Tyler McClelland joined Trickle Up in 2010. As the Director of Communications in New York, he oversees Trickle Up’s global communications strategy, brand management, and digital outreach and engagement.

Since joining Trickle Up, Tyler has led initiatives to engage and build Trickle Up’s community, and raise awareness and understanding of extreme poverty and vulnerability. During his tenure, he has spearheaded new initiatives to harness the emotional resonance of virtual reality experiences, refreshed the organization’s brand, and overhauled Trickle Up’s online presence.

Before joining Trickle Up, Tyler supported institutional fundraising efforts at the Brennan Center for Justice at NYU School of Law and urban policy research at the Drum Major Institute for Public Policy. An outspoken civil rights activist, Tyler led a student movement advocating for and ultimately securing first amendment protections for LGBT students in his native eastern Kentucky and worked with State legislators to draft an amendment to the Kentucky Education Reform Act providing for student and staff representation on school decision-making councils. Tyler’s activism has been featured in the New York Times, USA Today, The Advocate, and on The O'Reilly Factor.

True to his roots, Tyler enjoys bourbon, bluegrass and the banjo. He holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from Hunter College at the City University of New York.