Dear Class of 2000,

It’s not too late to save the world. It’s more achievable than it seems, and you’re far more powerful and equipped than you may even realize.

Yes, Rome is burning. The world is sick. And good people everywhere are under siege. It most certainly feels overwhelming. Most of us can hardly even keep up — let alone act. Some of us are already doing all we can.

But we must persist. Our children are counting on us, and we have every imaginable tool at our disposal. Many are leaders in tech, and some are titans. Many are global financiers, and some move markets. We are in positions of high influence and authority across a wide range of industries, including media and entertainment, government, philanthropy, energy, law and healthcare. Together, we have tremendous power.

It took a great many small compromises over time for our institutions to weaken to the point they’d even contemplate bending the knee — from chasing clicks and headlines over objectivity and substance, to tweaking algorithms towards profit without enough regard for ethics and safety, to minting generations of loan-strapped young lawyers conditioned to admire the fine trappings and promises of corporate jurisprudence. And bend the knee they have, ripping apart our national integrity as fear embeds itself into the public imagination. Law firms, media conglomerates, universities and tech giants have let us down. While I certainly empathize with the pressure some of you face, I also wonder what would have happened if more of us took a firmer stand sooner. 

Despite it all, it’s not too late to reverse our abdication, and maybe we needed to see cracks in our system to reform it. Just as it took millions of small compromises to reach darkness, it will take millions of small acts of light to once again bend the arc towards justice. It’s something we can do quietly and consistently. You don’t have to be captains of industry to make change. And as captains of industry, you don’t have to move mountains to make a difference. Even small deeds with close friends and family have ripple effects. But to those of you making decisions of great consequence — may you be wise, just, principled and courageous.

I harken back to our time on campus. I recall late night conversations about the world we wanted to create. I can still feel our excitement to innovate and lead with virtue and compassion. Coffee House (CoHo) run-ins, late-night dining and computer cluster memories abound. We were all so ambitious and confident. And yet, our education lacked context. The greatest minds of our generation were set to compete in a game that, in many ways and on many levels, has little to do with real life.

We were taught that ambition is good. I don’t remember being taught much humility. We were taught how to code and create. I don’t remember many discussions about the moral and philosophical implications of our inventions. We were taught U.S. foreign policy through the lens of national interest, with little exposure to other interpretations.

As we entered our respective industries, we were handed a playbook and did what was expected of us. We may have initially questioned some practices, but we were also practiced at trusting hierarchy. At some point, we gained enough confidence in our own instincts and judgment, but rocking the boat after already investing is difficult. The brain works overtime to sanitize and justify. “I can’t change it alone,” we tell ourselves. 

That’s okay, we still have time. In fact, I believe it’s our destiny. Our class uniquely straddles two very different worlds. Preceded by a generation that missed their opportunity to address root problems in meaningful ways, we are to be succeeded by a generation fed up with business as usual. But we can still ensure the next generation inherits a system open enough to their fresh examination that this world becomes more enlightened by the time we exit.

I challenge us in myriad ways. Let’s more deeply examine our assumptions — and ask more questions. Let’s speak out more often and openly about hard issues. If we post on social media, some of the world’s top leaders see it. Right? Let’s integrate our values more fully into everyday life, whether it’s buying from local farms or working with community banks that make small business loans to local entrepreneurs. Let’s more fully align our hearts and deeds.

I challenge us to check our echo chambers and triangulate our information. It’s easy to lose perspective once we hit a certain level of wealth or pledge loyalty to a certain party or news outlet. I challenge us to divest from harmful industries like gambling, private prisons and war tech. Have you examined your portfolios to confirm your investments match your values? Have you had real conversations with your inner circles about the corruption you see in your own industry? 

Let’s more fully realize and utilize our advantages for the greater good. We’re custodians of the world now, even if we haven’t internalized it because we just got used to being forty-something and, as Stanford kids, there may be a part of us that never quite feels like we’ve “made it.” 

There’s still time, but we must not waste it. Let’s act as if we’re the ones being bombed and starved. As if our children are being exploited. As if our sense of purpose is being replaced by robots. As if all of paradise is being paved. Quite literally, that’s what we’re up against. And ultimately, we’re all connected.

Stephen León Kane ’00 J.D. ’06 was a sophomore class president for the Class of 2000. He’s a Los Angeles-based musician, legal tech startup founder (FairClaims) and tech leader (Grid110 Founder).