DemocracySummit 2026
America at 250: Creating A More Perfect Union
🇺🇸 About:
📍 Austin, Texas @ The AT&T Hotel & Conference Center
📅 Saturday, August 15, 2026
🎟️ Get Tickets!
Dream for America (501c3) and Dream for Action (501c4) are proud to present DemocracySummit 2026 — our first-ever in-person national conference, bringing together the next generation of pro-democracy leaders for a powerful day of organizing, learning, and civic renewal.
250 years ago, a group of young Americans made a bet on the future. They were imperfect, contradicted themselves, and left the work unfinished — because they knew it was never meant to be finished. Democracy isn’t a destination — it is a promise, renewed by every generation that inherits it.
This August 15th, that renewal comes to Austin. And we want you in the room to be part of the discussion on the work to create a more perfect union.
250 of the most engaged young leaders in the country will gather to mark America’s 250th anniversary not with nostalgia, but with urgency. Panels on civil rights, reproductive rights, energy, our economy, and the future of our democracy. Keynotes from national leaders. Workshops that hand you real tools for true citizenship. And a room full of people who showed up because they actually give a damn.
Dream for America was founded in 2023 by then-16-year-old William He with a simple conviction: that young people aren’t apathetic — they’re just waiting for something worth showing up for. Last year, DFA summit attendees heard messages from Vice President Kamala Harris, Senator Mark Kelly, Governor Andy Beshear, Rep. James Talarico, and 39 other exemplary national leaders.
This is our generation’s moment to be part of something that will outlast the news cycle.
Our Founding Fathers launched an experiment. Generations fought to expand it.
At a time when others are mobilizing young people toward division and extremism, DemocracySummit is mobilizing a generation to defend democracy, expand liberty, and carry forward the promise of the American dream.
If you want to hear from the biggest names in progressive politics and connect with young leaders from every corner of America — this is where YOU need to be.
2026 Featured Speakers
If your company/organization is interested in becoming a sponsor of DemocracySummit 2026, please reach out to us directly at [email protected].
William He
Founder & CEO of Dream for America
VP Kamala Harris*
49th Vice President of the United States
Sec. Pete Buttigieg*
19th U.S. Secretary of Transportation
Sen. Mark Kelly*
U.S. Senator, Arizona
Gov. Andy Beshear*
Governor of Kentucky
Stacey Abrams*
Founder, Fair Fight Action
Sen. Chris Murphy*
U.S. Senator, Connecticut
Rep. Ro Khanna*
U.S. Representative (CA-17)
Rep. Maxwell Frost
U.S. Representative (FL-10)
Texas Rep. James Talarico*
Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate
Ken Martin
Chair of the Democratic National Committee
Jaime Harrison
Former Chair of the Democratic National Committee
Mini Timmaraju
President & CEO of Reproductive Freedom for All
Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones
Mayor of San Antonio
Texas Rep. Gene Wu
Leader of the Texas House Democratic Caucus
PA Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta
Vice Chair of the Democratic National Committee
Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton*
Lieutenant Governor of Illinois
Lt. Gov. Austin Davis*
Lieutenant Governor of Pennsylvania
Texas Sen. Sarah Eckhardt
Democratic nominee for Texas Comptroller
Kendall Scudder
Chair of The Texas Democratic Party
Texas Rep. Vikki Goodwin
Democratic nominee for Texas Lieutenant Governor
Texas Rep. Donna Howard
Member of the Texas House of Representatives
Mayor Ron Nirenberg
Former Mayor of San Antonio
IL Rep. Kam Buckner
Speaker Pro Tempore of the Illinois House of Representatives
Steven Bonnell II (Destiny)
Political Commentator
Mark K. Updegrove
Chairman and CEO, The LBJ Foundation
Amb. Wally Brewster
Former U.S. Ambassador to the Dominican Republic
Board Member, Dream for America
Matthew Watkins
Editor-in-Chief, The Texas Tribune
Jevin D. Hodge
Board Member, Dream for America
Leonard Aguilar
President, Texas AFL-CIO
Texas Rep. Jon Rosenthal
Democratic nominee for Texas Railroad Commissioner
MO Rep. Ray Reed
Member of the Missouri House of Representatives
Councilmember Zo Qadri
Austin City Councillor
Pooja Sethi
Former Chief of Staff in the Texas Legislature & Former Chair of the Travis County Democratic Party
Lt. Col. Evan Hunt, USAF (Ret.)
Retired U.S. Air Force Lieutenant Colonel & Combat Aviator
Democratic nominee for U.S House (TX-3)
Ayaan Moledina
Federal Policy Director, Students Engaged in Advancing Texas (SEAT)
Igor Volsky
Campaign Manager, Tax the Greedy Billionaires
Debra Cleaver
Founder & CEO, Vote America
Yemisi Egbewole
Former Chief of Staff, The White House Press Office & Senior Advisor to the Press Secretary
Darcy Caballero
Government Relations & Political Director, Planed Parenthood Texas Votes
Samantha Casiano
Plaintiff in Zurawski v. Texas
Kimberly Taylor
CEO & Founder of Taylor Collective Solutions
Zhara Baksh
Campaign Manager at Color of Change
Mo Jenkins
Texas State Director at Human Rights Campaign
Nicolette Ardiente
Community Engagement Manager, Asian Texans for Justice
Jackie Bastard
Executive Director, JOLT Action
Anagha Uppal
Program Director, Powerhouse Texas
Clayton Tucker
Democratic nominee for Texas Agriculture Commissioner
Olivia Webster
National Organizing Director, Dream for America
Wyatt Sharpe
Journalist & Host, The Sharpe Exchange
Tre’veontae Martin
Deputy National Organizing Director, Dream for America
Marcus Emmanuel
Director of Operations, Dream for America
Zach Lambert
Pastor, Restore Austin
Kaylie Lynn (Lynndigo)
Singer
*virtual keynote address
Thank You To Our Sponsors
Location
The AT&T Hotel and Conference Center is located downtown on the northwest corner of Martin Luther King Boulevard and University Avenue, at the south entrance to The University of Texas at Austin. The Center is four blocks from the Texas State Capitol and eight miles from Austin-Bergstrom International Airport.
