Neera Tanden

Neera Tanden's career is marked by her rise to the top of Democratic policy circles. As the first Indian American to be nominated for a Cabinet position, she broke a barrier even though the nomination didn't succeed. Her tenure at the Center for American Progress turned it into a central force in progressive policy, and her role in drafting the Affordable Care Act placed her at the heart of one of the most consequential domestic policies in modern U.S. history.