It took a “nightmare” presidential election for Dex Torricke-Barton to leave what he described as his “dream career” in Silicon Valley.
The former head of communications for SpaceX, the rocket company helmed by Elon Musk, announced this week that he had left his job to focus on promoting social change. “We are seeing increasingly harsh social divisions emerging in the United States and in Europe, and I believe this poses a really fundamental threat to the future of our society,” Torricke-Barton told Fortune. “I didn’t see how I could stay on the sidelines.”
Torricke-Barton, the son of a refugee, said he had been considering a career change for a couple of years. In the 65 million refugees worldwide, he sees his late father, who was a refugee from Burma during World War II. The challenges his father overcame, he said, “are the things that millions of people around the world right now are experiencing.”
The events of the U.S. presidential election this year helped solidify Torricke-Barton’s decision.
“This has been an election marked by repeated attacks on immigrants, minorities, women, and many other communities,” Torricke-Barton wrote in a Facebook post announcing his departure. “I have always believed in an America that is confident and outward-looking, that works hard to drive the world to action on what matters most. Now, the loudest voices are calling for building walls between people.” Cont.
Story from - Fortune
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