What We Do
Deliberate strategy for real results.
Auburn Advisors is a political, philanthropic and business advisory firm providing strategy and professional services to increase your impact, improve performance and produce solutions to overcome complex challenges.
Capabilities & Expertise
Strategy Development
Let’s understand, precisely, what you want, who can deliver it, and the best way to ask for (or compel) that action. These answers will then drive the tactics.
Strategic Philanthropy
Philanthropic advisors help donors decide where to invest. We work with philanthropists individually or as a complement to their donor advisor to leverage their giving and escalate their impact.
Idea Generation
We conceive and develop innovative concepts that meet strategic objectives, provide simple solutions to complex problems or support expanding your visibility and increasing your market share.
Thought Partnership
Whether weighing one decision or navigating a threat or crisis, we offer the perspective and judgment that helps clients achieve clarity.
DEI Done Differently
We approach DEI through the lens of harm reduction. We assess what is causing harm in one or more areas of diversity, equity and inclusion and provide recommendations to remedy.
After years of witnessing great people do good work that led to modest results, we developed a strategic process grounded in transitioning clients from putting “points on the board” to achieving a big win.
Our Process
We believe in open dialogue and honest conversations.
Before creating a scope of work, we invest time in understanding where you are now, where you want to go, and what genuinely matters to you. Auburn Advisors builds shared understanding and a relationship of trust that allows us to better serve your mission and objectives.
You deserve a thoughtful approach that delivers real results through actionable strategy.
Discovery
Planning
Research
Reconciliation
Finale
Who We Are
We are veteran strategists committed to real change.
Equipped with decades of experience in politics, policy and advocacy, we bonded over our mutual desire to help people learn what we know well—with a clear strategy, you can deliver bold action.
We have a nontraditional approach developed from our experience observing and counseling leaders as they make decisions. Whether presidents, governors, Members of Congress and other business and municipal leaders, in every strategy is our understanding of the ways in which authority responds to influence, and our value of discretion.
Jessica McCall
Co-Founder & CEO
Prior to co-founding Auburn Advisors, Jessica served in a variety of direct support and staffing roles in the administrations of President Barack Obama; former Governor of Michigan, Jennifer Granholm and Mike Duggan, Mayor of Detroit. Over the years, Jessica has provided strategic counsel to multiple congressional candidates and elected officials. As Vice President of External Affairs for Goodwill Detroit, she successfully advocated for over $4M in support of returning citizens in the state’s budget. Most recently, Jessica was a principal with the Raben Group, a Washington, DC-based public affairs firm. Jessica is a graduate of Michigan State University and resides in New York City.
Erika West
Co-Founder & President
Prior to co-founding Auburn Advisors, Erika served three years as legislative staff for U.S. Representative John Conyers, Jr., and in numerous state and federal electoral campaigns, including with the Michigan Democratic Coordinated Campaign, and the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. Erika has also served as Political Director at NARAL Pro-Choice America, and as a principal at the Raben Group, a Washington, DC-based public affairs firm. Erika has led groundbreaking message development projects for the reproductive freedom movement. Erika is a graduate of Howard University and George Washington University's Graduate School of Political Management, and resides in Maryland, outside of Washington, DC.
Auburn Advisors is named for one of history’s most effective strategists, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., born and raised on Auburn Avenue in Atlanta, GA. His work as a thoughtful student of power and leader of community inspires us daily.
