Building a bench of savvy civic leaders for the 21st century.
Civic Engine is a civic leadership and strategy platform.
We equip the civic professions—nonprofits, academia, science, politics, and public health—with practical, real-world skills to succeed in today’s public arena.
A new pipeline of talent is needed to beat back domestic political threats to a vibrant civic society. The “do-gooder” gene has never been enough.
Make your voice not just heard but effective.
I’m Kevin Nix, and I started Civic Engine because the civic sector needs to up its political advocacy game. In 2025, we saw a sizeable portion of the sector deflate or go silent in response to a new president. That hasn’t and won’t end well. This is the time when civic-minded leaders flex their power.
Quick highlights about me:
I’ve led or managed 10 national and statewide advocacy communications campaigns (mostly wins). My issue portfolio includes public health, healthcare policy, marriage equality, military policy, and democracy.
I’ve had the privilege of working for powerhouse nonprofits, including the Human Rights Campaign, the Gill Foundation, the largest nonprofit public health system in Texas, Legacy Community Health. As a message strategist, I bring a political lens to nonprofit work.
I also worked on Capitol Hill for a quick minute a long time ago and boutique public affairs firms.
My work has appeared in the New York Times, Washington Post, Politico, Wall Street Journal, NPR, and Texas Tribune.
I have a Master’s in American Government from Johns Hopkins University; a higher education certification from Harvard’s Derek Bok Center; and Bachelor’s from Tulane University.
Civic Engine’s Offerings
Civic Leadership & Strategy Consulting
I help leaders in the nonprofit, academic, public health, public policy, and civic entrepreneurial sectors with:
Building and projecting power
Finding a civic ROI
Summoning moral courage
Expanding their sphere of influence
Winning the message + media wars
Upping their fundraising savvy
Navigating prickly politics
Using AI in civic work
Schedule a 15-minute meet-and-greet to see what your needs are.
“How-to” Memos & Books
Civic Engine regularly publishes “how to” briefing memos and short books on civic leadership and public advocacy. One-time payments for on-demand downloads. The newest briefs for 2026 include “Advocacy Communications 101” and “Six Action Items to Battle Authoritarian Creep in the U.S.”
Accelerator Course: “The Art of Advocacy”
“Message and Media in 2026” is a two-week virtual course on best practices in political advocacy applied to the civic sector. It’s for civic leaders who want to up their political game in a nonpartisan way. Walk away with what works, doesn’t work, and could work in today’s chaotic environment.
Subscribe to my Substack.
Real-time observations and interviews with civic leaders.
Kevin is “smart…strategic, buttoned up… the kind of guy you want in the fox hole with you.”
— Mark McKinnon, Creator of The Circus
“Kevin is the perfect communications expert: He manages to simultaneously tell your target audience what they want to hear and what you want them to hear. He’s tireless and committed. And his sense of humor never fails.”
— Jay Campbell, Partner, Hart Research