Our political system has become broken and polarized. Americans are being bombarded with a perfect storm of multiple foreign wars, high inflation, racial and ethnic tensions, climate change, increasing crime, the last vestiges of a global pandemic, and AI that could eliminate half of all jobs by 2030. Traditional candidates for public office are stoking the flames, offering 20th-century solutions to 21st-century problems.

My campaign aims to pull America out of these conflicts by offering a very different, positive, optimistic vision of re-inventing the American Dream for the 21st century. We will focus on energizing young people and center-left/center-right problem solvers. These important contributors have become disengaged by our current political system, and don’t support either big government or big business as the way forward. We must invest much more in our young people– students and workers–by dramatically upgrading our education-to-employment system. We will rebuild our government and laws on a modern platform that puts investments in people first.

Because of my decades of experience as a technology entrepreneur, turnaround leader, and impact investor, my candidacy offers a distinct alternative to any other candidate. Our plan is based on putting people first on the solid foundation of conscious capitalism. Millions of us are already working as entrepreneurs and builders at the intersection of public/private innovation, and we are ready to return America to a land of respect, civility, kindness, and inclusion. We believe the torch needs to be passed to a new generation of fellow mission-driven Americans.

I know I’m a longshot candidate with very little chance of winning. Incumbent Presidents almost always win re-nomination from their party. As a result, our campaign is less focused on winning, and more focused on ideas, solutions and changing the conversation. Our goal is to engage young voters and independents who are exhausted with politics as usual in Washington. At the same time, we hope to beta test how an outsider campaign can be run like a “lean startup” by leveraging artificial intelligence, growth hacking, and guerilla marketing. We plan to build on top of existing movements and create new multi-partisan coalitions to elevate the discourse in our democracy.

The journalist John Dickerson has studied American presidents for more than three decades. He writes that the best presidents had certain core traits, namely, “the need for intellectual curiosity, the virtue of maintaining flexibility, both in means and ends, and the ability to convene an experienced, diverse staff that will tell you what you need to hear.” These are the same traits that make for successful leaders of all types. I believe my five years as an entrepreneur, my five years as a turnaround leader, and my fifteen years as an impact investor and board member serving mission-driven entrepreneurs makes me especially qualified to serve as President of the United States. In addition, my experience at the Gates Foundation, and serving on the boards of the Smithsonian (National Zoo) and the University of Virginia (School of Education) for twelve years, and working with a U.S. Senator have given me just enough understanding of how Washington works on the inside, even though I have learned and mastered the skills of leadership in the world of business.

No, I am running for President in the Democratic Primary because (1) I’m a Democrat, and (2) we don’t want to play a spoiler role in this election. This is the most important election of the 21st century, and it is extremely important to keep Trump from returning to office for a second term. That said, I am anti-MAGA, not anti-Republican. I’m gladly welcoming Independents and Republicans into our coalition. I believe that good ideas can come from all corners of the political spectrum, and I especially like ideas that are independent of political ideology. I have been called the purple candidate and embrace the moniker proudly since I firmly believe our platform’s values can and should transcend party affiliation. Period.

Biden’s chances of a second term are hurting, but not because of my campaign. According to the Reuters poll this month, 56% of Americans polled disapprove of his leadership. Numerous other polls, including one at Quinnipiac University, reveal that more than 7 in 10 independents want other candidates to enter the 2024 presidential race. I do not believe we have to concede the White House to a Republican Administration without having a robust debate that includes a positive, optimistic vision forward—we can and must do better for America.

Fundamentally, being President means being the chief executive of our country. It’s an executive job that is all about building a great leadership team, organizing your resources, and engaging in solid implementation to achieve maximum positive impact. The Executive Branch of our Federal Government is bogged down by too many outdated rules and bureaucratic processes that need to be reformed, based on the principles of well-run businesses, and leveraging the power of technology. I’ve published a full explanation of my policy agenda across three pillars—conscious capitalism, people first talent economy, and modernizing government—eighteen distinct policy areas. My complete policy agenda can be seen here.

