APAICS president & CEO Madalene Xuan-Trang Mielke interviews rising campaign rockstar Mary Lou Akai-Ferguson, about her career and insights for the next generation.

Mary Lou Akai-Ferguson Bio
Mary Lou Akai-Ferguson is a progressive organizer & political activist with a focus on outreach and turnout in immigrant communities. Most recently, she served as campaign manager for Michelle Wu’s campaign for mayor of Boston, leading the effort to elect the first woman and first person of color as mayor of the city. After their victory, Mary Lou continued as Chief of Staff to the mayor. Prior to running Michelle Wu’s campaign, she served as Elizabeth Warren’s Midwest Organizing Director and AAPI Outreach Director during her 2020 presidential campaign. Before entering politics, Mary Lou was a high school algebra teacher.