In this Ready Living Podcast interview, award-winning problem solver and change agent Art Chang examines one of the most important questions of our time: How can we save democracy and strengthen the moral and civic foundations of our country before it’s too late?
Born in Atlanta, Georgia to Korean War refugee parents during Jim Crow, his early years were marked by isolation, racism, and domestic violence. He transformed those experiences into purposeful action, working towards pursuing a more just and equitable world.
Arguing that democracy isn’t self-sustaining and instead requires participation, accountability, and an unwavering belief in our shared humanity, he is an outspoken advocate for reimagining political, social, and educational systems so they serve all Americans.
He points out how America’s diversity should be one of its greatest strengths, but that fear of difference, the language of “othering,” and the dehumanization of entire groups of people is dividing communities and corroding society.
A former managing director at JPMorganChase and a 2021 candidate for New York City mayor, he has continually sought to repair what’s broken in our institutions. His leadership reflects not just policy expertise, but also deep moral clarity and a belief that the strength of democracy lies in the dignity and participation of every person.
As an institutional entrepreneur using technology to transform broken systems, he founded a dozen tech startups, co-created NYC Votes, an initiative of the NYC Campaign Finance Board, and built Casebook, the nation’s first web-based child welfare system.
He argues that democracy can’t survive polite neutrality, and that preserving it requires taking necessary action. In a time of democratic peril, he challenges listeners to confront the myths that divide us and to imagine an America that lives up to its promise.
Art is a lecturer at Columbia University, Board Chair of the Coalition for Asian American Children and Families, and holds a BA in Women’s Studies from Yale University and an MBA in Finance from New York University.
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