Introducing our 2025, 1995 Society Inductees!
Following a long tradition of celebrating young people’s contributions to advancing freedom in the United States, America’s Future launched the 1995 Society in 2023. America’s Future was founded in 1995 by young people eager to make their mark in Washington and the nation, and through this society, we hope to highlight and celebrate the leaders who are doing the same today.
This year, America’s Future will induct four individuals into our 1995 Society at our Annual Gala & Awards Showcase on May 22 at AutoShop in Washington, DC. These honorees are the best, brightest, and bravest rising stars. Get to know them below!
Hannah Cox
Hannah Cox is a libertarian-conservative activist, commentator, and writer.
She is the co-founder and President of BASEDPolitics, a nonprofit that produces engaging and entertaining content that elevates free market capitalism and individual liberty.
She is also the owner of Athens Media, which partners with activists and political groups on the ground to educate and activate the masses on legislation at the state and federal level through new media and social channels, using an influencer network to help. Athens Media also offers social media and brand development training and workshops.
She is a frequent guest on many TV networks, including Fox News.
Hannah’s work revolves around the defense of individual liberty, free markets, and limited government.
Hannah served as the Sr. National Manager of Conservatives Concerned About the Death Penalty for nearly three years. Her work contributed to repealing capital punishment in three states. Before this appointment, Hannah previously worked for the Beacon Center of Tennessee, where she was instrumental in both free market legislation wins and pro bono economic liberty litigation. Her experience includes policies like school choice, occupational licensing, property rights, healthcare reform, tax policy, corporate welfare reform, criminal justice reform, and deregulation. She also formerly served as a brand ambassador for the Foundation for Economic Education (FEE).
Caleb Franz
Caleb has served as Program Manager at Young Voices since 2021. In this capacity, Caleb helps to mentor young journalists and policy writers by sharpening their storytelling ability and accelerating their career trajectory through various fellowships and networking opportunities.
He’s also the author of THE CONDUCTOR: The Story of Rev. John Rankin, Abolitionism’s Essential Founding Father, released on October 15, 2024 through Post Hill Press. Caleb’s work has been featured in various outlets including RealClear History, the Washington Examiner, the Independent, Religion and Liberty Online, and the Louisville Courier Journal, among others. Before this work, Caleb served in the U.S. Army through the Ohio National Guard for six years, which included one tour in Kuwait.
Heather Pfitzenmaier
Heather Pfitzenmaier serves as the Director of the Executive Leader Program at the State Policy Network. In this role, she helps deliver SPN’s Executive Leader Program, which serves the Network’s CEOs, executive vice presidents, and board members.
Before joining SPN, she worked at America’s Future Foundation as Executive Vice President and the Heritage Foundation as Director of the Young Leaders Program, among other roles. She is the recipient of Forbes magazine “30 Under 30” in law and policy, the Young Conservatives Coalition Buckley Award, and “30 Under 30” recognition by Red Alert Politics.
Pfitzenmaier serves on the Advisory Board of the Forge Leadership Network, on the Board of Directors of the Detroit Prosperity Center, and as a school board member at Canton Charter Academy. She holds a bachelor’s degree in English and Political Science from the University of Michigan. She resides in the great state of Michigan with her husband and their three boys.
Robert Ordway
Photo courtesy of Capitol Hill Photo
Robert Ordway grew up in a small rust belt mill town on the fringe of Gary, Indiana. He had a typical blue-collar working-class upbringing, but all that changed after he turned 13 and his dad was diagnosed with ALS. At the time, assistive technology, support groups, and promising therapies did not exist for ALS patients and their families.
Robert was part of the U.S. Navy’s Delayed Entry Program (DEP) and was slated to leave for the War in Iraq just after finishing high school in 2003, but his life took a different turn after being awarded the Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship, a full-ride to any university in Indiana. Robert was the first in his family to finish college, but a degree in finance had little value when he graduated in the month that started the Great Recession. Just a year later, his mother’s lifelong battle with bipolar disorder came to an end with her suicide, one of five in his family.
Robert learned that adversity and hardships can come unannounced, however, we still need to prepare to handle those challenges. His worldview has been shaped by lessons from his dad, who stressed the importance of personal responsibility and possessing ‘skin in the game’ in all aspects of life.
He aims to help others do the same through speaking, coaching, consulting, writing, and community building. Robert leads by participating in the five pillars of a strong community: education, business/labor, non-profits, government, and faith-based institutions.
He has more than 15 years of experience in public policy, civil service, and private sector work. In his free time, Robert designs custom clothing, competes in powerlifting, enjoys cycling, and studies the history of Indiana’s ‘Last Frontier’ (aka Da Region) as it relates to Big Steel, organized labor, race relations, organized crime, prohibition, religion, and European immigration + southern migration.
Robert is writing his first book, Millrat: A Memoir from the Multi-Ethnic Working Class. In Millrat, Robert shares his experience as a teenage caretaker of his dad, who battled ALS for five years, all while dealing with his mother’s bipolar disorder and eventual suicide. Millrat provides a unique perspective as Robert grew up on ‘the color line’ in the 90s as Gary was the murder capital of the nation. Combining Robert’s life experiences with his dad’s timeless wisdom, this book shows readers how faith, family, and community are essential to helping individuals build the personal agency needed to overcome adversity and learn from failure while pursuing the American Dream.