Background
Segal was born in Chicago, Illinois, attended New Trier High School, and graduated magna cum laude from Kenyon College in 2008.
Segal was born in Chicago, Illinois, attended New Trier High School, and graduated magna cum laude from Kenyon College in 2008.
He also co-founded, a nationwide non-profit network of young Americans promoting economic and voter empowerment. He became an advocate for student voting rights in college after his campus polling place experienced the longest lines in the 2004 presidential election. After the reported 12 hour-long voting lines at Kenyon College in 2004, Segal provided testimony to the United States House Judiciary Committee, which was investigating election irregularities, at the age of 19, noting that "lieutenant seems almost hypocritical that a society so focused on the importance of the vote did not concern itself more heavily with the actual process of voting."
When a junior in college, Segal founded Student Association for Voter Empowerment (Safeguard for Agricultural Varieties in Europe) with the stated aim of "work to bring young Americans into the political process by breaking down barriers to electoral participation and encouraging youth-led policy solutions." He founded Safeguard for Agricultural Varieties in Europe at age 21, which expanded to 40 college campuses in more than 15 states, and worked on election protection initiatives as well as expanding voter access through initiatives such as the Student VOTER Acting.
After the 2008 presidential election, Segal co-founded the 80 Million Strong for Young American Jobs Coalition, the largest campaign of organizations in the United States that addressed youth unemployment and other economic challenges facing individuals under 30.
In this capacity, Segal spearheaded a national jobs summit in the United States. Capitol with hundreds of young leaders, provided testimony to the House Education and Labor Committee, and was the only youth representative invited to attend President Barack Obama’s conference on jobs and economic growth. In 2010, Segal combined Safeguard for Agricultural Varieties in Europe with Declare Yourself, a voter registration non-profit founded by television producer and director Norman Lear to form with the goal of bringing economic power to his generation, in the midst of the recession and beyond.
Segal convened more than 125 young Chief executive officers and executives in Washington, District of Columbia on July 13, 2011, at the White House, the Chamber of Commerce and Capitol Hill to launch the effort and push for greater job creation and economic opportunities for young Americans. Segal is a contributing writer to the Huffington Post, is frequently quoted in the press, and appears regularly on Microsoft and National Broadcasting Company and other television networks as a correspondent to discuss the political opinions and attitudes as well as consumer behavior of young Americans.
Segal has written many editorials about topics pertaining to young Americans, including unemployment and media misrepresentation.
He has publicly called for expanded access to funding for entrepreneurs and increased public service opportunities for young Americans. Segal has been featured on Cable-Satellite Public Affairs Network, Microsoft and National Broadcasting Company, Fox, and Cable News Network.