Exit Interview: Building Democracy's Highway with Erin Hill

At eight years old, Erin Hill announced she wanted to be president. At twenty-something, she joined a four-person political tech startup because she believed small-dollar donors could change democracy. Seventeen years later, she walked away from ActBlue after helping it process nearly $11 billion in political contributions.Erin's journey reveals what happens when public service meets entrepreneurship during the most transformative period in political fundraising history. From opening envelopes filled with five-dollar checks from first-time donors to leading a technology company through presidential elections, she shares the rarely told story of building infrastructure that holds democracy together.Through the 2009 crisis that nearly killed the organization, the relentless pressure of doubling volume every election cycle, and the isolation of leading when failure isn't an option, Erin explores what it means to carry responsibility for other people's dreams. She discusses the physical toll of the 2020 election, why she wished she'd built peer networks sooner, and the moment she realized the work had outgrown her.Key topics:Growing up in a family where public service was "part of the fabric"Joining a startup at the intersection of politics and technologyThe 2009 organizational crisis and how they survived itScaling from millions to billions while maintaining trustWhy leadership became more isolating as the company grewThe difference between being irreplaceable and being stuckHow to know when your leadership chapter is completeBuilding systems that outlast the founderThis conversation challenges the myth that great leaders should never step down and reveals why sometimes the most courageous decision is knowing when to let go.