Octavia Abell

Octavia Abell is an experienced public sector innovator and the Co-Founder & Chief Executive Officer of Govern For America. She brings a decade of experience working at the intersection of education, workforce development, and government innovation and has a proven track record of building cross-sector partnerships to catalyze resources towards improving community outcomes. Prior to launching Govern For America, Octavia served as the Director of Strategy for the Rhode Island Office of Innovation and on Rhode Island Governor Gina Raimondo’s policy team where she led efforts to build government effectiveness and develop innovative models to address public challenges. Some of her landmark initiatives include: crafting a state-wide initiative to bring computer science education to every K-12 public school in the state, spearheading a redesign of the state’s digital presence to better support residents in navigating government systems, and launching the Government Innovation League, a first-in-the-nation leadership development program for state employees. 

She has been recognized for her work in government and policy-adjacent spaces as a member of the Forbes 30 Under 30 Class of 2020, a Justice Catalyst Fellow, and a Top 50 Woman in Technology by StateScoop.  She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Political Economy and International Development from Tulane University.