Sarada Peri

Sarada Peri is a speechwriter and message strategist who has helped top leaders and thinkers – from Fortune 50 CEOs to the President of the United States – inspire and persuade audiences. She is the founder of Peri Communications, where she partners with C-suite executives, nonprofit leaders, philanthropists, politicians, and celebrities for speechwriting, speech delivery, and strategic communications.

Peri served as special assistant to the president and senior speechwriter for President Barack Obama. She was a speechwriter at three Democratic National Conventions and, in 2024, she co-managed the convention writers’ room, shepherding 200 speeches from conception to delivery.

Prior to joining the White House, Peri was a principal at West Wing Writers, where she worked with a variety of clients across sectors. Peri was a legislative assistant to former Senator Mary Landrieu (D-LA), leading her education, health care, and child welfare policy agenda.

Peri's work has appeared in The Atlantic, The Washington Post, New York Magazine, and other publications, and she is a frequent political commentator in the media. She has been a guest on a number of podcasts and documentaries, including “FDR” on the History Channel and “Churchill at War” on Netflix. Her areas of interest include American politics, political communication, presidential history, and the Second World War.

Peri has guest-lectured at Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government, Northwestern University, George Washington University, American University, and many other institutions. She is on the board of the Tisch College of Civic Life at Tufts University.

Peri began her career as a high school English teacher in New Orleans through Teach for America. She earned a BA from Tufts University and an MPP from Harvard's Kennedy School.