A conversation with a MacArthur “Genius” Award winner and more

Ai-jen Poo has long been a hero of mine. She’s an award-winning author, organizer and next-generation labor leader. A leading voice in the women’s movement and nationally recognized expert on elder and family care, the future of work, and immigration. She’s on Time’s list of 100 most influential people in the world and to top it off, a MacArthur “Genius.” But at the center of it all is Ai-Jen’s unrelenting commitment to shining a light on care – and the often invisible caregivers who are the life-sustaining force lifting up our economy, our communities, and our lives.

I hope you’ll join me on September 5 (fittingly the day after Labor Day!), for my eagerly-anticipated conversation with Ai-Jen. We’ll discuss the personal journey that led to her life’s work and why this work should feel personal to all of us. And we’ll explore why Ai-Jen believes a cogenerational approach to our country’s “care crisis” is not only urgently needed –? but the only path forward.

My Co-CEO Marc Freedman is going to kick things off with an exciting announcement about a new cogenerational initiative we’re launching to advance economic opportunity, so don’t be late!

Trust me, you don’t want to miss this. Register now. ?

Eunice Lin Nichols , Co-CEO, CoGenerate

The Buzz

Don’t miss this story in The New York Times featuring three unexpected intergenerational friendships. “Roz has this attitude that life is worth living and embracing,” Omid Malekan , 42, said of his friend Roslyn Scharf, 83. “It always puts in perspective whatever relatively insignificant thing has got me down.”

Not yet ready to retire and with a rising young star on his team, Raymond A. Jetson decided to give intergenerational co-leadership a try. Read his reflections on “the art of stepping back” and the benefits of cogenerational leadership in The Chronicle of Philanthropy .?

David Brooks explores “How America Got Mean” for The Atlantic (behind paywall), suggesting national service programs bringing younger and older people together to address community needs as one way to teach us how to better cooperate with people who are unlike us.?

What does an apple have to do with the benefits of intergenerational connection? Watch this Instagram Reel from blogger and activist Scot Loyd and let us know what you think!?

"I believe strongly in the power of cross-generational collaboration to bridge the gap between today’s decision-makers and the next generation of change agents," says Manal Bidar , a climate activist and student at Duke University. Read more here .?

Try This

Applications are now open for Citizen University ’s Youth Collaboratory! This six-month hybrid experience is for high school sophomores and juniors from across the country who are budding civic leaders and want to learn how to build and circulate power. Learn more and share this exciting opportunity with a high school student in your life!

Quotable

“By putting loneliness on the national agenda and putting some dollars behind it, we might be able to begin addressing the systemic structures that create loneliness.”

— Sandra Harris, AARP Massachusetts president and CoGenerate Innovation Fellow via Financial Press