Rayan Semery-Palumbo

About Rayan Semery-Palumbo

I\'ve lived the American Dream and the American Nightmare. I grew up broke, spending years homeless with my mom and sisters — because work didn\'t pay what we deserved.I went on to earn full scholarships to Yale and Oxford, become a Rhodes Scholar, and complete a Ph.D. studying why our country abandons the people who built it.Today, as part of One Fair Wage, I help lead strategy and narrative for the Living Wage For All coalition, working to raise wages to a true living wage across the country. I\'m a Fellow at the Economic Security Project, where I work on worker-centered responses to AI and automation — starting with protections for rideshare drivers facing the autonomous vehicle transition. I\'m also developing the idea of Recovered Wages: that cash support for workers isn\'t charity, but partial repayment of value created and never compensated.I\'m a contributing author to a book by Saru Jayaraman called \"What Has Democracy Done For Me Lately?\"(The New Press, 2026). The thesis: if work doesn\'t pay, democracy doesn\'t work.I write at American Dreams & Nightmares: whom much is given, much is required. Please reach out anytime: c••••••@rayansemerypalumbo.comFrom Arizona. Living in New York City.

Experience

1. Director of Narrative Strategy

   One Fair Wage

   Sep 2025 — Present

   Directing national narrative strategy for One Fair Wage and Living Wage For All — a coalition of 100+ labor, civil rights, and community organizations fighting to raise wages to a true living wage and end all subminimum wages in America.I help lead the narrative and messaging that powers the coalition while contributing to research, federal advocacy, and national coalition-building. Building the case that the affordability crisis is a wage crisis — and that raising wages is how we restore trust in democracy.We are supporting campaigns across 9 states and Washington, D.C, including:‣ New York — $30/hour legislation for all workers, no exceptions‣ California — $30/hour measures in Los Angeles and the Bay Area, including incarcerated workers‣ Washington, D.C. — living wage ballot measure‣ Illinois, Maryland, Michigan — statewide living wage campaigns50% of U.S. workers earn less than $25/hour. Subminimum wages for tipped, disabled, and incarcerated workers are a direct legacy of slavery. One job should be enough to live on. If work doesn’t pay, democracy doesn’t work.

Education

• University of Oxford

  Master of Philosophy - MPhil, Government

  2021

• Mesa High School

  High School Diploma

  2015

• Universidad del Pacífico (PE)

  Spanish Language and Literature

• Yale University

  Bachelor of Arts - BA, Global Affairs (Economics and Human Rights)

  2019

• ALPS

  Arabic Language and Literature

• Qasid Arabic Institute

  Arabic Language and Literature

• University of Oxford

  Doctor of Philosophy - PhD, Policy & Economics

  2025