Octavia Abell

Octavia Abell is a Visiting Fellow with The People Lab and the Co-Founder & Chief Executive Officer of Govern For America, a national nonprofit focused on building the next generation of public servants to create a more responsive government that better reflects and serves communities. Her work centers on the relationship between the public sector workforce, service delivery, and  trust in government. Octavia brings over a decade of experience working at the intersection of education, workforce development, and government innovation. Prior to launching Govern For America, she served as Director of Strategy for the Rhode Island Office of Innovation and on Governor Gina Raimondo’s policy team, where she led efforts including a statewide initiative to bring computer science education to every public school, a redesign of the state’s digital presence, and a first-in-the-nation leadership development program for state employees. She has served on the Advisory Board for the Berkeley Institute for Young Americans and been recognized as a Forbes 30 Under 30 Lister, Justice Catalyst Fellow, and StateScoop Top 50 Woman in Technology. Octavia holds a B.A. in Political Economy and International Development from Tulane University.