Government Affairs, Public Policy, and Strategic Advisory Firm based in Washington DC

Forge Strategies, LLC is a Washington, DC area-based boutique government affairs, public policy, and strategic advisory firm helping clients navigate policy challenges in an increasingly complicated world.



We are not simply a door opener. We are a strategic partner crafting bespoke solutions for your biggest challenges to help you achieve success for the long haul. 

Our mission is to help clients engage with key government stakeholders to develop champions, mitigate risks, and optimize policy outcomes.



Let’s forge ahead together.



Services

  • Fractional Head of Government Affairs

  • Direct Advocacy and Lobbying

  • Government Stakeholder Mapping

  • Legislative and Regulatory Tracking

  • Public Policy Analysis

  • Public Policy Development

  • Budget and Appropriations Influencing

  • Message Development

  • Political Strategy and Political Action Committees (PAC)

  • Design and Execution of Holistic Influencing Strategies

  • Issue Campaigns and Coalition Building

Cisco C. Minthorn

President and Founder of Forge Strategies, LLC. 

Cisco C. Minthorn is the President and Founder of Forge Strategies, LLC. He is a public policy executive, attorney, political leader, and board director with 20 years of government and corporate experience. Cisco founded Forge Strategies, LLC after a career in all three branches of the U.S. federal government; as an in-house lawyer and lobbyist for a Fortune 50 tech company; and as an executive at a well-known global technology industry trade association. Cisco also served as Chairman of the Board of a privately held company. Cisco lives with his family in Alexandria, Virginia. He is active in local, state, and national-level politics, and is a member of the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation.

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  • United States Department of Commerce, Senior Advisor, Office of Secretary Penny Pritzker, Administration of President Barack Obama

    United States House of Representatives, Committee on Natural Resources, Counsel and Senior Advisor

    United States Senate, Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, Counsel

    United States Senate, Committee on Indian Affairs, Counsel

    Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation, Department of Justice, Law Clerk

    Commonwealth of Virginia, Board of Conservation and Recreation, Member (Gubernatorial Appointment)

    United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, Hon. John Corbett O’Meara, Judicial intern

  • Vice President of Government Affairs, Information Technology Industry Council (ITI)

    • Led International Trade, CHIPS Act, and U.S.-China Competition Issues for global trade association representing the information technology industry. Member companies include Google, Amazon, HP, Apple, Qualcomm, and over 70 other name brand companies.

    • Led CHIPS and Science Act lobbying which secured over $50 billion for U.S. semiconductor industry.

    Senior In-house Lawyer and Lobbyist for Intel Corporation

    • Built Intel’s Emerging Technologies (AI, Quantum, High-Performance Computing) Lobbying Practice.

    • Led Intel Federal LLC’s Government Affairs Strategy, resulting in significant federal investment into Aurora exascale project.

    • International Rotation in Brussels, Belgium, European Union, focused on EU science R&D investment.

    • Chief Liaison to Senate Democratic Caucus, Managing a quarter of $1 million PAC.

    Chairman of the Board of Directors, Cayuse Holdings, LLC

    • Oversaw significant growth and an international expansion of a 500-plus employee tribal holding company with $100 million in annual revenue, serving both government and commercial customers.

  • University of Michigan, Ann Arbor

    • Juris Doctor

    • Master of Urban Planning

    State University of New York at Buffalo

    • Bachelor of Arts

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