Parking is available in the attached Conference Center Garage. Guests may self-park or use valet services at the University Avenue entrance.
Travel
The AT&T Hotel and Conference Center is located 8 miles from the Austin-Bergstrom International Airport. The Capital Metro bus Route 20 costs just $1.25 and departs directly from the lower level at AUS and drops off directly outside the Center. Various shuttles and ride share options are also available.
Journalists and creators looking to cover DemocracySummit 2026 can request a press pass by emailing [email protected].
Dream for America has a hotel room block at the AT&T Hotel and Conference Center from August 12th – 16th. Participants will receive a discounted rate and easy access to the Summit on Saturday, August 15th. Rooms can be reserved here: https://book.passkey.com/go/DREAMS0826 until August 14th!
FAQS
Accessibility
The AT&T Hotel and Conference features wheelchair-accessible public entrances, accessible routes throughout the building, and ramps at both main and side entrances. Elevators feature Braille, and accessible rooms, business centers, and fitness facilities are available. All meeting rooms and the main ballroom area are fully ADA-compliant for attendees and event guests. There will be an ASL interpreter and live closed captioning for programming at the Summit.
Dress Code
The dress code is business casual. Members of the DFA team will be in suits but please wear whatever makes you comfortable!
Food and Beverage
Breakfast and Lunch will be provided on Saturday. Vegetarian and gluten free options will be available.
Contact
Have questions? Email us at [email protected] and a member of our team will be happy to help!
Past Speakers at Democracy Fest 2025
William He
Founder & CEO of Dream for America
Vice President Kamala Harris*
Former Vice President of the United States
Gov. Andy Beshear
Governor of Kentucky
Sen. Mark Kelly
U.S. Senator for Arizona
Sen. Andy Kim
U.S. Senator for New Jersey
Jaime Harrison
Former Chair of the DNC
TX Rep. James Talarico
Texas State Representative
PA Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta
Vice Chair of the DNC
Pennsylvania State Representative
Lt. Gov Juliana Stratton
Lieutenant Governor of Illinois
Candidate for U.S. Senate in Illinois
Stacey Abrams
Lawyer & Voting Rights Activist
2018 & 2022 Democratic nominee for Governor of Georgia
Lt. Col. Amy McGrath
Founder of Democratic Majority Action PAC
Dream for America Senior Advisor
Rep. Jamie Raskin
U.S. Representative (MD – 8)
Rep. Ro Khanna
U.S. Representative (CA – 17)
MI Sen. Mallory McMorrow
Candidate for U.S. Senate in Michigan
Michigan State Senator
Rep. Angie Craig
U.S. Representative (MN – 02)
Candidate for U.S. Senate in Minnesota
Alexis McGill Johnson
President & CEO of Planned Parenthood + Planned Parenthood Action
A’shanti Gholar
President & CEO of Emerge America
Rep. Seth Moulton
U.S. Representative (MA – 6)
Rep. Grace Meng
U.S. Representative (NY – 06)
Rep. Suhas Subramanyam
U.S. Representative (VA – 10)
Rep. Jimmy Gomez
U.S. Representative (CA – 34)
Rep. Melanie Stansbury
U.S. Representative (NM – 01)
Former Rep. Conor Lamb
Former U.S. Representative (PA – 17)
Former Rep. Joe Walsh
Former U.S. Representative (IL – 8)
John Avlon
Journalist & Bestselling Author
Chairman of Citizen’s Union
Aaron Parnas
Attorney, Creator, & Journalist
Mayor Phillip Jones
Mayor of Newport News, VA
Brad Jenkins
Founder & CEO of Enfranchisement Productions
Dream for America Senior Advisor
Isaiah Martin
Gen-Z Candidate for Congress (TX – 18)
MA Rep. Tram Nguyen
Massachusetts State Representative
Tim Fullerton
Co-Founder of FindOut Podcast
Dream for America Senior Advisor
Joshua Reed Eakle
Founder & Executive Director of Project Liberal
Dream for America Senior Advisor
Tahra Hoops
Director of Economic Analysis @ Chamber of Progress
Malynda Hale
Executive Director of The New Evangelicals
Micah Erfan
Executive Committee Member of the Texas Democratic Party
Haley Lickstien
Creator & Strategist
Steve Boyle
Executive Director of YIMBY Democrats for America
Jevin Hodge
Former Vice Chair of the Arizona Democratic Party
2022 Democratic Nominee for (AZ – 01)
Former NE Sen. Tony Vargas
Executive Director of Square One
Rich Logis
Executive Director of Leaving MAGA