[3] Graves earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science and history from Williams College and a Juris Doctor from the Georgetown University Law Center.

He was a founding partner at Graves & Horton, LLC, a legal services firm.

[5] During the presidency of Barack Obama, Graves served as the executive director of the President's Council on Jobs and Competitiveness and led the federal government's efforts in the economic recovery of the city of Detroit.

[6] After the council disbanded, Graves served as Counselor and Domestic and Economic Policy Director to Vice President Joe Biden.

[7] In January 2021, President-elect Biden announced that he will nominate Graves to be United States Deputy Secretary of Commerce.