Rich Tafel has spent his career bringing together coalitions of unlikely partners to address some of the most significant challenges of our time. Based on his experiences, he created the Cultural Translator training, designed to help participants improve their ability to understand different perspectives, navigate high-conflict challenges, and achieve sustainable results. 

A champion for civil society, Rich chairs the board of Citizen University, where he teaches young leaders the power of civic engagement. He also co-founded the American Project at Pepperdine School of Public Policy. 

In social entrepreneurship, Rich helped facilitate the nation’s first statewide social venture competitions in Michigan and co-founded the Workplace Wellness Council of Mexico. He also served as the Director of Raffa’s Social Capital Advisors, where he matched investors with social ventures. 

As an advocate, Rich worked in the public policy arena, assembling diverse coalitions to achieve historic civil rights and healthcare breakthroughs in the United States and worldwide. He served as Adolescent Health Director for the state of Massachusetts and taught as an adjunct lecturer at Johns Hopkins University. He also played a strategic role in the creation of PEPFAR. 

Rich is the author of Party Crasher and contributed a chapter to the award-winning book How to Heal Our Divides: A Practical Guide.