Dear Democratic Business Leaders of America,
My intention with this letter is simple: to encourage you to start charting a path toward running for office. Not tomorrow, not next year—but someday soon, maybe five or ten years from now, when you feel ready. Today, you might not feel prepared, but you could become exactly what America needs.
First, let’s talk stakes: One-party rule forever. MAGA. Need I say more..?
Right now, Republicans are actively recruiting and electing business leaders—Glenn Youngkin, Mitt Romney, J.D. Vance, even President Trump—people who have real-world track records of achievement and experience running complex organizations. Democrats, by contrast, keep nominating career activists, politicians, and insiders. It’s time for the left to embrace a new kind of candidate—leaders from the business world who understand pragmatism, results, and common-sense solutions.
I’m no longer a Democrat myself—partly because I’ve watched the party drift into the land of activists rather than pragmatic leaders. Today’s Democratic Party often seems ambivalent—or even openly hostile—toward the business community and corporate America. This anti-business tone alienates the very people who could solve problems with common sense and clarity. Imagine a Democratic Party that nominated proven builders like Mark Cuban, Marc Benioff, Sheryl Sandberg, Tim Cook, Brian Chesky, or Bob Iger—leaders who deliver results and inspire through achievement, not ideology.
It’s exactly why I’m such a fan of Whitney Tilson’s candidacy for Mayor of New York City. A pragmatic Democrat and former hedge fund manager, Whitney has spent decades building businesses, understanding complex problems, and delivering real solutions. (You can hear our recent conversation here.)
When I was in high school, my parents invited a family friend over to talk with me about my future. She was an executive at a prominent Bay Area company and also deeply involved in nonprofit leadership and boards.
Sitting on the couch in our living room, she told me, "You can have your day job and your nights-and-weekends job." Her hobby wasn’t tennis or gardening—it was giving back. By balancing corporate leadership and civic life, she became a beacon in San Francisco’s Jewish and philanthropic communities.
"This is my life philosophy," she explained: "Learn. Earn. Serve."
First, you learn -- in school, then on the job. Then you earn -- building income, credibility, a reputation. Ultimately, you serve. You give back to the community that has given you so much. Her message was clear to me: your sense of mission and meaning doesn’t need to come entirely from your primary career. You have more time every week than you think. You can always give back.
She embodied that ideal, and I've thought about her mantra ever since.
As someone who’s spent two decades immersed in tech and startups, I’ve seen firsthand the practical genius and capability of America’s business leaders. Imagine what could happen if even a fraction of those talented individuals dedicated themselves to public service.
America doesn’t need more activists thriving on outrage. It needs builders and candidates, running on results.
The question is, will you have the courage to step up?
Sincerely,
Michelle
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