Millenniheirs

As millions across the country wait for the COVID-19 vaccine to be rolled out, here’s a question you’re probably tired of hearing: when do things go back to normal? But have you ever stopped to ask yourself whether normal even exists? In Episode 6 of #Millenniheirs, a young intern and creative industry veteran riff on a range of topics, from their surprising experiences with isolation, to systemic racism and the impact of the Black Lives Matter movement. Host Jessie McGuire interviews Ben, a proud Gen X-er and longtime creative director at ThoughtMatter as well as Luisa, a high school student from New York and ThoughtMatter’s very first virtual intern. To hear more, listen below and subscribe to ThoughtMatter on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or SoundCloud.

How we examine history today determines how we imagine a more equitable future. Who will help us make sense of this historic moment of reckoning? In Episode 5 of #Millenniheirs, we paired a Gen X-er with a Gen Z-er to discuss the ethics of archiving and storytelling as social media platforms gain power while public institutions continue to decline. Host Jessie McGuire interviews Mark Tebeau, a Gen-Xer and public historian working on “A Journal of the Plague Year” documenting Covid-19, as well as Ziad Ahmed, a Yale University student and social justice activist who founded JUV Consulting to help companies understand how to engage with Gen Z. To hear more, listen below and subscribe to ThoughtMatter on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or SoundCloud.

Joe Biden is a member of the Silent Generation who just received over 81 million votes in the 2020 elections, at a time when millennials and Gen Z are poised to make up the largest voting bloc. How will the new administration center the next generation? In Episode 4 of #Millenniheirs, we brought together an old and young voter to debate and discuss rebuilding the American economy. Host Jessie McGuire interviews Richard A. Fazzone, who is part of the Silent Generation and has retired after a 30-year career in telecommunications at General Electric, as well as Anna Gifty Opoku-Agyeman, a 24-year-old activist and writer who founded the Sadie Collective to get more black women to participate in economics, finance, data science and policy. To hear more, listen below and subscribe to ThoughtMatter on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or SoundCloud.

Can an email satisfy an inspiration chaser’s desire for the sights, sounds and smells of eating and drinking IRL? In Episode 3 of #Millenniheirs, a baby boomer and Gen X-er from the food and beverage industry discuss their post-pandemic distribution models. Host Jessie McGuire interviews Tulin Tuzel, a baby boomer and food industry veteran who continues to innovate within health and wellness, as well as Colin Spoelman, a Gen Xer and co-founder of NYC-based craft distillery Kings County Distillery. To hear more, listen below and subscribe to ThoughtMatter on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or SoundCloud.

In an age where information is at our fingertips, how did we become so dumb about science? In Episode 2 of #Millenniheirs, a Gen Z-er and baby boomer discuss the spread of misinformation. Host Jessie McGuire interviews Alex Alben, a baby boomer who has served as chief privacy officer on the state level and now teaches Internet Law at UCLA, as well as Kavya Kopparapu, a senior at Harvard who is innovating healthcare through the use of AI. To hear more, listen below and subscribe to ThoughtMatter on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or SoundCloud.

Is it a teacher’s job to talk or to listen? Season 2 of our #Millenniheirs podcast kicks off with two teachers from two very different generations finding common ground in the classroom. Host Jessie McGuire talks to Antoinette Byam, a baby boomer in Brooklyn who has been teaching for decades, as well as Ramon Tejada, a Gen X-er and design assistant professor at Rhode Island School of Design. To hear more, listen below and subscribe to ThoughtMatter on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or SoundCloud.

Generational stereotyping and griping is so 2008. It’s a pivotal time for us to get past cultural divides and build trust between generations. Listen to Season 2 of the Millenniheirs podcast, where ThoughtMatter Managing Director and millennial host Jessie McGuire leads intergenerational discussions with diverse thinkers in response to current events about how to shape a tangible legacy for future generations. Millenniheirs kicked off in 2017 as ThoughtMatter’s original research project reframing the mainstream narrative around millennials as lazy, entitled, industry-killers and parents’ couch-surfers. How can we offer a second look at the most over-analyzed generation in history from the point of view of millennials themselves?

Museum educator Darcy-Tell Morales and media producer Daria McCall share their take on collective impact, young people leading social change, and the importance of fostering fearless self-expression for the next generation – because we’re all we really have. Together they attempt to understand just why they love Target so much but hate Walmart, and why they hate Amazon but can’t get enough of Prime. TL;DL For Daria, avocado toast is just as important as buying a home. Darcy downloaded and signed up for a Stocks app once and hasn’t opened it since.

Ad agency executive Carl Desir and brewery owner Katarina Martinez sit down to discuss the different forms that “diversity” can take in the creative and craft beer industries, how they advocate for inclusion and the penchant for 5-to-9 side hustles. TL;DL- Carl comes to terms with being an AARP millennial, while Katarina recounts getting a cease-and-desist letter from Beyoncé herself.

Cross-disciplinary designer Mollie Ruskin and former Democratic Congressional candidate (NY-9) Adem Bunkeddeko talk about wearing the millennial label as a point of pride, taking a stance on social issues, and being more civically engaged than ever as a generation because there’s a lot more at stake. TL;DL- Mollie explains how resistance went mainstream through the performative nature of our online lives. Adem believes what millennials have inherited is essentially a fixer-upper – one too many parties, windows smashed, and a lot of work left to do. They both still prefer cash over Bitcoin.

Graphic designer Jackson Green and public arts advocate Natalie Raben riff on their generation being snubbed before they even take the helm, inheriting a sense of community, and doing work that matters both personally and professionally. TL;DL- Jackson hopes to eventually start a practice and teach how design shapes the world around us. Natalie continues to pursue public art projects that connect artists with businesses. To them, Gen Z sounds like someone’s name, and La Croix is just angry water.

Coming soon: #Millenniheirs is a content series hosted by ThoughtMatter about millennials who reflect on their inheritance as a generation and their legacy as citizens and consumers. Visit www.millenniheirs.com to learn more.