I’ve been a lifelong student of foreign affairs. Fareed Zakaria, Thomas Friedman, and Nicholas Kristof are some of my favorite writers on the subject. My Quaker faith always leads me to prioritize peace and saving lives first. As a beacon of hope in the world, the United States must seek not to enflame global conflicts, and we should not try to be the world’s policeman. We must advance an agenda focused on minimizing the loss of life while supporting a path towards a peaceful and just outcome. American should chart a path forward that creates a safe, peaceful and collaborative world of major powers who are aligned on the following key principles: (1) sovereignty of national borders, (2) a peaceful process of self-determination for disputed regions, (3) a more ambitious global agreement about working together on climate change, and (4) mutual understanding that we live in a multi-polar world where all cultures will be respected equally, and (5) a reduction of trade wars based on economic cooperation to reduce tariffs and improve the world economy. This includes an allowance for each country to protect culturally significant home industries and industries related to national defense. Because international relations is an ever-changing landscape, I plan to update those perspectives regularly as new information becomes available.

For more information about my foreign policy, please listen to this one-hour interview I did with the World Affairs Council.

All too often, veterans are returning from tours of duty to find that the skills they learned on active duty don’t easily translate into jobs and careers in the private sector, leading many of them to seek employment as members of the public sector, particularly the federal government. Under my administration, major federal investments in helping returning veterans translate their skills into private sector work will bolster the economy by increasing their opportunities for entrepreneurship and quality jobs, thereby leading to increases in small businesses, local spending, and innovation. We owe it to those who sacrifice for our safety to invest in their talent, imagination, and future success. A strong national defense begins at home, where we must do more to take care of the people who honorably serve in our armed forces.

Yes. Roe v. Wade must be reinstated to restore women’s rights.

This is extremely important to me, and I intend to make this a major priority of my Administration. I support bodily autonomy. Abortion is health care, and health care is personal. People who can get pregnant deserve to be in charge of their own medical decisions. Politicians who care more about control than wellness or liberty have no place making such decisions in a free and democratic society.

Yes. This one small change in the law could help save millions of seniors 50% or more on their prescription drug prices. When Medicare Part D was created, it was explicitly agreed that the federal government would not interfere in manufacturer negotiations. Congress revisits the question of drug price negotiation almost every year. I believe the time is now to restructure Medicare so that fair market value and nothing more is what it takes to keep our population healthy. I also believe we should make Medicare available to all Americans over fifty years of age for the price of a Gold or Silver Plan. In addition to helping millions of Americans access better health insurance, this would also save the Federal Government billions of dollars and put our Medicare program on more sustainable, long-term footing.

Yes. As a father, I am personally outraged that gun violence has become the leading cause of death for America’s children and teens. This is categorically unacceptable. The gun industry rakes in approximately $9 billion annually, with large percentages of those revenues coming from semi-automatic weapons that far exceed the original intent of the 2nd amendment. I’ve read that an estimated 393 million civilian-owned firearms exist in the United States. I am pro-liberty in terms of the right of Americans to own handguns for personal protection, rifles for hunting, or other reasonable access, and we should do much more to provide training to gun owners. But with gun ownership comes great responsibility, therefore I am in favor of significant reform in this area.

Absolutely. The National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) and National Rifle Association (NRA) have blood on their hands, quite literally. I support the well- researched positions of https://everytownresearch.org/ on this matter.

No, I believe in markets teaching businesses what consumers want. That said, I am committed to a greener world with effective energy policies supporting smart consumer decisions. Biden’s Build Back Better stance on this fails to recognize and respect the importance of business judgement and the will of the people in terms of what vehicles they want to purchase. With effective labeling, financial incentives, and regulatory encouragement, Americans can support the environment without interrupting the free-market principles underpinning conscious capitalism.

Embracing conscious capitalism means acknowledging the history that has left people of color in the U.S. without equal levels of wealth, education, or opportunity. To build a bright future we must correct for the darkness in our past. That begins by offering reparations to those who have suffered, either directly or through a parent or ancestor, at the hands of systemic oppression. Whether through educational scholarships, financial assistance for starting or improving a business, or financial assistance in buying a home, my administration would seek to extend the promise of the American Dream to millions of people for whom it has always remained out of reach. A comprehensive reparations program would create a new wave of entrepreneurs, investors, and workers to bolster the economy while making our country safer, kinder, and more educated.

Absolutely not. The damage to American democracy resulting from the January 6th insurrection must be held to account. Those who were injured and killed that horrific day deserve justice. No person is above the law, nor the Constitution.

Yes, I’m in favor of all these pro-democracy reforms, which aim to move political power back to the center. I love what Andrew Yang and the Forward Party are doing. More specifically, I am in favor of limiting Members of the Senate to three 6-year terms and members of the House of Representatives to six 3-year terms. The Supreme Court of the United States has determined that since the Constitution sets forth the criteria determining requirements for senators and congressional representatives, only the Constitution can limit the terms of Congress members.