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Show Notes:
Dr. Nancy sits down with William He, founder of Dream for America, to learn how he feels about democracy and why he launched the nonprofit/social-profit organization at 16 years old. He recalls feeling compelled to contribute to democracy and do his part to help his generation find purpose in politics rather than cynicism. He wanted to give young people a place to contribute and fight back against the Christian Nationalists and fascism with the great values, ideas, and policies that have made America great. That’s what Dream for America does, with chapters springing up in all 50 states and more than one billion views on social media.
Dream for America’s mission is “to identify, educate and inspire the next generation of young American leaders…to become the vanguards and defenders of our democracy for decades and generations to come.” To encourage that leadership within the organization, He said they’ve created a culture where leadership is earned through initiative, merit, and skill. Most of their teams are led by women at the moment, and He said that organizations that treat women’s leadership as a separate issue are leaving talent on the table.
“I think the future of elite American leadership will be shaped by women in every field, and organizations have responsibility to create the pathways for that leadership to emerge,” he said, arguing against rigid roles for men and women. For He, healthy masculinity is about responsibility and service and using your strength to protect rather than dominate. The point of democracy is to give people the freedom to contribute and live the life they want, not create barriers to opportunity.
The goal for Dream for America now is to grow in scale and impact. They’ve built the engine, and intend to grow it into a durable institution, a long-term pipeline for civic leadership that serves future generations of young people. Check out their website and learn more about how to get involved.
About:
William He is the founder of Dream for America, a national nonprofit he built from scratch at age 16 to educate, inspire, and mobilize the next generation around progressive, pro-democracy American values. Under his leadership, DFA has raised $600K+, engaged 1,200+ volunteers from 600 schools across all 50 states, and generated over one billion social media impressions. In high school, William was elected senior class president, chaired his hometown’s Youth Advisory Council, and served as a U.S. Senate Page representing his home state of Texas. William is now a Jefferson Scholar at the University of Texas at Austin, double-majoring in Government and History, and was named a 2026 Patman Center Summer in Oxford Fellow.