# Heather Podesta

> Heather Podesta is the Washington-based founder and CEO of Invariant, a bipartisan government relations, communications and business advisory firm founded in 2007 as Heather Podesta + Partners. A lawyer with experience in aviation and congressional tax policy, she is also a contemporary art collector and museum donor. Her firm adopted the Invariant name in 2017; in 2026, longtime colleagues announced the independent spinoff Determinant.

- **Role:** Founder and CEO at Invariant
- **Organizations:** Invariant, Heather Podesta + Partners, Blank Rome, Air Transport Association, Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles, Institute of Governmental Studies, UC Berkeley, Ford’s Theatre, Washington DC Police Foundation
- **Nationality:** American
- **Education:** University of California, Berkeley, Juris Doctor, University of Virginia School of Law
- **Known for:** Founded and continues to lead Invariant., Built a firm reporting 130 employees and more than 225 clients in its 2025 PRWeek profile., Co-donor of the Shepard Fairey Obama collage acquired by the National Portrait Gallery in 2009.

## Career timeline

- **Before 2002** — Worked in Senator Bill Bradley’s office, attended law school, practiced transportation law and served as assistant general counsel at the Air Transport Association.
- **2002** — Returned to Capitol Hill to work for House Ways and Means Committee Democrats.
- **2004** — Joined Blank Rome.
- **2007** — Founded Heather Podesta + Partners.
- **2009** — With Tony Podesta, helped give Shepard Fairey’s Obama portrait to the National Portrait Gallery.
- **2014** — The firm began hiring Republicans, according to its 2025 republication of The Information’s coverage.
- **2017** — Renamed the firm Invariant, effective March 29.
- **2026** — Announced independent spinoff Determinant, led by Mary Beth Stanton, with a continuing strategic relationship.

## Achievements

- Founded and continues to lead Invariant.
- Built a firm reporting 130 employees and more than 225 clients in its 2025 PRWeek profile.
- Co-donor of the Shepard Fairey Obama collage acquired by the National Portrait Gallery in 2009.
- Gift of Thomas Demand’s Wurstplatte recorded by MOCA.
- Recognized in the National Law Journal’s Washington 40 lawyers under 40 list, documented by UVA Law in 2009.

## Latest updates

- **2026-06** — Announced Determinant, an independent bipartisan firm led by Mary Beth Stanton; Bloomberg Government reported a planned July 1 opening and strategic links with Invariant.
- **2025-10** — Discussed tariffs, engagement with the Trump administration and preparation for the 2026 midterms in an Invariant Q&A.

## Links

- Website: https://weareinvariant.com
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heatherpodesta
- Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/HMPodesta

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/heather-podesta
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-10-06