Oct 31, 2017
Amy Chiou cultivates the virtues of democracy. She has been a staff volunteer on dozens of electoral campaigns at all levels of political engagement. She is former deputy director of the convention complex for the 2016 Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia. She is the founder of #WTFwevote, a non-partisan organization that seeks to 'increase the number of people who care enough to take action' in the political process. Amy is also executive director of Queen City Forward, a community of social entrepreneurs, civic innovators and change-makers. QCF seeks to tackle significant 'social challenges with innovation, creativity, curiosity and optimism that defines entrepreneurs.' Amy earned her undergraduate degree in government at the University of Texas-Austin and a law degree at The George Washington University Law School.
This episode is perfect for anyone interested in politics and social entrepreneurism, and engaging the world with curiosity and joy.
IN THIS EPISODE
- Amy explains how she thinks of herself in the work she does.
- She defines politics and what she sees as the distinction between politics and governing.
- She talks about the best and worst parts of politics in America today and what we might do about it.
- She shares why political discourse is so difficult, what is critical about politics, and the challenge facts and feelings present in our conversations.
- Amy offers her insight on why Donald Trump won and Hillary Clinton lost in the 2016 election and a key way elections are changing.
- She explains what Queen City Forward is, the many hats we she wears as executive director, and what company she would like to start.
- She reveals how being a child of an immigrant family and growing up in Texas has shaped who she is today.
- She shares the values of her family and why she is not a Republican.
- Amy talks about who she was when she was younger and who she hoped to be one day.
- She discusses the privileges and challenges of being an Asian American woman and the value and limitations of identity politics.
- She answers what tough conversations we need to have in politics.
- She shares the vision she has for herself and whether she wants to run for office.
- Amy reveals the big question she is thinking about, what most people don't know about her, and the campaign the world needs right now.
After the conversation, host Mark Peres adds a personal word that begins this way, "When Amy Chiou talks about the importance of family, I'm drawn to ideas I heard expressed by Professor Owen Flanagan about Mencius, a 4th century BC Chinese Confucian philosopher..."