Leslie Gross

Leslie Gross is a nationally-recognized strategic advisor with over 20 years of expertise in public policy and systems change. Throughout her career, she has advised cabinet secretaries, C-suite executives, and advocacy campaigns during times of national crisis and organizational transition. Leslie’s dedication to public service spans federal, state, and international arenas.

Currently, Leslie leads Advantage Insights, a government affairs and public policy firm that advises organizations, campaigns, businesses, and individuals. Before joining Advantage, she was a senior executive in philanthropy, government, and the nonprofit advocacy sector. Notably, she created the Soros Equality Fellowship at the Open Society Foundations, oversaw high-profile U.S. Senate investigations into Iraq and Afghanistan reconstruction, and launched the advocacy platform for the Mississippi Center for Justice.

During the Obama Administration, Leslie served as Deputy Assistant Secretary for Legislative Affairs at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, working on national security, disaster recovery, and immigration issues during events like Hurricane Sandy and the Boston Marathon bombing. Her earlier roles include serving as Chief Counsel of the U.S. Senate Democratic Policy Committee and Senior Policy Counsel in the U.S. House of Representatives. She began her career as a civil rights litigator, pioneering school-to-prison pipeline litigation and leading efforts to close one of the country’s most notorious juvenile justice facilities.

Leslie is a graduate of George Washington University Law School and the Annenberg Honors Program at Howard University’s School of Communications. She is a proud mother of a rower who competed in high school and now rows in college, with a story that closely mirrors the challenges and triumphs many athletes from underrepresented communities face. Leslie also served on the USRowing DEI Committee, furthering her commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion in the sport.