UC Berkeley

Chair of the National Advisory Council at the Institute of Governmental Studies at University of California, Berkeley
Professor: Political Science 105

Obai Rambo - UC Berkeley student

As an African American child growing up in the Bay Area, Obai Rambo was politically aware – and politically involved – at a very young age. Issues of social and environmental equity particularly engaged him, and when he matriculated at the University of California, Berkeley, it came as no surprise to anyone who knew him that he chose political science as his major.

 In the United States, the tried-and-true means for effecting societal change is through the political process. Rambo understood this and was determined to learn the nuances and practice of the political crafts as quickly and as thoroughly as possible.

And as luck would have it, he met someone at Berkeley who was both willing and able to mentor him: Darius Anderson.

“I met Darius when I took his course at Cal on lobbying in California,” says Rambo, “and he really made me understand how the state legislature works. I saw that it wasn’t just a means for advancing big corporate interests – it was also a tool for social justice. It could be used by fair housing advocates and by labor. I saw that it gave people who weren’t members of the state legislature the means to affect policy and exact change. And that was a very valuable lesson.”

At that point, Rambo did what any intelligent and highly motivated university student does when encountering a knowledgeable professor: he tried to extract every possible iota of information.

“I constantly sought out Darius, and just kept asking questions,” says Rambo. “And he was always accommodating, always encouraging, answering every question I asked, never getting impatient. Sometimes we talked about the class, sometimes he gave me career advice, and sometimes we just idly discussed whatever came to mind. It was all valuable to me.”

If Rambo appreciated Anderson for his depth of knowledge and accessibility, the esteem was mutual: Anderson was impressed with Rambo’s quick intellect, wit, and dedication. When Rambo graduated, Anderson offered a position at his lobbying firm, Platinum Advisors.

“I spent a year there, and it was a lifechanging experience,” recalls Rambo. “Here I was, a guy in his early 20s, and I was given hands-on work on important projects. Both Darius and his Chief Operations Officer, Marisol Lopez, did everything possible to help me along. It opened doors for me and really gave me a foundation for my career.”

His time at Platinum Advisors also helped Obai fully understand the full implications of government relations. While lobbying is a powerful mechanism for enforcing change, Obai observes, it can be a double-edged sword – one that can hurt as well as heal. Spending extended periods of time with Anderson and the Platinum team allowed Obai the scope to chart his own course, determining what was best for himself and the causes he wanted to champion.

“There can be a high level of tension – even apprehension – in this profession,” Obai says, “because at a certain point you must come to terms with your own values. And if you’re a responsible human being, you align your business with those values.  It’s certainly possible, for example, to lobby for both a general contracting firm and a trades union – particularly if the contractor is building affordable housing. Darius helped me develop the insight to make those kinds of assessments possible.”

Finally, Obai credits Anderson with recognizing the value of simple candor in daily business.

“He’s open – what you see with Darius is what you get,” Obai says. “That really came across when he was mentoring me, and it has become my approach and philosophy as well. If I’m going to engage with you professionally, I need to have a real conversation with you. I need to get a sense of who you are.”