We would like to introduce a new series on our Campo Blog.
Positive ChangeMakers
Positive ChangeMakers
These blog posts will spotlight someone or a group who is doing amazing work to create positive change in the world in many different ways. We aim to help spread their mission and share these amazing stories with all of you!
Steven Olikara, Founder and President of Millennial Action Project
By Hannah Miller
The Millennial Action Project (MAP), founded in 2013 by University of Wisconsin-Madison Alumnus Steven Olikara, has worked to develop a forum for bipartisan political caucuses among the country’s future leaders. MAP’s intention is to create an environment for bipartisan political cooperation in an era of extreme polarization and gridlock. MAP recognizes the important role that millennials will play in shifting the political environment through collaboration.
Olikara, UW Alumnus (‘12), was heavily involved on campus as an undergraduate, majoring in Political Science and Environmental Studies with a certificate in Global Health. Olikara was especially concerned with policy issues regarding the environment and education and recognized the limitations of partisanship in establishing concrete solutions. Good ideas that democrats and republicans would traditionally agree upon are severely hindered by partisanship, Olikara said.
Olikara recognized the need to address the two biggest forces shaping American politics: worsening political polarization in government and the millennial generation. Embodying the Wisconsin Idea, Olikara founded the MAP to foster an environment for solution building to rebuild American democracy. The ultimate purpose of the project is to improve the political system and address long term challenges in the government.
When asked about what the best piece of advice he received during, Olikara remarked,
“If you think someone ought to do something, that person is probably you.”
Olikara has achieved notable accomplishments in the last decade as the founder and president of MAP, including being named in Forbes’ 2017 30 Under 30 in Law and Policy, recognition from the Wisconsin State Assembly for outstanding contributions and international recognition for working on initiatives dedicated to sustainability and leadership.
Learn more about MAP here: https://www.millennialaction.org/