At Accelerate Strategies, we are more than consultants. We are catalysts for positive change in government, industry, and sport.
We are committed to doing work with integrity that empowers others and inspires action.
Advocacy is at the heart of everything we do. We work with our clients to shape public opinion and build partnerships to influence policy outcomes.
We deliver policy insight and provide strategic counsel to state and local governments, public agencies, trade associations, non-profit organizations and multinational corporations that operate in a complicated political environment and advise organizations and individuals that operate at the intersection of sports, politics and athlete well-being.
Whatever the industry or issue, our approach is informed by our experience and expertise, and our work is amplified by more than 20 years of relationships both inside and outside of government.
Meet the Team
We provide a unique point of view—blending Ray’s policy expertise and political connections with Meleana’s advocacy for systemic change in sports and beyond—to help our clients achieve their goals and build a brighter future.
Partner
Ray Bucheger
Ray is an experienced political strategist and policy advisor. Our work in government affairs and advocacy is guided by Ray’s experience representing state, county and local governments, public agencies, trade associations, nonprofit organizations, publicly traded and privately held companies, and multinational corporations that demand results. Our approach is steered by his experience and expertise, and our ability to deliver results is amplified by more than 20 years of relationships both inside and outside of government. Ray’s own personal commitment to seeking positive change in sport is driven by watching his kids play multiple sports, and his desire to ensure they both have a safe place to learn and thrive.
Partner
Mana Shim
Mana is a former professional soccer player, organizer and advocate. Our work in sports is informed by Mana's connection to soccer at the highest levels over the past decade, as a player in the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL), a Division I college coach, and an advisor on safeguarding and well-being within the Olympic movement. A graduate of the University of Hawaiʻi William S. Richardson Law School, her experience ranges from helping to write and implement the NWSL’s first sexual harassment policy to advocating for indigenous water rights in Hawaiʻi.
Senior Director of
Government Affairs
Madison Higginbotham
Madison worked on Capitol Hill for Senators Shelley Moore Capito and Lamar Alexander, handling appropriations and covering numerous issue portfolios, including sports, environment and public works, and foreign policy. Pulling from her previous Congressional experience and leveraging her extensive relationships on Capitol Hill and in the Executive Branch, Madison helps Accelerate clients achieve positive outcomes through the legislative and regulatory process. Madison graduated Cum Laude with a BA in Government from Wofford College, where she concentrated in International Affairs and American Politics. She is originally from Greeneville, Tennessee.
Associate Director of
Government Affairs and Sports Strategy
Meghan Flynn
Meghan has extensive experience in government affairs, having led advocacy efforts on Capitol Hill and lobbied for federal funding and education policy on behalf of a diverse portfolio of K–12 and higher education clients. Prior to working in government affairs, she was a Teach for America corps member in Hawai‘i, teaching special education classes at James Campbell High School on O‘ahu. Meghan played soccer at the University of Tennessee and earned a BA in Legal and Political Philosophy with a minor in Public Policy Analytics. She believes sport is a powerful tool for creating opportunity and shaping confident, capable leaders.