Rich Tafel is a pioneering leader with over 30 years of experience building coalitions that achieve transformative change, including historic civil rights and healthcare breakthroughs. From advocating for bipartisan AIDS funding in Washington, DC, to co-founding the Workplace Wellness Council in Mexico, he has consistently brought together diverse stakeholders to deliver innovative solutions.

He created the Cultural Translation © model to help leaders and organizations navigate complex challenges, align strategic goals with core values, and foster collaboration across polarized environments. This framework has been successfully applied in government, nonprofit, and corporate settings, earning accolades from high-profile clients like the U.S. Navy and the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM).

A graduate of Harvard Divinity School and former Assistant Minister at Harvard’s Memorial Church, Rich is CEO of Public Squared and Pastor of the Church of the Holy City in Washington, DC. His new book, The Cultural Translator: How to Reach People Who Think You’re the Problem, comes out April 13, 2027, from Forefront Books.

He helped draft the first U.S. legislation on AIDS in Africa (1999), served as Adolescent Health Director under Massachusetts Governor Bill Weld, testified before Congress, and was named one of the Ten Outstanding Young Americans (2001). His first book, Party Crasher, was published by Simon & Schuster in 1999.