Builders Launches Interactive AI Tool 'Ima' to Give All Texans a Voice in Policymaking

Builders opens public input period to offer residents a unique opportunity to share personal stories and practical ideas on healthcare in the Lone Star State.

AUSTIN, Texas, Nov. 19, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- To give Texans a voice in shaping the policies that affect their everyday lives and build upon the common ground they share, the cross-partisan Builders Movement invites the public to participate in its first statewide public input period addressing an issue that impacts all Texans: healthcare.

Leveraging artificial intelligence (AI), Texans from every corner of the state—urban, suburban, and rural, left, right, and center—can share their personal stories and practical ideas for improving healthcare access and affordability. Sharing is easy: participants can use their cell phone or computer to have a discussion with "Ima," a conversational AI host whose goal is to help them articulate their story. Ima hands Texans the reins, giving them the power to help shape healthcare policies that better reflect the will of the people. Builders uses a secure AI platform to analyze the input and identify common themes and potential solutions.

Builders recognizes technology doesn't replace the need for in-person collaboration. In December, Builders will host a three-day, in-person Citizen Solutions session in Austin. Supported by experts and skilled facilitators from Convergence Center for Policy Resolution, this intensive workshop brings together citizens statewide with widely varying viewpoints and beliefs to learn about the issue, have constructive conversations, and ultimately create consensus policy recommendations. These proposals, paired with Ima's insights, will inform final policy solutions that citizens will help deliver to lawmakers ahead of the 2027 legislative session.

"Too many Texans feel like the political process isn't built for them, which alienates citizens and concentrates power in the hands of a few. Through AI and deliberative dialogue, we are putting policymaking back in the hands of the people," said Stacy Blakeley, Executive Director of Builders. "We're starting with healthcare because it affects everyone, regardless of how old we are, where we come from, or what party we affiliate with. Our research shows it also offers a real opportunity for common ground solutions."

Healthcare is a top priority for Texans across the political spectrum. A new Texas 2036 report found that 82% of Texas voters say they are more likely to vote for a candidate in support of reducing healthcare prices and 76% for one simplifying healthcare navigation. Yet, Texas' healthcare system ranks among the last in the nation and, according to Cicero Institute, in the bottom ten for access to primary care and physician availability.

"The challenge we set out to solve was how to hear from people at scale, to cut through partisan noise and understand what Texans are really experiencing in their own words," said Boris Kizelshteyn, Builders' Digital Experience Lead. "Acting as a trusted interviewer, conversational AI makes that possible for the first time. When people share their stories for the purpose of helping shape policy, they become more invested in the civic process and the common themes that emerge create a stronger foundation for more representative policymaking."

Texans age 18 and older can participate at ima.buildersmovement.org. Participants are encouraged to share their input through the voice AI experience, with additional options available for those who prefer an AI text chat (similar to texting) or a standard, non-AI web survey. All means of submission will be analyzed equally.

About Builders
At Builders, we believe the real divide isn't left vs. right; it's between those solving problems and those fueling division. We're a cross-partisan, non-profit initiative working to move beyond "us vs. them" thinking and solve problems together. We help people build the mindset, skills, and relationships needed to become Builders, citizens equipped to create real, lasting solutions that reflect the will of the broad majority. Working across media, civics, and education, our goal is clear: leadership that's accountable to the people, and a country where problem-solving, not partisanship, leads the way.

Builders expanded its work to Texas in July 2025, a state that serves as the bellwether for the rest of the nation and where Builders believes citizens can lead the way in shaping real solutions.

Access Builders' media kit here, including videos and photos of Builders in TX and 'Ima' in action.

SOURCE Builders Movement