I started my first nonprofit at 12 years old.

Not because I had everything figured out, but because I was in environments that gave me real responsibility, belief, and the ability to act. Starting that nonprofit changed the trajectory of my life. It also made something clear early on: every young person should have access to systems that allow them to build confidence, develop purpose, take ownership, and contribute in meaningful ways—early, not someday.

Most young people don’t lack ability, but they do lack access to those systems.

We often talk about the “next generation” as if they’re still on the way, but in reality, they’re already here—shaping culture, expectations, and how institutions are experienced every day.

Unfortunately, many of the systems around them—while often well-intentioned across education, work, community, and leadership—haven’t kept up with how they actually develop, connect, engage, and find purpose.

That gap shows up everywhere: in how organizations try to reach them, in how leaders attempt to develop them, and in how opportunities are structured.

We have to stop thinking about young people as a niche or demographic group; they are foundational to how any organization or community performs over time. A society is only as strong as its rising generations, which means they deserve our full attention, strategy, and investment.

Since the start of my career, I’ve been committed to making sure rising generations build purpose, identity, capability, and connection. That work has included designing and leading national initiatives, convenings, and platforms that have mobilized millions of young people across the country; co-authoring nationally representative research in partnership with Gallup; and helping shape how legacy institutions think about engaging and developing the rising generation.

It has also taken shape through entrepreneurial ventures, partnerships, and platforms that operate in real environments across education, sports, community, and media.

Young people don’t need to be “fixed.” We need to build and improve systems that actually reflect how they grow, learn, and prepare for what’s ahead.

The organizations that build around this will see results at a different level. They’ll develop people more effectively, build stronger cultures, connect more authentically, and cultivate leadership earlier—because they’re aligned with what’s actually happening, not reacting to what’s already changed.

There’s still work to be done, but I’m optimistic.

If we keep rising generations at the center of how we design, invest, and build, we have the opportunity to create systems—and a society—that better serve all of us over time.