Howdy! Ulysses Strategies is a full-service consulting shop based out of Colorado.

Here’s what we do:

  • Whether you are running for office or running a ballot initiative, we can help manage your campaign. We have experience running a variety of campaigns from grassroots races with zero money to multi-million independent expenditures and everything in between. We have specialized experience preparing candidates at all levels of government for debates, including Governor Jared Polis, Senator John Hickenlooper, and countless local elected officials in Colorado.

    We can help you:

    Write and manage your budget

    Create your win plan

    Hire and manage consultants

    Build your coalition

    Develop policy and win endorsements

    Communicate your message

    Develop and implement earned and paid media strategies

    Debate prep

  • We hate bureaucracy as much as you do, and we know the way out of it. Whether you’re building an initiative across government agencies, planning an outreach initiative, or hosting a major conference, we’ve got you covered. We have one of the largest networks in Colorado politics built on trust and success.

    We can help you:

    Plan a successful event of any size

    Develop a legislative initiative

    Interact with state and federal agencies

    Liaise between government agencies

    Create an outreach or political plan

    Speak to media

    Draft earned media pieces

  • We have successfully navigated organizations and campaigns out of impossible situations no one wants to find themselves in. Trust us: we’ve seen some shit. Whether you are in a crisis or simply planning an outreach initiative, we’re here to help you tell your story.

    We can help:

    Develop talking points

    Get out of a mess

    Create an outreach plan

    Draft earned media pieces

    Tell you when you’re wrong — we’re not in the business of spin; we’re in the business of truth and doing the right thing.

  • We believe that managers work for their teams, not the other way around. We have a proven track record of success in executive leadership roles and have developed theories and strategies to coach others to perform at the highest level.

    We can help you:

    Create a strategic plan

    Problem solve

    Clarify your goals

    Develop leadership skills

    Communicate effectively

    Manage work/life balance

    Prepare for interviews, conferences, and important meetings

    Manage up, down, and in between

  • We have hired for hundreds of positions in non-profits and state/federal government offices, including directors of state agencies and for candidates to recommend for federal judicial and agency positions. We believe that diversity isn’t an accident, but something that must be practiced and refined.

    We can help you:

    Recruit candidates for a position

    Create a search committee or hiring board

    Plan and implement your hiring process

    Interview candidates

    Develop strategies to attract the right candidate for the job

GRIT, CREATIVITY, AND CONSISTENCY

Ulysses Strategies is a full-service consulting firm with over eight cycles of winning political campaign experience across the state, and a track record of overcoming impossible odds to get big things done in the halls of Congress, the Colorado General Assembly, and various state agencies.

We believe in making a plan, sticking to it, and using a little grit and creativity to help you achieve your goals.

OUR TEAM

SHAD MURIB: Shad is a results-driven strategist with a passion for putting people first and building programs that create measurable results for individuals, campaigns, and organizations of all sizes.

Shad has over 15 years of leadership experience and senior roles in non-profit organizations and various government offices and agencies, including eight cycles of political campaign experience. He and Kerry also run the Copper Bar Ranch, a working cattle and beef ranch out of Edwards, Colorado.

From his beginnings as his high school’s volunteer coordinator for John Kerry’s presidential campaign to his most recent experience as State Director for U.S. Senator John Hickenlooper following the successful 2020 campaign, Shad has managed projects that empower organizations to achieve at a high level and have a positive impact on the lives of Coloradans.

Prior to forming Ulysses Strategies, Shad helped lead Hickenlooper’s successful 2020 campaign and Governor Jared Polis’s 2018 campaign as a senior aide, and was Chief of Staff for the Colorado Senate Democrats, engaging with businesses, non-profit organizations, and political organizations to identify and achieve shared objectives that improved Coloradans’ quality of life, as well as crafting creative public affairs campaigns to influence media coverage of the General Assembly. During this time, he also led the caucus’s multi-million dollar campaign to elect Democrats to the State Senate, working with progressive stakeholders to run effective winning campaigns. He has served as a Legislative Assistant in the Washington D.C. office of Congressman Jared Polis, handling health care, gun safety, marijuana, animal welfare, and Labor issues in his portfolio. Shad also served as Government & Public Affairs Director for Secretary of State Jena Griswold.

Shad has been at the center of some of Colorado’s highest-profile recent policy and political battles, including a restructuring of the state’s budget, drafting and passage of comprehensive campaign finance reform and the 2019 update to Colorado’s voter laws to expand access to the ballot for communities of color, tribal members, and young people.

He has led organizations of all sizes through campaign and program development, hiring for hundreds of positions including the entire state operation for Senator Hickenlooper, and managed Governor Jared Polis’s process to hire Executive Directors for the Colorado Department of Local Affairs and the Colorado Department of Transportation. Shad was born and raised in Colorado and graduated from the University of Colorado, Boulder.

Contact Shad: shad@ulyssesstrategies.com

 

KERRY DONOVAN: Kerry Donovan has most recently served as State Senator for Colorado’s Senate District 5, a district encompassing seven counties across Western Colorado, and one of the most competitive Senate seats in the state’s recent history.

She won her first election in 2014 and her re-election in 2018, and has served in leadership roles as Chair of the Senate Agriculture Committee, President Pro Tempore, and Majority Whip. Prior to her service to the state, Kerry served on the Vail Town Council. Kerry has served as an educator at the Vail Ski & Snowboard Academy (VSSA). At VSSA, Kerry worked with young elite athletes to assist them with strategies to complete their education while also pursuing their athletic careers. Kerry also earned a reputation as a stellar fundraiser and event coordinator, organizing and managing high-value exclusive private events in the Vail Valley for non-profits. Kerry and Shad also run The Copper Bar Ranch, a working cattle and beef ranch out of Edwards, Colorado.

Kerry’s career in the State Senate is marked by numerous accomplishments, including the establishment of Public Lands Day, a key component of luring the Outdoor Retailer show and its $45 million annual impact to Colorado in 2015. She is the architect of two policy initiatives with certain multi-generational impact: a state-guaranteed portable benefits plan for workers, and also the nation’s first state-sponsored public option for health insurance. Kerry has also developed coalitions with agricultural leaders, environmentalists, and cities and counties to chart the state’s water future, and implement the Colorado Water Plan by passing Prop DD, a sports gambling initiative to fund critical water programs.

Kerry has also facilitated millions of dollars of investment towards expansion of high-speed internet in Colorado, defended agriculture, and expanded access to care for survivors of sexual violence who were previously denied coverage by Medicaid. Kerry was born and raised in Colorado and graduated from the University of Notre Dame.

Contact Kerry: kerry@ulyssesstrategies.com

 

PRAISE

“Shad has been instrumental to building our Senate team and ensuring every Coloradan has a seat at the table," Hickenlooper said in a statement.

"His relentless optimism, work ethic, and dedication will serve him well as a small business owner. We thank him for his commitment to service and Colorado, and we wish him the best in his new endeavor.”

- U.S. Senator and former Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper

“Kerry has a passion for public service. We need fighters for working people right now and in Kerry, you’ve got one. I’m proud to endorse her for the Colorado State Senate.”

- President Joe Biden