Ishan Daya · ChicagoBuilding and scaling organizations and public systems that work for working people.
Co-founder and Co-Executive Director of the Institute for the Public Good. Fifteen years in Chicago as an organizer, political strategist and entrepreneur — I co-founded and scaled Crafty to 250+ people operating across the globe, and now work on progressive tax policy, expanding the public good and public systems that neighbors can see and feel, and building a more representative democracy.
Current work
01Institute for the Public Good
A 501(c)(3) doing policy research and legislative work on progressive revenue, municipal finance, and building a dignified life for working people — from City Council ordinances to Springfield.
2025 — now
Treatment Not Trauma
Campaign to create and scale non-police crisis response and re-open and scale public mental health centers across Chicago. Helped win a referendum with over 90% of the vote and the city budget fights that followed.
2022 — now
Civic Tools
Public, digital tools that make budgets, taxes and local legislation legible to the people they affect.
Ongoing
Fractional COO, Facilitation & Coaching
Operating support for movement and policy organizations that are growing faster than their systems.
Ongoing
Previously
Full background →Helped lead the Uncommitted National Movement (2024) · Co-founded The People's 32nd · Co-founder and Co-CEO of Crafty · Consultant at McKinsey & Company
Recent news & writing
All news & media →Also in Crain’s, the Sun-Times, the Tribune, City Bureau, In These Times and on WTTW’s Chicago Tonight.
Working on something that should exist? Let's talk.
Press, speaking, advisory work or a civic tool idea — send a note below and I'll get back to you. Or find me on LinkedIn ↗