Pakou Hang is the Principal in an immigrant- and women-owned consulting firm that works with community and grassroots organizations to access power and resources. The firm focuses on strategic and logistical planning, civic and voter engagement, and legislative advocacy.
Currently, Pakou works with a number of partners, including the New American Leaders Project, CAPI, the Latino Economic Development Center, and Wellstone Action!. Prior to her work as a Consultant, she was the Voter Protection Director for the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party and Deputy Vice President of Field Operations for the Children's Defense Fund in Washington, D.C. Pakou has also served as the Minnesota Field Director for America Votes, Deputy Political Director for United States Senator Paul Wellstone's 2002 re-election campaign, and Campaign Manager for Minnesota State Senator Mee Moua's historical 2002 special election.
Pakou graduated from the University of Minnesota with a Masters in Political Science in 2008, specializing in political psychology and a B.A. from Yale University in 1999, where she focused on international and comparative politics. She has conducted extensive research on voting behavior among New Americans and is well-versed in focus groups and statistical and survey data analysis. In 2007, she contributed two essays to the book, Voices of Hope: The Story of the Jane Addams School for Democracy. Pakou is a recipient of the prestigious Hubert H. Humphrey Public Leadership Award, the Paul and Daisy Soros Fellowship for New Americans, and the newly inaugurated 2011 Bush Leadership Fellowship.