About The Bingham Group
Founded in Austin, Texas, The Bingham Group champions the municipal interests of businesses, nonprofits, and trade associations in Central Texas and at the state level. With a commitment to integrity and results, our team brings unmatched expertise in lobbying, government affairs, and procurement consulting.
Meet the Founder and CEO
Learn about the vision and leadership behind The Bingham Group. Our Founder and CEO brings years of expertise in Texas policy and advocacy, driving impactful results for our clients.
A.J. BINGHAM
A.J. is the Founder and CEO of Bingham Group. He is an Austin and Austin Metro lobbyist with over a decade of experience lobbying for clients at the municipal and state level in Texas. His practice includes government affairs, public affairs, and procurement. He also runs the Bingham Group Foundation, which provides unrestricted funds to nonprofits creating educational and economic access for underserved communities in the Austin Metro.
Prior to launching the firm, A.J. served as Director of Government Affairs for the Real Estate Council of Austin, one of the most powerful business associations in the region. He began his lobbying career at one of Texas’ top lobbying firms, rising to Legislative Director over four years and two legislative sessions. He previously worked at a leading Texas government procurement firm as a consultant for medium to Global Fortune 500 companies.
A.J. holds a B.A. ('04) in Political Science from Wake Forest University and a J.D. ('08) from Washburn University School of Law. Born into an Air Force family and raised in Austin, he is a graduate of the city's nationally ranked public high school, the LBJ Science Academy (‘01), now the Liberal Arts and Science Academy.
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Has called Austin home since 1991 (age 8).
Attended AISD schools and graduated from the Library Arts and Science Academy.
Graduated from Wake Forest University and Washburn University School of Law.
Launched Bingham Group at 32 (April 17, 2017).
Current Community Leadership:
Blanton Museum of Art National Leadership Board - Board Member
Greater Austin Hispanic Chamber of Commerce - Advocacy Chair
Long Center for the Performing Arts - Immediate Past Chair
4ATX Foundation (Austin FC’s nonprofit arm) - Chair
Austin Habitat for Humanity - Board Member
Austin Trail of Lights - Board Member
Austin Ed Fund - Board Member
CONSULTANTS
Contract specialists who provide strategic advice to Bingham Group clients across business, community, and policy matters in Central Texas.
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Kirk Yoshida is a business development analyst and consultant with more than 20 years of experience delivering market intelligence and strategy for clients. He most recently served as Senior Consultant and Director of Research for one of Texas’s leading procurement consulting firms.
Kirk has expertise in gathering, analyzing, and reporting information on the public sector and converting data into market assessments, trend and competitor analysis, sales leads, and other custom research deliverables.
An Austin resident for more than 25 years, Kirk has been involved in several community volunteer organizations, including the Austin Steam Train Association and OutYouth Austin, and currently serves as Chair of the City of Austin’s Asian American Quality of Life Advisory Commission.
He holds a Master’s of Science in Information Studies from the University of Texas School of Information (UT iSchool).
SPECIALITY
Research and Analysis
INDUSTRY EXPERIENCE
Architecture, Engineering, & Construction
Information Technology
Economic Development
Mobility & Transportation
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Brittany Heckard is a seasoned communications professional with more than a decade of experience in public and government affairs, community engagement, and social impact.
Based in Austin, Brittany is the founder of Fervent Social Impact, a creative agency rooted in values-driven work. She previously led legislative and public affairs efforts at AT&T and supported legal and regulatory initiatives at Davis Kaufman PLLC.
Known for her solution-based approach, Brittany thrives in roles where storytelling and strategy intersect. She has partnered with organizations such as Waymo, Ancestry, the Texas Access to Justice Foundation, and the Texas Cultural Trust—crafting campaigns that advance equity and justice across the state.
She holds a Master of Public Administration from the University of Oklahoma and is committed to building authentic community relationships through policy and public affairs.
She joins Bingham Group as a Public Affairs Consultant.