Not many people have a story in politics like Raghu Devaguptapu...son of Indian immigrants, making the jump from touring with a band to working in politics, working at the upper echelons of both state and national politics, and then co-founding his own media firm. This is a great conversation talking through Raghu's early life, key moments in his career, and insight and advice from a one-of-a-kind career in politics.
IN THIS EPISODE…
Raghu grows up in Wisconsin as the son of immigrants straddling the worlds of being both American and Indian…
Raghu’s connection an Indian political luminary…
Raghu’s early forays “organizing” college parties creates an entre to political organizing…
Raghu’s time as a singer in the alt-rock scene in the Midwest…
Raghu’s Wisconsin Politics 101…
Raghu learns important lessons on Russ Feingold’s Senate campaign…
Raghu comes into his own running the WI State House Caucus…
Raghu learns important lessons while finding himself in the middle of a political scandal…
Raghu goes national working on state legislatives at the DLCC…
Raghu’s critical time at the DGA and AFSCME’s IE…
Raghu makes the jump to ad-making at the Adelstein Liston media firm…
Raghu helps elect the first Indian American to Congress in 50 years…
Raghu learns important lessons working for Congressman Mike Honda…
Why and how Raghu co-founds his own media firm Left Hook…
Raghu talks how Left Hook helped elect Mark Kelly to the US Senate…
Raghu weighs in on how to run smarter campaigns…
AND Eric Adelstein, George Aldrich, appropriate engagement models, Ami Bera, David Bergstein, Big Wheel, Tanya Bjork, Anthony Carter, Jen Cox, Michael Davies, economic diasporas, Ricky Feller, the Fox Valley, Lisa Grove, Lucinda Guinn, Brandon Hall, Danny Kazin, Kennedy Democrats, Lake Winnebago, the Lion of Andrha, Ann Liston, Operation Sting, Optic Box, Rachel Ostendorf, powder-keg questions, the Salt March, Larry Scanlon, Soul Asylum, Tom Petri, Tanguturi Prakasam, Scott Tyre, Josh Wachs, Wandering Aimlessly, the William D. Ford direct lending program, Josh Wolf, & more!
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