Building a bench of savvy civic leaders for the 21st century.
Civic Leadership Lab equips emerging and established leaders with real-world skills to excel in the public arena. During this time of great political and economic unrest in America, a bigger and better pipeline of talent is needed. The “do-gooder” gene often associated with “civic work” has never been enough.
I’m Kevin Nix, and I started Civic Leadership Lab because the civic sector—be it politics, academia, nonprofits, science— must up its game. In 2025, we saw a sizeable portion of the sector deflate or go silent in response to a new president. This is the time when civic-minded leaders flex their power and sustain democracy.
Make your voice not just heard but effective.
Offerings
Leadership & Strategy Consulting
I help leaders in the nonprofit, academic, public health, public policy, civic tech, and social impact sectors with:
Building and projecting power
Summoning moral courage
Elevating innovation and civic entrepreneurship
Expanding their sphere of influence
Winning the message war
Acing a media interview
Upping their fundraising savvy
Navigating prickly politics
Using AI in public interest work
Schedule a 15-minute meet-and-greet to see what your needs are.
“How-to” Memos & Books
We regularly publish “how to” briefing memos and short books on civic leadership, with a focus on strategy and getting results. The newest briefs for 2026 include “Advocacy Communications 101” and “Six Action Items to Battle Authoritarian Creep in the U.S.”
Accelerator Course: “Art of Advocacy”
“The Art of Advocacy” is a four-week virtual course on best practices in political advocacy applied to the civic sector. It’s for students and established leaders who want to up their political game in a nonpartisan way. Walk away with what works, doesn’t work, and could work in today’s chaotic environment.
About Kevin
Kevin led or managed 10 national and statewide policy communications campaigns (mostly wins) during his time in Washington, D.C. His issue portfolio includes public health, healthcare policy, marriage equality, military policy, veterans, and democracy.
He has worked for powerhouse campaigns and nonprofits, including the Human Rights Campaign and Freedom to Marry. He has also worked in the largest nonprofit public health system in Texas, Legacy Community Health.
Kevin also worked for boutique public affairs firms and currently teaches government and civic engagement at University of Houston.
His work has appeared in the New York Times, Washington Post, Politico, Wall Street Journal, Stanford Social Innovation Review, and Texas Tribune.
Kevin has a Master’s in American Government from Johns Hopkins University; a higher education certification from Harvard’s Derek Bok Center; and Bachelor’s from Tulane University.
“Kevin manages to simultaneously tell your target audience what they want to hear and what you want them to hear. He’s tireless and committed. And his sense of humor never fails.”
— Jay Campbell, Partner, Hart Research
Kevin is “smart…strategic, buttoned up… the kind of guy you want in the fox hole with you.”
— Mark McKinnon, Creator of The Circus
Subscribe to Kevin’s Substack, “Art of Advocacy”
Real-time observations and interviews with civic leaders.