“I will do my part in bringing fresh ideas and new voices to local politics.”

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Age: 35

Owner, Exponent Strategies

Doran Moreland discovered political science at Indiana University. After graduating in 2000, his real education in politics began, working for Indianapolis Mayor Bart Peterson, then U.S. Sen. Evan Bayh.

For the past two years, his clients at Exponent Strategies have benefited from Moreland’s knowledge of the workings of government and his knack for building relationships.

His company helps clients navigate government regulations, offering policy analysis, communications advocacy and alliance development.

“I knew some of the relationships I had had and the policy work I’d done was worth something,” said Moreland, who graduated from Pike High School and is finishing a master’s in public affairs at IUPUI.

His company also works with West Lafayette-based DelMar Information Technologies in selling voting software that relies on voting centers instead of precincts.

As a special assistant to Peterson, Moreland accompanied the Democrat mayor throughout his day, seeing that issues that were raised would be directed to the right person in city government.

In 2004, Moreland joined Bayh’s office as central Indiana regional director, regularly visiting 26 counties as the senator’s representative.

“My job was to take the work being done on Capitol Hill and translate it, explain how it worked, to the community,” said Moreland.

He left in 2009 for the private sector. Moreland spent a year working in public relations, where he learned the practicalities of finding clients and billing for time.

He is on the board of the Indianapolis Public Schools Education Foundation, and is also involved with 100 Black Men of Indianapolis and the Center for Leadership Development.

His wife, Kristen Moreland, was recognized in the Forty Under 40 class of 2009. They have two daughters—Sloane, 4, and Quinn, 8 months.•