Marjan Philhour is a San Francisco-based consultant small business owner who specializes in strategic communications, project management consulting, development strategies, and community organizing. She was born in San Francisco and over the past three decades, has committed her career to advocacy and service through her steadfast support of political candidates, causes, and organizations in the local, statewide, and national arenas. Marjan is recognized as a leader in her field for her strong relationships, broad professional experience, and insightful advice. 

Marjan began her career on Capitol Hill working for the late-Congressman Tom Lantos, the only Holocaust survivor to ever serve in Congress. She also served on the staff of Congresswoman Nita Lowey as well as the Committee on Education and the Workforce. After her time in Washington, D.C., Marjan moved back to California to serve as a Senior Advisor in the Governor Gray Davis Administration. Her work finally brought her back home to San Francisco where she continued her focus in finance and communications for high profile campaigns, including John Kerry for President 2004 and Joe Biden for President 2008. Over the course of her career, she has raised hundreds of millions of dollars in the political and non-profit sectors. 

In 2009, Marjan expanded her practice to include several statewide candidate and ballot measure campaigns, and served as a consultant on the first SF Supervisorial races of State Controller Malia Cohen and Mayor London Breed. Marjan was the Campaign Director for Mayor London Breed’s successful 2018 campaign, after which time she moved to City Hall where she served as Senior Advisor to the Mayor until 2020. 

Marjan’s experience in both professional services and brick-and-mortar business gives her a comprehensive perspective on the experiences of residents and business owners in San Francisco. She understands the interconnectedness of the local economy, community, and government and how those critical sectors can work together to achieve results that can move the city and region forward.

Marjan is a graduate of UC Berkeley and currently resides in the Outer Richmond neighborhood of San Francisco, where she is raising her three children with her husband Byron. Since she returned home to San Francisco in 2005, she has committed herself to improving her local community as well as the city at large. It was this commitment to the community that inspired Marjan to launch her own local Supervisorial bids in 2016 and 2020, where she ran strong, impactful campaigns in a highly competitive field of candidates. 

In 2017, she was appointed to the San Francisco Commission on the Status of Women by the late-Mayor Ed Lee. Marjan co-founded the Balboa Village Merchants Association and opened Village Place with her sister in the Balboa Village corridor, which sold gifts and provided pottery classes for over three years. Marjan continues to work with merchants, community groups, and neighbors throughout the Richmond District and San Francisco. Whether as a consultant or as co-owner of a local neighborhood business, Marjan possesses the ability to provide advice and execute on strategy specific to the clients she serves.