Andrew Yang is an American entrepreneur, author, and former Democratic presidential candidate known for his 2020 campaign, which was notable for his proposal of a universal basic income (UBI) called the "Freedom Dividend." Born on January 13, 1975, in Schenectady, New York, to immigrant parents from Taiwan, Yang attended Brown University and Columbia Law School. Before entering politics, Yang had a varied career that included founding the non-profit Venture for America (VFA), which aimed to create jobs in struggling American cities by training and supporting entrepreneurs. He wrote several books, with the most prominent being "The War on Normal People" (2018), where he discusses automation, the economy, and his advocacy for UBI as a solution to the job displacement it could cause. Yang's platforms and perspectives, particularly his focus on the impact of technology on the economy, have brought him a following known as the "Yang Gang." His influence has continued beyond his presidential campaign through political commentary and further efforts to address economic and societal issues.