Silicon Valley’s Army of Advocates in Washington

When it comes to squashing the dreams of starry-eyed entrepreneurs, nothing beats Washington (DC), where even the strong don’t always survive. It’s easy to ignore regulators and lawmakers when you’re a tiny startup in a WeWork space. But there may come a time in the life of a (successful) startup when the realization dawns that the company is about to get screwed over by Washington in a way that could actually hurt revenue. That moment can hit relatively early in a company’s life (see: Uber, Lyft, Airbnb) or late (see: Microsoft circa 1993). But when it does, even Silicon Valley’s largest companies can find themselves at the mercy of cynical twentysomething congressional aides and their technologically clueless bosses. Industry incumbents regularly try to convince their friends in Congress or regulatory agencies to stifle new competitors and protect their businesses. It’s hard to succeed when you’re in the capital’s cross hairs. But the people on this list are among the lobbyists and advocates helping tech companies -- large and small -- navigate the mystifying world of Washington in an effort to keeping innovation flourishing.