Carla V. Bernal is a seasoned funder and former Obama political appointee with over a decade of expertise in women’s empowerment, pro-democracy reform, and violence prevention. Carla is part of the Women’s Political Power portfolio at Pivotal Ventures, a Melinda French Gates company. In this role, Carla oversees a portfolio of investments that advances women’s political power and impact across the United States.

Prior to joining Pivotal Ventures, Carla played a significant role in building the $30M U.S. Democracy Program at the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation. There, she spearheaded a strategy focused on expanding voting access and bolstering election security. In 2021, Carla also launched and co-chaired a $5.75M fund to support nonprofits combating anti-Asian, Asian-American, and Pacific Islander (AAPI) hate.

During her tenure in President Obama’s Administration, Carla served as the Deputy White House Liaison at the U.S. Department of Justice, where she managed the Obama – Trump presidential transition of power at DOJ. She also served in the Office on Violence Against Women and partnered closely with then-Vice President Joseph R. Biden’s team and the White House Council on Women and Girls to enhance the federal interagency response to domestic and sexual violence.

Carla graduated Phi Beta Kappa with high distinction from UC Berkeley. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Rhetoric with a concentration in Public Discourse. She currently resides in the Bay Area, California with her partner and two pups.

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