Andrew Yang (born January 13, 1975) is an American entrepreneur, philanthropist, lawyer, and 2020 Democratic presidential candidate. He is the founder of Venture for America (VFA), a nonprofit organization that focuses on creating jobs in struggling American cities. Yang worked in various startups and early stage growth companies as a founder or executive from 2000 to 2009. After he founded VFA in 2011, the Obama administration selected him in 2012 as a "Champion of Change" and in 2015 as a "Presidential Ambassador for Global Entrepreneurship". Yang is the author of the 2014 book Smart People Should Build Things and the 2018 book The War on Normal People. Yang launched his campaign for the Democratic nomination in the 2020 United States presidential election on November 6, 2017. He is running on several campaign slogans, including "Humanity First", "Make America Think Harder" ("MATH"), and "Not Left, Not Right, Forward". Initially considered a longshot candidate, he gained significant momentum in early 2019 following appearances on several popular shows and podcasts. He has qualified for and participated in all five Democratic debates as of November 2019. The campaign is known for its popularity online, with The New York Times calling Yang "The Internet's Favorite Candidate".