Future Faith: Why Gen Zers Act To Change America
Barrett Adair (L) and William He (R), CEO and founder of Dream For America and Dream For Action, at the recent Netroots Nation event on youth engagement.
My trust is in William He to be the first Gen Z president of the United States, the first Asian-American president and the most qualified individual to bring America together for a brighter future.
That is because two years ago on July 4, when he was 16, He founded Dream For America, and Dream For Action, a non-profit movement with 1,200 volunteers across the country, one million followers, one billion social media hits and $600,000 in funds raised.
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“Too many young people have lost faith in democracy,” says He, now 18, who recently completely his freshman year at University of Texas-Austin where he is a pre-law, government history major.
“Too many young people have lost faith in democracy,” says Wiliam He, founder, CEO @DreamAmerica speaker @takeleadwomen #PowerUp2026”
Working 20 to 30 hours a week on his part time job as founder and CEO, He is convinced that together “younger Americans can :organize for an affirmative vision of America.”
He is speaking at Take The Lead’s Power Up Conference 2026, “Audacity: Leadership in Action,” in the session, “Young, Bold & Unstoppable: No Seat at the Table? Build One.” Other panelists include senior healthcare reporter at Politico Alice Miranda Ollstein, author of the forthcoming book, Side Effects: How Abortion Bans Impact Everyone’s Health; Cheyenne Hunt, executive director of Gen Z For Change and moderator Jamia Wilson, vice president/executive editor at Penguin/Random House.
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Gloria Feldt, co-founder and president of Take The Lead is on He’s advisory board. Feldt says says He is a valuable addition to the conference at a time in history where his energy and innovative input is needed. “To create a movement, there are three elements I call #sistercourage: be a sister/brother and make coalition with others who share your concerns and values; have the courage to raise those issues to the power centers; and put sister/brother and courage together with a strategy to make change.”
He says is eager to be a part of the conference and an organization at a time when “women’s role in society is shifting. So much effort is spent pushing America and all its progress backwards. This is a great opportunity to make the case to offer a vision for what men and women can do together.”
“This is a great opportunity to make the case to offer a vision for what men and women can do together,” says William He, speaking @PowerUp @takeleadwomen #youth #GenZ”
According to World Metrics, Gen Z or Zoomers, are individuals born between 1997–2012, with approximately 68 million Gen Zers in the U.S., comprising 22% of the U.S. population.
Igniting interest in youth to participate in voting and believing they can impact democracy is needed. According to The Center for Research on Civic Learning and Engagement (CIRCLE) at Tufts University, “ 47% of youth voted in 2024, slightly lower than in the historic 2020 cycle (50%) but a marked improvement from the 2016 presidential election, when we estimated that just 39% of young people cast ballots.”
“Data @TuftsU shows: 47% #youth voted in 2024, lower than 2020 at 50%, but above 2016 with 39% of young people #voting. #democracy #USchange”
Additionally, “There was a 9-point participation gap by gender in 2024: 50% turnout among young women and 41% among young men.” In the college population, “in the 2024 presidential election, 76% of college students were registered to vote, and 53% of all eligible students voted. The voter turnout rate of registered students, or yield rate, was 70%.” The motivation to vote, many reported, was to enact change.
He is well-suited for the challenge, and it seems he has been from the very beginning. His parents are first generation immigrants from China, and his father was the first person in his small rural village who went to college, let alone a PhD. His father was a computer sciences professor, and the family spent time in Massachusetts, Michigan and Washington, D.C. before settling in Texas.
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“I lived in a Blue state, swing state and Red state,” says He, who also served as a Congressional page the summer he was 16.
His political organizing skills were in use before then. “In kindergarten, I was organizing the recess games. In elementary school I started clubs and oeganizations,” He says. A longtime fan of aviation, He says in grade school he started a company that sold paper airplanes.
“William He, founder @Dream America: “In kindergarten, I was organizing recess games. In elementary school I started clubs and organizations. In grade school I started a company that sold paper airplanes.” #future #democracy #change ”
“At some point it was a paper technology company and we also sold bracelets. We turned into oligarchs in grammar school,” he jokes. “It was my first introduction to the economic system.” And of course he was elected into class leadership, culminating as senior class president and valedictorian at Rockhill High School in Prosper, Tex.
Read more in Take The Lead on youth leaders
In the video of his speech, He says, “Think of your life as a story. Your story is what keeps the world spinning,” he told a cheering crowd.
“William He @DreamAmerica: “Think of your life as a story. Your story is what keeps the world spinning.” #inspiration #civicengagment #youthvote ”
In the current political climate, He says, “We are losing our Constitution, our country, and there is antisemitism and Asian hate, intolerance and hatred. If democracy will survive, we need my generation to believe in it.”
In her 2024 book, The Politics of Gen Z: How the Youngest Voters Will Shape Our Democracy, author Melissa Deckman, CEO of Public Religion Research Institute, writes: “Unlike their parentds or grandparents, Gen Zers have grown up in a world in which mass shootings have become far more prevalent, including at their schools.”
“Scholars have found that major political, cultural or economic events can impart a form of generational consciousness that has a deep impact on the political orientations of adults for decades,” writes Melissa Deckman, founder @PRRI #GenZers”
Deckman continues, “Unlike their parents, Zoomers face a world in which some long-assumed rights, such as access to abortion, are not guaranteed… Scholars have found that major political, cultural or economic events can impart a form of generational consciousness that has a deep impact on the political orientations of adults for decades.”
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For He, this holds true. Through content, conferences, chapters and events, He says he and hundreds of volunteers are working to recalibrate energy and shift the perspective. In addition to his parents and mentors, He says he deeply admires the vision of Franklin D. Roosevelt and Lyndon Baines Johnson.
Read more in Take The Lead on the power of stories and youth
“Both came from wildly different lives, but were deeply effective in their jobs. I hope to make such a deep impact and help as many people.”
Anticipating the Power Up Conference, He says he intends to communicate three core messages. The first, “It is so vitally important for young people to stay engaged. They fight the good fight.”
Next, He says, “I think young people are going to be the hope and a lesson for the rest of the country. There is a lot of hope in my generation and a lot to be concerned about. We see murders on our cell phones. We see rights rolled back that our mothers and grandmothers had. There are people now who are part of a fully online generation who never knew a politics that is hopeful.”
“William He: “I think young people are going to be the hope and a lesson for the rest of the country. There is a lot of hope in my generation and a lot to be concerned about.” #GenZers @DreamAmerica @takeleadwomen #PowerUp”
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And the third message is a call to action. “The broader point is what we do in the next five years,” He says. In 2028, the next presidential election, there will be millions of new voters, as this is the first time Gen Beta (those born after 2020) can vote, He says.
The Power Up Conference, He says, “is a great opportunity to make the case to offer a vision for what men and women can do together. Women are just as capable of leadership as men. Men are just as capable of compassion as women.” He adds, “This is a great opportunity to do the critical work of pushing back.”
Take The Lead’s Power Up Conference 2026, Audacity: Leadership In Action, features a diverse group of speakers and experts speaking on the importance of inclusive leadership and strategies to solve systemic and historical barriers across all sectors. William He is part of a panel, “Young, Bold & Unstoppable: No Seat at the Table? Build One.” Additionally, ther are panels on the power of storytelling, following keynote Margaret Atwood, literary icon, plus panels on AI, women’s health and more. Learn more about other speakers and panels and register here.
