Daniel Lubetzky

How does Builders’ mission to help people overcome our cultural and political divides align with the challenges we face in today’s polarized landscape? What strategies have proven most effective?

Builders is a movement to build a future where flexible thinkers and problem-solvers—‘Builders’—counteract the destructive effects of extreme views.

Around the world, the rise of political extremism, both on the left and right, has created dysfunctional governments that struggle to pass meaningful legislation. This gridlock, paired with rising political polarization and distrust, has undermined government effectiveness, worsened cultural animosity, and alienated most people.

By helping equip citizens with tools to think flexibly, engage in constructive civic problem-solving, and hold elected representatives accountable, we can reduce division and extremism. This will enable the restoration of a democratic system where problem-solving prevails, leading to more effective policy-making that reflects the will of the people.

This movement works in three integrated ways:

Builders Media: We create original content that helps people see beyond divisive narratives and think critically and flexibly. This builds mental resilience against extremist ideologies.

Citizen Solutions: We bring together citizens from all political backgrounds to explore common ground and craft policy proposals on gridlocked state-level issues that address the needs of everyone.

Builders Power Rankings: Using a mix of AI and human insight, we rank elected officials based on how effectively they solve problems and promote unity, not division. Our goal is to reward those who build solutions and hold accountable those who deepen divides.

Builders is focused on replacing “us vs. them” thinking with a movement of flexible thinkers and constructive problem-solvers. Can you share a success story or example where Builders has helped shift perspectives or overcome polarization?

This is extremely challenging work, but citizens are demonstrating that solutions are possible. A great example is our Citizen Solutions initiative.

We piloted the program in Tennessee on the issue of gun rights and safety. Eleven citizens with very different views and backgrounds – from a firearms instructor to a teacher who’s lost multiple students to gun violence – worked together to create eight consensus-based proposals representing the needs of all sides. Following a month-long public feedback period with 30,000 Tennesseans weighing in on the proposals, five received majority support. They presented their proposals to a bipartisan group of lawmakers in an effort to expose the gap between government policy and the will of the people, resulting in a version of one of their proposals being passed into law.

Their efforts have not only impacted legislative change, but have also shifted the narrative across local and national media, illuminating our ability to constructively solve problems across perceived divides. Following promising feedback from the public, we expanded the program to Wisconsin to address the heated issue of abortion and family well-being, resulting in five solutions that the citizens are actively mobilizing behind during their state’s legislative session. We are eager to bring it to the Lone Star State in the near future.

What advice would you give to someone who wants to be part of a movement like Builders? How can they get involved?

Our movement is uniting over 3.5 million Americans dedicated to prioritizing problem-solving over division. Our growing network of 325+ Movement Partners, distinguished leaders in their fields, is guiding this effort to create lasting change in politics and culture.

As we expand the movement in Texas this year, we invite more partners to help us build the tools, networks, and strategies needed to tackle the challenges facing Texans. If you’re interested in getting involved, please sign up at buildersmovement.org/Texas/. We will reach out to you.

When you founded KIND Snacks, you created a product that was healthy and tasty while building a brand with a social mission. What lessons from that journey stand out most as you apply them to new ventures today?

KIND began as one idea that we were able to grow into a multi-billion-dollar global brand. While I am enormously proud of what we have accomplished, how we reached our goals has been just as critical to our success. Our culture of kind and hungry values, staying committed to excellence while operating with kindness and integrity, was fundamental to driving sustainable business outcomes.

The building blocks of curiosity, courage, creativity, and compassion that made KIND what it became, are the same essential values that make our society work so well. The keys to America’s exceptionalism, our free enterprise system and our democracy, depend on citizens practicing these core principles of what we call a Builders Mindset. These are the very skills the Builders Movement is fostering to equip citizens to be able to think more flexibly and solve our toughest problems together.

As a Shark on Shark Tank, you’ve worked with a wide range of entrepreneurs. What qualities do you look for in the founders you invest in, and how do those qualities connect to the principles you’ve championed through Builders and KIND?

For me, the product and the person are equally important. I’m looking for innovative entrepreneurs who have the humility and introspection to be able to constantly learn from their mistakes. They need to have the sense of purpose, creativity, and grit to persevere and solve problems when things go wrong (which they always do at some point when growing a business). Integrity and open communication are also essential for a partnership built on trust. In every entrepreneur, I look again for that Builders Mindset of curiosity, courage, creativity, and compassion.

The product, or service, also needs to creatively fill a real need in the marketplace.

You’ve used business as a tool for social change. What would you say is the most important factor in building a company that balances profitability with purpose?

I love businesses with a clear purpose and social mission, but not every business needs to have a social mission. If you care about an issue and can find a way to use market forces to channel that impact, it could make sense for your business. But if that mission doesn’t have an authentic connection to you and your brand, you run the risk of being performative. At the end of the day, people are only going to buy your proproduct if it’s excellent, which needs to be the number one priority when building a business.