photo of Skye Perryman

Skye Perryman

President & CEO
Democracy Forward

Perryman grew up in Texas and is a proud product of its public schools. Perryman holds a Juris Doctor with honors from the Georgetown University Law Center and a Bachelor of Arts magna cum laude from Baylor University. Perryman began her legal career at Covington & Burling LLP and later practiced at WilmerHale where she handled complex, high-stakes matters at the intersection of law and policy.

Earlier in her career, she led programs to provide educational enhancements for underserved youth in central Texas public schools and was part of initial efforts to build coalitions between labor and environmental stakeholders supporting investment in renewable energy infrastructure. Perryman was a founding litigator of Democracy Forward Foundation in 2017. Prior to rejoining Democracy Forward in 2021, she served he as Chief Legal Officer and General Counsel of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, the nation’s premier organization of physicians dedicated to the health care of women, where she led a number of legal and policy initiatives to enhance access and equity in women’s health care.

She has received numerous accolades, including being named a Washington Rising Star by SuperLawyers for four consecutive years, a Top 40 Under 40 Trailblazer by the Leadership Center for Excellence, a Harry S. Truman Scholar, and receiving the Chuck F. C. Ruff Pro Bono Lawyer of the Year Award. Her work has been covered widely in the media, including by The New York Times, NPR, NBC, The Washington Post, The Houston Chronicle, and Teen Vogue.

Perryman’s community involvement includes:
Interfaith Alliance, Board Member & Chair, Public Policy Committee (2019-present)
Atlas Performing Arts Center, Board Member, Governance Committee, Development Committee (2015-present)
Baylor Line Foundation, Executive Committee Member, Governance Working Group Member (2018-present)

Programming descriptions are generated by participants and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of SXSW.

Events featuring Skye Perryman
Events featuring Skye Perryman