Octavia Abell

Octavia Abell is the Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Govern for America (GfA), a nonprofit working to build the next generation of public sector leaders by connecting dynamic recent graduates to impactful state and local government roles and supporting them to become government change agents.Prior to launching GfA, Octavia served as the Director of Strategy for the Rhode Island Office of Innovation where she led efforts to build government effectiveness and catalyze innovation across Rhode Island. Some of her landmark initiatives include: crafting the CS4RI initiative to bring computer science education to every K-12 public school in the state, spearheading a redesign of the state’s digital presence, and launching the Government Innovation League, a leadership development program for Rhode Island state employees. Octavia previously served on Governor Gina Raimondo’s policy team and and believes strongly that individuals can be powerful change agents within complex systems. She holds a BA in Political Economy and International Development from Tulane University.

Fellowship type: Justice Catalyst

Organization: Govern for America

Project name: Building the Next Generation of Public Sector Leaders