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Monday night I received the following message from the White House:
INVITATION: Meeting with the President (4/26/2012)
Dear Andrew Yang,
April 2012 marks the one-year anniversary of the White House Champions of Change Program. To celebrate this anniversary, we are inviting a small group of our past Champions to participate in a small meeting with the President on April 26, 2012.
As one of our great Champions, we wanted to invite you back to the White House to personally tell the President about the incredible work you are doing in your community.
Although we do not have a time confirmed, this meeting will take place on April 26, 2012 at the White House in Washington, DC. Please respond to this email indicating whether or not you will be able to accept this invitation. If you are able to attend, please complete the attached security form and send it to [xxxxxxxx]@who.eop.gov by Tuesday, April 17 at 6:00 PM EST.
Thank you,
Kyle Lierman
I had been selected as a White House Champion of Change last August, and enjoyed the chance to meet up with Josh Linkner and Jen Medbery during the event. But I certainly didn’t figure on a return visit.
Upon processing what this invite meant, I responded “Yes” and then shared it with my teammates, Board members, entrepreneurs, Fellows, supporters, and others who have brought Venture for America to this point. From the beginning the world has been conspiring to help VFA succeed, and the conspiracy has taken the form of many different people. VFA would be nowhere without Eileen Lee, Mike Tarullo, Bernie Sucher, Charlie Kroll, Darren MacDonald, Brielle Beaudette, Sy Jacobs, the folks at Manhattan Prep, and so many others who have gone above and beyond to see Venture for America put in position to achieve its goals. Perhaps most importantly, our 40+ Fellows are demonstrating what our best and brightest are capable of taking on if given the proper opportunity.
I wish that everyone who’s been part of VFA’s success could come next week, but the group would be bigger than even the White House could accommodate. I’ll do my best to bring part of the experience back with me (and write it up). And hopefully we’ll all get to celebrate together for real when Tony Hsieh comes to town for our big Summer Celebration in June.