Capitol Weekly’s Top 100: Cassie Gilson

30. Cassie Gilson

Jason Kinney gets most of the attention for the meteoric rise of Axiom Advisors, but he’ll be the first to tell you that nobody deserves more credit than his business partner, Cassie Gilson.  With Kinney and partner Kevin Schmidt, Gilson has taken the firm from its founding in 2019 to being one of the top lobbying firms in the Capitol world. Though her passion is environmental issues, she is widely respected for her understanding of policy in areas as disparate as technology and women’s advocacy non-profits. But a lot of lobbyists can walk and chew gum at the same time. Yawn. Gilson stands out for her calmness, pragmatism, strategic thinking and a balanced worldview that guides her toward win-win results over the “ha, ha I kicked your ass” mantra some third house folks thrive on. Which is why she always has a head-of-table seat at every major California housing policy discussion, including this year’s historic CEQA reform efforts. So be smart and don’t take her quiet demeanor as a weakness or a sign that she is a pushover. Because she most definitely is not.

Updated Aug. 26, 2025