Joshua

Gilder

CEO, Gilder & Associates
Corporate and political strategic messaging specialist.

presidential speechwriter

As a senior speechwriter for President Ronald Reagan, Josh Gilder played an vital role in the
administration's strategic communications, building public support for the administration’s agenda of free markets and peace through strength. He co-authored two State of the Union addresses (1986, 1987) and contributed to numerous Oval Office and nationally televised presidential speeches. Gilder famously paraphrased Hollywood icon Clint Eastwood to create one of Ronald Reagan’s most iconic rhetorical weapons — “Go ahead, make my day!” — and wrote President Ronald Reagan's widely hailed 1988 Moscow State University address. Described by pundits as “Reagan’s Gettysburg address,” the Moscow speech spoke directly to the students’ hopes for the future and the power of freedom to unleash human creativity, entrepreneurship and economic progress, helping to reinforce and spur on the ideological shift underway in the USSR under Mikhail Gorbachev.

u.s. diplomat

Under President George H. W. Bush, Gilder assumed the high-level leadership role in U.S. foreign policy of Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Human Rights. In the critical period before the fall of the Berlin Wall, Gilder focused on advancing human rights in the “captive nations” of Eastern Europe, helping shape and effectuate the policies that brought about the collapse of the Soviet bloc.

messaging specialist

After his time in the White House, Gilder was instrumental in establishing a prestigious communications and speechwriting firm specializing in the intersection of regulation, media and public policy. As a Founding Director of the White House Writers Group, Gilder focused on advising political leaders, CEOs, and institutions, shaping major speeches and messaging campaigns; and extending Reagan-era communication philosophy into modern politics and business. Notably, Gilder worked with major corporations to resurrect failing products, rewriting production and marketing narratives to elevate underperforming sectors into billion dollar product lines.

political strategist

Throughout his career, Josh has contributed to multiple presidential campaigns.U.S. Presidential Campaign Strategist• Reagan’s 1984 reelection campaign• George H. W. Bush’s 1988 presidential campaign• Steve Forbes’ primary campaigns (1996, 2000)• Bob Dole’s 1996 presidential campaign• Rudy Giuliani’s 2008 primary campaign

american writer

Author of two books: Heavenly Intrigue: Johannes Kepler, Tycho Brahe, and the Murder Behind One of History's Greatest Scientific Discoveries and Ghost Image: A Novel.Contributor to The Wall Street Journal, The New York Post, RealClear, New York Magazine, The Washington Times, New Criterion, The American Spectator and others.