Eighteen x 18 Holds the Inaugural #WeVoteNext Summit!

“This summit is a moment to be in conversation with one another, so that we can figure out what matters to us. Because that’s what should matter to the U.S.”

Yara Shahidi, Founder of Eighteen x 18

On the morning of November 9, 2016, it became apparent that the 2018 Midterm Elections were going to play an outsized role in the future of this country. Nearly every critical issue facing future generations would be affected by the decisions made at the polls in 2018, and it was never more imperative for young voters to get involved. And that’s why Yara Shahidi founded Eighteen x 18 — to educate, engage and help activate the youngest generation of voters.

Held at the TOMS Shoes headquarters in Los Angeles, we were thrilled to host 129 young people from all 50 states and Washington, D.C. for a day of collaboration and celebration. During the summit, delegates dove deep into the issues that are most important to them, discussed how our elected officials should address those issues and traded ideas about the things they could do to make the biggest impact at home.

The #WeVoteNext Summit excited and inspired our delegates ahead of the 2018 Midterm Elections, and equipped these young leaders with the tools and resources to get out the vote in their communities. Delegates created innovative campaigns that they took back to their communities to turn out the youth vote.

Guest speakers included actresses Laverne Cox and Rosario Dawson, Black Lives Matter leader Janaya “Future” Khan, former EPA Chief Justice Official Mustafa Ali and Phenomenal Women Action Campaign founder, Meena Harris.

Perhaps most importantly, however, was that the #WeVoteNext Summit delegates created a new network of their own, leveraging their experiences and resources to continue the work that began at the summit.

And finally, we couldn’t have produced this event without our partners, so many thanks to TOMS shoes, PopSockets, Tory Burch, the Filmmaker Fund and NowThis News.