Opal Vadhan

Opal Vadhan is a distinguished public servant and trusted advisor who has worked at the highest levels of American political leadership. A former Senior Advisor to Vice President Kamala Harris, she previously spent five years supporting Secretary Hillary Rodham Clinton, making her one of the few people to have served in a high-trust role for the only two women to receive the Democratic nomination for President of the United States.

Vadhan began her career on Hillary Clinton's 2016 presidential campaign as a member of the national advance team. She went on to serve as Secretary Clinton's Executive Assistant and Trip Director from 2017 to 2021. During that time, she was also a collaborator on The Book of Gutsy Women, the New York Times bestselling book by Hillary Rodham Clinton and Chelsea Clinton.

In 2021, Vadhan joined the Biden-Harris administration as Special Assistant to the President and Personal Aide to Vice President Harris, supporting the Vice President throughout the administration and the historic 107-day presidential campaign.

Most recently, Vadhan served as a Pritzker Fellow and Practitioner in Residence at the University of Chicago Institute of Politics, where she designed and taught a seminar series drawing on more than a decade of experience at the intersection of American politics and public service.

A first-generation Indian American raised in Queens, New York, Vadhan's commitment to service extends well beyond government. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she worked full-time with World Central Kitchen, helping deliver more than eight million meals to New Yorkers in need. She is the recipient of the Luminary Award from She's the First, a nonprofit advancing girls' education in underserved communities. A sought-after speaker, moderator, and host, Vadhan has appeared at Harvard, Columbia, Pace University, the Clinton Presidential Center, and major conferences and galas for executive assistants, young professionals, students, and women in leadership.

Over the past decade, Vadhan has earned a reputation for her empathy, sound judgment, and ability to make others feel seen and heard.