TheBridge profile: Meredith Balenske

Name: Meredith Balenske

Current city: Washington, DC

Current job: Vice President, Communications, Revolution

Past job: Deputy Director, Communications, Bloomberg LP

Q. Favorite spot for a coffee meeting: Colada Shop

Q. Describe one way how a skill you learned in a previous job helped you in your new job. Bloomberg, the software, data, and media company founded by former NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg, has been using data to inform business decisions and recommendations long before it was a trending topic. Learning to incorporate data and measurement into the decision making process early in my career is a powerful tool that I continue to consider when thinking about the most strategic path forward.

Q. Job advice in three words? Always add value

Q. How are you (or your company, org, nonprofit) currently bridging the gap between politics and tech? Revolution invests in seed, venture and growth stage companies across a spectrum of industries that deal with a variety of policy and regulatory issues. Being based in Washington, our firm is able to support many of our companies with important issues and do things like help recommend a government affairs firm or host an event on Capitol Hill. Also, our CEO Steve Case released a RESTART America agenda that includes a mixture of policy, business and community initiatives to support entrepreneurship across America. The agenda: (R) Reform the Way DC Works with Startups; (E) Educate for the Third Wave; (S) Source Goods and Services from Startups; (T) Tax Incentives for Regional Entrepreneurship; (A) Attract and Retain Talent; (R) Rethink Capitalism; (T) Transform Local Ecosystems.

Q: Last time you were completely unplugged? In Tulum this week (Dec 2-6)

Q: Favorite app? Robinhood and Duolingo

Q: How do you unwind after work? Walking my French bulldog, Dooley.

Q: Favorite restaurant? Le Diplomate