Leading political speaker Andrew Yang recently addressed a crowd of around 300 students at the University of Pennsylvania. The former US presidential candidate, and entrepreneur was invited to Penn as part of the annual Case Competition for Wharton Undergraduates in Public Policy. Yang met with undergraduate Case Competition participants to discuss topics such as his presidential campaign and his views of the political system.
Yang shared with Case Competition participants that his entrepreneurial background made him see his campaign as a “startup with massive advantages.” He said that although he did not see himself winning the presidential race, he was committed to “months and months of hustling” to have his ideas heard on the debate stage. Yang’s innovative policy proposals, such as universal basic income, rallied support from young voters.
At the larger event preceding the competition, Yang discussed his observations on how young people ended up in the same major metropolitan areas and performing the same jobs. Yang shared his belief that young people could be encouraged to head to cities that were losing talent, and if they grew companies and jobs, it could be the answer to solving the issue. This work led Yang to create Venture for America, a nonprofit organization dedicated to having recent graduates build businesses in less popular cities.
While working on Venture for America, Yang was inspired to take action once he saw the effect of lost jobs in the Midwest and heard from colleagues in Silicon Valley that artificial intelligence could impact the job market. According to Yang, “Someone should raise the alarm and let folks know that we’re going to be automating away a lot of jobs, so what gave rise to Trumpism is probably going to get worse.” This led him to announce his presidential campaign in 2017.
Reflecting on his experience as a candidate, Yang believes that many political issues stem from America’s two-party system. According to Yang, “The two-party system is not designed to actually fulfill policy goals, or deliver, or compromise. It is designed now to polarize us.” Yang believes that eliminating primary elections and having rank-choice voting are the next steps for American politics. As part of this mission, he has created a new centrist political party entitled the Forward Party.
Joey Jung, the president of WUPP, said that Yang was chosen as the guest speaker for the event because of his high-profile status. It was important to bring “school-wide awareness” to the WUPP Case Competition.
Yang’s vision for America’s future has inspired many, and his innovative ideas continue to shape the conversation surrounding American politics. He is a prime example of how an entrepreneurial mindset and a willingness to take risks can lead to significant social and political change.
If you are looking to book a leading political speaker like Andrew Yang, contact Speaker Booking Agency today. We can help you make the perfect choice based on your event theme and budget. Fill out our Online Booking Request Form to start the process.
