12. Rosario Dawson & Maria Teresa Kumar
Founders of Voto Latino, How To Engage Citizens
What:
With mobile tech and grassroots savvy, Dawson and Kumar encourage participation from a growing constituency
How can small changes drive results?
Dawson: “Whenever we do voter registration, we ask, “Why haven’t you voted before?’ The response is often, “No one’s asked us.’ It’s not about telling people what to do–it’s about sharing what they can do.”
Kumar: “By simply sending young Latinos texts on Election Day, participation increased close to 8%.”
In what way can you humanize politics?
Kumar: “We did a telenovela spoof so people could see themselves in it. It was very over the top. Rosario was about to get married to Wilmer Valderrama, but she learned he wasn’t registered to vote.”
Dawson: “My sister tells me, “Did you know that he’s not registered?!’ and I’m like, “I don’t even know you!’ to Wilmer.”
How can tech be better leveraged in politics?
Kumar: “We have to spend a lot of our time getting people to register to vote, which we do with technology, but what should be happening is secretaries of state should allow everyone to register online.”
Click here to see head-to-head responses to these questions from Dawson and Kumar, plus Purpose founder Jeremy Heimans, and Popvox founder Marci Harris, Nos. 11 and 13 on our Most Creative People list.
Timeline
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1995
Dawson makes her debut film appearance in Kids
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2003
Hispanic Magazine names Kumar as one of the most influential Latinas in government
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2004
Kumar and Dawson found Voto Latino
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2004
Dawson wins Rising Star Award at the American Black Film Festival
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2008
Dawson becomes a spokesperson for tripadvisor.com’s philanthropic campaign, More Than Footprints
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2008
NBCUniversal signs Kumar as an MSNBC Political Contributor
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2009
Dawson wins NAACP Image Award for outstanding actress in a motion picture for Seven Pounds
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2009
Kumar cofounds Fastfwd Group, a boutique marketing firm
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2009
Poder magazine names Kumar among the 40 most influential Latinos under 40
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2011
Poder magazine adds Kumar to its list of 100 most influential Latinos in the U.S.
