16 Facts About Shannon Watts

Shannon Watts was born on January 1,1971 and is an American gun violence prevention activist and the founder of Moms Demand Action.

In 2016, Shannon Watts became a board member of Emerge America.

Shannon Watts was born in Rochester, New York, and graduated from the University of Missouri in 1994.

Shannon Watts then built a career as a communications executive, including FleishmanHillard, Monsanto, GE Healthcare and WellPoint.

The next day, Shannon Watts started a Facebook group to unite women against the gun lobby in the way Mothers Against Drunk Driving had united mothers against the alcohol lobby in the 1980s.

The Facebook page grew into a grassroots movement after volunteers contacted Shannon Watts about forming Moms Demand Action chapters in their own communities.

In March 2020, Shannon Watts campaigned with presidential candidate Joe Biden in Ohio.

Shannon Watts has given speeches at places such as Valparaiso University and Mountain Calvary Lutheran Church.

Shannon Watts announced that she will be stepping back from her leadership role at Moms Demand Action at the end of 2023.

In 2017, Shannon Watts spoke out against United Airlines on Twitter after witnessing an agent deny boarding to two teenage girls wearing leggings in Denver International Airport.

Shannon Watts added that the girls' father was allowed to board without incident, despite wearing shorts.

Shannon Watts is the author of the 2019 book Fight Like a Mother: How a Grassroots Movement Took on the Gun Lobby and Why Women Will Change the World.

Shannon Watts is active on Twitter, where she has more than 500,000 followers.

Shannon Watts has appeared as a commentator on MSNBC, CNN, CBS and NPR and written opinion pieces for Elle, Refinery29, Time.

Since starting Moms Demand Action, Shannon Watts has lived in Indiana, Colorado and California.

Shannon Watts is a Buddhist who practices yoga and meditates at least once a day.