Gathering at a rooftop venue in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, in late October, a group of Gen Z influencers and activists hosted ZCON, a two-day meeting that aims to “channel Gen Z values into action” and reinvent the conference experience. The idea is to bring together like-minded individuals, connecting nonprofit and private sector businesses with Gen Z activists, influencers, and thought leaders. Following its debut in Los Angeles in 2023, ZCON’s goal is to highlight the ways that Gen Z is particularly affected by issues impacting the younger generation, and how they are working towards solutions.
“I see ZCON as a creative classroom where different people come together to express their forms of art, whether that’s through lifestyle, education, or activism,” Isaias Hernandez, a climate activist who spoke at ZCON in 2023, tells TIME. “And to me, it also does not just bring all these young people together, it brings brands, philanthropists, different people from …