Steele earned a
Political Science B.A. at
Tufts University and an
International History M.A. from the
London School of Economics. Steele was a policy analyst for several years in
Washington, D.C., on
Capitol Hill, where she helped fundraise for Democratic causes and candidates. Steele was friends with
Kamala Harris and helped her in her first race for District Attorney and throughout her career. She moved to the
San Francisco Bay Area and spent eight years as advisor to Democratic activist and
Esprit Clothing co-founder
Susie Tompkins Buell. Steele co-founded
Emerge California in 2002, which uses classes and training programs to prepare Democratic women in California to successfully run for office. In 2005, Steele founded
Emerge America, and
MSNBC to discuss campaigns, current events and politics. == References ==