From the serene landscapes of Wilmington, North Carolina, to the iconic halls of the White House, serial entrepreneur and tech visionary Chazz Clevinger has been there and done that, going on to become the visionary founder of a multi-million dollar technology company that boasts a large client roster including Niagara Water, FreedomWorks, University of Connecticut, and the Digital Restaurant Association. His rise from the Port City on the Cape Fear River, which most know only as the hometown of Michael Jordan or the filming location of Dawson’s Creek, epitomizes the American Dream.
Splitting his time between Puerto Rico and Washington DC., Clevinger is the founder and CEO of the AI-powered advocacy technology known as CiviClick. Launched in February 2023, CiviClick has drastically changed how public affairs professionals, special interest groups and everyday people can leverage digital technology to impact public policy change.
The journey begins with an unassuming backdrop: a landscape of a peaceful, yet burgeoning community, and the simplicity that often accompanies life in a coastal town. In this setting, Clevinger’s early years were defined by the values of hard work, perseverance and a strong sense of community, despite facing grave uncertainties.
“The beauty of youth is the belief that you can change the world,” Clevinger says. “That belief evolved and certainly got beaten and bruised over the years, but it never really left me. I think most young people suffer from a certain degree of naivete, and I was no different. But I remember back when I was in college that I was full of hopes and dreams.”
Clevinger was the straight-A, two-term student body president of Cape Fear Community College in downtown Wilmington, and later transferred to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill where he obtained a double major in political science and ancient history, graduating Phi Beta Kappa with distinction and departmental honors. He believed that he could use the University of North Carolina as a “springboard to anywhere in the world,” and shares that he had some wonderful professors who helped cultivate that belief.
From there, he took on a position with the White House in the Office of Strategic Initiatives where he conducted confidential research for the George W. Bush administration. After working in the White House, Clevinger ran various political and public affairs campaigns as a consultant, including everything from small, local races to national and statewide campaigns.
At that point in his life, Clevinger’s goal was to go to an Ivy League law school and eventually run for Congress. He gained acceptance to the University of Michigan’s law school, but that goal shifted, as at the same time he had the opportunity to become the CEO of a prominent advocacy technology company.
“That was probably one of the toughest decisions of my life because on one hand, Michigan Law was the culmination of all of my hard work as a young man, but then on the other hand, there were the practical concerns of not making any money for three years as a law student and giving up the high income that I would be able to make as a technology entrepreneur” he says. “I felt like I would make a big impact either way I went, but as life often has it, you’re faced with important forks in the road.”
Clevinger chose the path of the technology entrepreneur — a road that would later result in his founding CiviClick.
CiviClick’s technology creates new and innovative ways for everyday people to connect with lawmakers at the local, state, federal and international levels to impact policy change.
“CiviClick is meant to be a public good, to enable groups from the largest corporations to the smallest mom-and-pop nonprofits make their voices heard by lawmakers,” Clevinger says.
Image provided by Ascend Agency
Clevinger has been in the advocacy and civic technology space for the last decade and a half, and has been an executive at four different public affairs and government relations technology companies including CQ Roll Call, Phone2Action, OneClickPolitics, and of course, CiviClick.
He has earned numerous awards for his contributions to politics and public affairs, including Best Advocacy Technology Platform, Best Grassroots Advocacy Campaign, Best Advocacy Advertising Campaign, and Best Advocacy Website from Campaigns and Elections and the prestigious “40 under 40 Award” from the American Association of Political Consultants.
Reflecting on his journey, Clevinger humbly states, “I used to wish that I could take the time to go back to law school, but I realized that we make the choices we make in life, and I don’t regret it. It put me on this very interesting and very rewarding trajectory of being one of the major thought leaders in my niche industry.”
Clevinger’s impact extends beyond personal accolades and his own professional journey. His path continues to shape the landscape of advocacy, public affairs, and civic technology, all while making his home state of North Carolina immensely proud of his achievements.
Public affairs is a realm that impacts us all–and CiviClick is designed to help advocacy groups large and small reach lawmakers with AI-powered campaigns.
“CiviClick enables people of all races, creeds, genders, and ideas to have their voice heard.”
By pushing the boundaries of what is possible in the realm of digital advocacy, Clevinger has become a beacon of inspiration for aspiring entrepreneurs and change-makers throughout the country with his innovative use of AI and machine learning.
“AI has the power to shape every aspect of daily life, and civic technology is no different,” the tech entrepreneur says. “Our proprietary blend of human-driven content, which provides a structured learning model for AI, is keeping us on the cutting edge of our industry.”
For those interested in joining his mission and learning more about the transformative work of CiviClick, be sure to check out their website, and support Chazz Clevinger on his journey of reshaping digital advocacy.
The news and editorial staffs of the Chicago Tribune had no role in this post’s preparation.
