Political leader, business owner, and bestselling author Stacey Abrams will speak at the Los Angeles Loyolan’s Election 2024 event on Tuesday, Oct. 1, at 6 p.m. in Burns Back Court. Abrams served 11 years in the Georgia House of Representatives, seven as minority leader, and was the Democratic nominee for governor in 2018 and 2022. She has launched multiple nonprofit organizations devoted to democracy protection, national and local voter engagement, tackling social issues, and building a more equitable future in the south.
The conversation with Abrams will be moderated by Olivia Palombo ‘25, a journalism major and Loyolan editor-in-chief, and Sarah Hutter, E2024 executive producer. Palombo said she feels grateful for the opportunity to moderate a conversation with Abrams. “This is an excellent opportunity to bring different voices to LMU,” said Palombo. “Abrams has an extensive political career that is very interesting and relevant, especially given that this is an election year. Having the opportunity to engage students in events like this is also an irreplaceable opportunity that the Loyolan, E2024, Project Citizen and so many others have worked so hard to make possible.”
Palombo hopes that the LMU community takes advantage of the opportunity to come together to listen to the thoughts, ideas, and opinions of Abrams. “I am looking forward to being able to hear her advice for Gen Z as the election nears and how to engage with such a unique political climate as a young person and someone who is voting for the first time in a presidential election,” said Palombo.
For Hutter, an economics major and philosophy minor, the chance to lead the conversation with Abrams continues one of her favorite parts of her role with E2024, where she gets to interview people and highlight their stories. “My goal with E2024 is to focus on the issues behind the candidates and the people behind the policies — to understand the voters as humans behind all the legislation talk,” said Hutter. “The work Stacey Abrams has paved for our generation, and the activist efforts she continues to do, brings forth a set of wisdom and experience unparalleled to many other politicians. Gen Z will be the newest and one of the most powerful voting blocs in this election, so it’s imperative that we vote like it.”
Working on E2024 has been both empowering and humbling for students like Hutter. It afforded students the opportunity to interview intriguing people, travel across the country to learn about issues affecting all parts of the country, and share the stories of others, from debates to protests while the group was in Washington, D.C., to visiting a new migration hotspot by the San Diego-Mexico border. “I quickly learned about the impact and value of our work upon spending this summer deeply invested in this project,” said Hutter. “I found that the best part of a conversation is in its shared silence — pulling over on the side of the road and truly listening to the stories that shape America. That is how we can speak as representatives of the Gen Z vote for the upcoming election.”
Abrams has built a broad portfolio across nonprofit, political, and business sectors. She co-founded the financial services firm NOWaccount Corp., Nourish, Inc., a beverage company with a focus on infants and toddlers, and Insomnia Consulting to specialize in development, investment, and consulting for complex infrastructure projects, including transportation, waste-by-rail transfer, energy, facilities, and water. Abrams and her business partner published “Level Up,” a guidebook for entrepreneurs.
Abrams is also the CEO of Sage Works Productions, Inc., an entertainment production company. She conceptualized and produced the Academy Awards-shortlisted documentary “All In: The Fight for Democracy” and wrote the New York Times bestselling books “Our Time is Now” and “Lead from the Outside.” She is also the author of the political thrillers “While Justice Sleeps” and “Rogue Justice,” two children’s books, and several romantic suspense novels, three of which are under development. She has been nominated for an Emmy and received the NAACP Image Award in 2021, 2022, and 2023.
The event, which is co-sponsored by Project Citizen, the Provost’s Office, Student Affairs, Media, Arts and a Just Society, and the Institute for Leadership Studies. The event is open to the LMU community, including students, staff, and faculty with an LMU OneCard upon entry. Space is limited and on a first-come, first-served basis.
Project Citizen was co-founded by Carol Costello, an award-winning journalist known for her reporting at CNN, and Amy Reynolds, the dean of Communication at Kent State University in Ohio. Costello, a lecturer in LMU’s Journalism Department and a special advisor and External Relations ambassador, leads the initiative with Tom Nelson, advisor to LMU student media, to give student-reporters the resources and guidance to produce impactful journalism. Their work on Project Citizen includes written, video, and podcast work.
