Influencing Our World: Baylor Alumna Makes TIME100

Baylor alumna Skye Perryman, B.A. ’03, was named to the 2025 TIME100 list of most influential people. TIME100 recognizes innovators, titans, artists, icons, leaders and pioneers who have had the most influence in shaping the world we live in. Perryman is included with the “Innovators,” a category for bold thinkers who reimagine what is possible.

Perryman is president and CEO of Democracy Forward, a nonpartisan, national legal organization that advances democracy and social progress through litigation, education and regulatory engagement, a role she began in 2021.

Under Perryman’s leadership, Democracy Forward has expanded the scope and reach of its work, taking on the most significant issues affecting people, families and communities — from civil rights and fair wages to reproductive healthcare, education, climate and much more. In 2024, Perryman was named one of the Most Influential People Shaping Policy by Washingtonian magazine, which noted her role as a resource for both moderates and progressives.

Perryman is a frequent guest lecturer and keynote speaker to national and international audiences on matters at the intersection of law and policy, and her legal work has been cited by the U.S. Supreme Court. Her work and perspectives also are frequently covered by major national media outlets.

Perryman is a Waco native and studied economics and philosophy at Baylor. She was named a Truman Scholar in 2002, a prestigious award granted on the basis of leadership potential, intellectual ability and likelihood of “making a difference.” After Baylor, Perryman earned her law degree at Georgetown University and has provided legal and strategic counsel for a broad range of clients and institutions.

Sic 'em, Skye Perryman!