Finding Renewal in the Revolution
Shelby Cole describes her mission as “fighting fascism with whatever tools I have.” She is the Chief Mobilization Officer for the Democratic National Committee (DNC), leading a team that peaked at 90 during the 2024 presidential election cycle.
She has raised over $100 million for Democratic candidates and held senior leadership roles in some of recent history’s most high stakes campaigns. She also happens to be the sole Democrat in a family of conservatives from the American South—a position that affords her unique perspective on the current political climate.
“Working in politics, I’m always on…I don’t think there’s ever been a time my nervous system wasn’t a wreck,” she says with disarming candour. “And I’ve missed a lot of weddings and babies being born because of work.”
Shelby has the kind of high pressure career that leaves little room for pause…which is why Activate 2023 at Hollyhock made such an impact.
Activate is Hollyhock’s annual leadership summit for digital experts driving progressive change. Think of it as a master class in movement building. This 4-day event brings together top minds in digital campaigning – from political strategists and union activists to grassroots organizers, non-profit leaders, and advocacy campaigners.
A Ton of Fun by Accident
Shelby’s participation in Activate 2023 is what you might call a happy accident. Her husband, Jose Nunez, also a senior leader for the DNC at that time, was a speaker that year. Shelby arrived as his plus-one with no intention of participating.
“I was stressed out of my mind– in a terrible state when I arrived. I thought I was just there for a vacation,” she laughs. “But everyone was so welcoming. I ended up fully participating in the program—and having a ton of fun by accident.” So much so, she made the decision to return to Hollyhock for Activate 2024 at the absolute height of the US presidential election cycle…a bold decision for someone in her role.
“I told myself I was making choices to have more of a life,” she says, “and going to Activate was part of claiming that. It was a good choice.”
The Hollyhock Effect
Shelby says what makes Activate different from other leadership retreats is the intentional combination of people, place, and process.
“It’s not a conference,” she says. “I had like 10,000 enlightening conversations in the course of four days… It feels so much more open and accessible and curious.”
Unlike traditional leadership gatherings with panels and PowerPoints, Activate creates space for genuine connection. Shelby hilariously (and affectionately) refers to her fellow attendees as “campers”—a reflection of the summer-camp-for-adults vibe.
“It’s like mixing a friend group,” Shelby explains. “There are familiar faces, and always a new mix of amazing people. You never know what will come of the conversations.”
The heartbeat of the event is the location itself, magnificent Cortes Island, featuring coastal rainforest, expansive beaches, and clear waters.
“I’ll never forget landing on Cortes in that tiny plane and just feeling this wash of calm,” she says. “Being in nature, getting outside my usual environment—it hits reset in a way that’s impossible to find anywhere else.”
“It is the most healing place…everyone is able to be so open and earnest with each other in a way that is only possible being in this place together.”
A Brain Shift
At Activate, Shelby found herself in conversations about everything from voting rights protection to forest policy, from cross-border collaboration to burnout recovery.
“I will never forget some members of the group talking about policies to protect old-growth forests,” she recalls. “It really shifted my brain.”
“Here in the States, we’re debating whether kids should have guns at school. And in Canada, they’re talking about protecting forests. It isn’t that one thing is better or worse than the other—it just was such an interesting conversation about values.”
Inspiration came in many forms. Shelby says, “A keynote about voting rights protection was really important for me to hear. As someone whose whole goal is to send people to the ballot box, I don’t always think about the experience they have there—and even less about the people receiving the ballots who are under attack. I remember being in tears learning about the courage of those people.”
Lasting Change
Shelby has stayed connected with many of the people she met at Activate—some of whom have already visited her in Washington, D.C.
One such connection led to Canadian labour leaders attending the Democratic National Convention. “Someone asked if I had any way to get people into the convention,” Shelby recalls. “I found a volunteer link and shared it. Then Laurie Antonin and some of her co-workers from the Canadian Labour Congress came and had the time of their lives.”
Another Activate relationship eventually led Shelby’s husband to leave his job and co-found a company, Contrast Campaigns. “That decision changed my life too,” she says.
There’s also been a shift in Shelby’s approach to everyday wellness. “After Activate, I spend more time in the park across the street from my house,” she explains. “That might not sound like a big deal, but for me, it is…I am so addicted to work, it’s not healthy. But Hollyhock reminds me to go outside.”
Going Forward
As for what’s next for Shelby, she says, “It feels very privileged to say this, but I’m in this position where I get to help figure out how we rebuild from here. And I take that very seriously.”
Asked what she’d want funders to know about Hollyhock, she didn’t hesitate: “Hollyhock changed my life. It changed my husband’s life. And I don’t say that lightly. This place matters.”
To sum it up, Shelby says, “Activate calms me down in the best way. I come back feeling peaceful, clear…energized to continue the fight for democracy.”
