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,…
