Andrew Yang

Andrew Yang
Name	Andrew Yang
Birth date	13 January 1975
Birth place	Schenectady, New York
Occupation	Entrepreneur, lawyer, author, politician
Spouse	Evelyn Yang
Alma mater	Brown University; Columbia Law School

Andrew Yang

Andrew Yang is an American entrepreneur, author, and political candidate known for promoting technological responses to structural shifts in labor markets. He rose to national prominence during the 2020 United States presidential primaries and later ran for mayor of New York City and entered the 2024 presidential primary cycle. Yang's public profile spans startup incubation, nonprofit advocacy, media appearances, and policy proposals focused on automation, universal payments, and civic innovation.

Early life and education

Yang was born in Schenectady, New York and raised in Millburn, New Jersey. He is the son of immigrants from Taiwan and grew up in a household influenced by Taiwanese and Chinese American cultural traditions. Yang attended Columbia High School before matriculating at Brown University, where he studied political science and economics and participated in student organizations. He later earned a Juris Doctor from Columbia Law School, after which he clerked and worked briefly in corporate law before moving into entrepreneurship and investing in the technology sector.

Business career

Yang founded and led startups and nonprofit organizations focused on health care and television content, entering the tech ecosystem of Silicon Valley and New York City. He launched Venture for America, a nonprofit fellowship program modeled on domestic entrepreneurship initiatives that placed recent graduates in startups across cities such as Detroit, New Orleans, and Cleveland. Yang worked with accelerators, angel investors, and civic partners to build local startup communities and collaborated with institutions like Techstars and regional economic development agencies. His business career included roles involving strategic advising, public speaking, and authorship of books on innovation and policy that engaged audiences including technology conferences like South by Southwest and public affairs forums.

2020 presidential campaign

Yang announced a bid for the Democratic nomination for President of the United States in the 2020 election, running a campaign that emphasized the effects of automation and artificial intelligence on the workforce. His signature proposal, universal basic income-style monthly payments to adults, was framed as a response to job displacement from technologies developed in places such as Silicon Valley and research institutions like MIT and Stanford University. Yang attracted grassroots support and notable online organizing across platforms including Reddit, Twitter, and independent media, participating in debates hosted by networks such as CNN, NBC, and ABC. His campaign earned endorsements from local elected officials, prominent activists, and some commentators in mainstream outlets; it also spurred the formation of affiliated groups to promote policy research and civic engagement. Despite polling fluctuations, Yang’s campaign demonstrated new modes of digital fundraising and volunteer mobilization, drawing comparisons with prior insurgent primary efforts such as those by Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren.

2021–present political activities and 2024 campaign

After suspending his 2020 bid, Yang remained active in electoral and civic spheres, launching a political nonprofit and media ventures that included a podcast and a streaming platform to discuss policy and culture. He ran for Mayor of New York City in the 2021 election, entering a crowded Democratic primary that included candidates endorsed by figures from New York City Council factions, labor unions such as the Service Employees International Union, and state-level officials. Following the mayoral contest, Yang announced a renewed presidential campaign for the 2024 cycle, building on networks formed in 2020 and outreach to constituencies in early-voting states including Iowa and New Hampshire. His contemporary activities involved coalition-building with mayors, technologists, and policy institutes like think tanks associated with economic research, as well as continued public speaking at universities and civic gatherings.

Political positions

Yang’s policy platform has centered on mitigating technological disruption and reforming social supports. He advocated for a guaranteed monthly payment proposal inspired by basic income pilots in municipalities such as Stockton, California and studies from researchers at University of Chicago and University of Pennsylvania. Yang proposed regulatory and tax measures to address automation-driven job loss, including a value-added or activity-based fee on certain corporate uses of automation technologies, referencing debates in legislative bodies such as the United States Congress and agencies like the Internal Revenue Service. He supported criminal justice reforms aligned with advocacy organizations and sought to expand access to health services through policies intersecting with state programs in places like California and New York. On foreign policy, Yang emphasized pragmatic multilateral engagement with allies including Japan and South Korea, and underscored concerns about technological competition with China. He also promoted civic innovations such as improved voting access and municipal pilot programs for guaranteed income, collaborating with mayors and city councils.

Personal life

Yang is married to Evelyn Yang, a venture capitalist and community organizer; the couple has two children and has resided in New York City and other metropolitan areas where Yang’s ventures operated. He has authored books and frequently appears on news programs, podcasts, and at conferences to discuss topics ranging from entrepreneurship to demographic trends studied by researchers at institutions like Columbia University and Harvard University. Yang’s family background, educational trajectory at Brown University and Columbia Law School, and involvement in nonprofit work have been recurring themes in profiles by national media and biographies.

Category:1975 births Category:Living people Category:People from Schenectady, New York Category:Brown University alumni Category:Columbia Law School alumni