Hi👋🏻. I’m Mehran Khalili, a political consultant and strategist helping activists, NGOs, political organisations and changemakers increase their impact.
What I do
I help causes bridge the gap between radical ideas and real-world success, applying strategies that confront power, create impact, and make change happen. Whether it’s improving campaign effectiveness, crafting persuasive messages, or navigating the complex landscape of activism, I focus on delivering results with limited resources.
I’m deeply invested in questions like:
- Which tactics actually work to challenge the status quo, and why?
- How do we balance being ethical with being strategic?
- What makes certain messages stick in today’s noisy discourse?
- How can we achieve significant change with modest resources?
Why this matters
I believe in a pragmatic approach to activism: one that embraces the tension between ideals and tactics. You don’t have to sacrifice your values to make a real difference — you just need to be smart about how you apply them.
Whether you’re leading a movement or just looking to sharpen your arguments, you’ll find useful insights here. Start by exploring the archives or sign up for my newsletter to receive fresh analysis and ideas on how to supercharge your activism.
My experience
For the past 14 years, I’ve advised a range of organisations — from citizen media startups to global giants like the UNDP and WWF — on how to increase their impact. I co-founded the political consultancy Clearcase, and I’m an adviser to the Democracy In Europe Movement (DiEM25), where I host their live debates. I’ve also worked as a communications adviser to major tech companies, and was a management consultant with Andersen.
After hours (and sometimes before), I do black-and-white photography.