Libby Cohen, Ph.D.

Libby joined Raise Your Hand Texas in August 2018 to lead the organization’s efforts to develop a grassroots advocacy network across the state. Previously, Libby worked as an organizer with the Industrial Areas Foundation in Baltimore, Maryland. There she worked with top neighborhood and institutional leaders to restore deep funding cuts to public schools; win a standards-setting community benefits agreement attached to the new Under Armour world headquarters; secure millions of dollars in improvements for West Baltimore neighborhoods; and clear interstate markets for illegal drugs, among other efforts.

Libby holds a PhD in economic and social history from the University of Oxford, where she was a Rhodes scholar. She earned a bachelor’s degree in English and public policy at the University of North Carolina, where she was a Morehead-Cain scholar.

Originally from Dallas, Libby is a sixth-generation Texan and is delighted to have the opportunity to strengthen public institutions in her native state. She is a lifelong student of ballet and fan of baseball, and she loves exploring the Austin barbecue scene with her husband, Jake.