the days that followed the death of Freddie Gray in 2015.
It was Wes’ commitment to taking on our toughest challenges that brought him to the Robin Hood foundation, where he served for four years as CEO. During his tenure, the Robin Hood foundation distributed over $600 million toward lifting families out of poverty, including here in Maryland.
While the Robin Hood foundation is headquartered in New York City, Wes and his family never moved from their home in Baltimore.
Earlier in his career, Wes built and launched a Baltimore-based business called BridgeEdU, which reinvents freshman year of college for underserved students to increase their likelihood of long-term success. BridgeEdu was acquired by the Brooklyn-based student financial success platform, Edquity, in 2018. He has also worked in finance with Deutsche Bank in London and with Citigroup in New York.
Of the many titles Wes has held over the years, there are two that he’s most proud of: husband and father. Wes and his wife Dawn live with their two children in Baltimore City.
Social Media:
Website: https://wesmoore.com
