Holly Harris

Holly Harris oversees all legislative campaigns at the federal and state levels and across all of Arnold Venture’s portfolios.

Previously, Holly was President of the Network, an organization that connected bold leaders on both sides of the aisle to big ideas, resulting in progress on issues ranging from infrastructure to organ donation reform.

Prior to founding the Network, Holly led the Justice Action Network and was a driving force behind the First Step Act, a landmark criminal justice reform bill signed by President Trump in 2018. Holly later led a campaign in support of the bipartisan Fair Chance Act and testified before Congress in support of the bill, which opened federal employment to people with records. At the state level, she drove successful second-chance legislation and sentencing reforms in states across the country. In support of this work, Holly regularly appeared on TV from Fox News to MSNBC, and published pieces in the New York Times, Washington Post, and Foreign Affairs, and more.

Holly was named Advocate of the Year by the Women in Government for her work supporting second chances for women and has been named to Washingtonian Magazine’s Most Influential People three times. She was also recognized as one of Washington’s Most Powerful Women, presented with an Outstanding Leadership Award by the Pennsylvania Legal Aid Society, and served as producer for a team that won a Pollie Award for issue advocacy.  

Holly began her career as a television news reporter in Lexington, KY, and later attended law school at the University of Kentucky, where she won state and national litigation awards. After graduation, she litigated high-profile whistleblower and Eighth Amendment cases at the Justice Cabinet. She was appointed General Counsel and Finance Chair for the Republican Party of Kentucky, and later served in senior roles, including chief of staff, for numerous elected officials.

Holly lives in Kentucky with her son Harris and beagle Slugger, all of whom are die-hard UK basketball fans.