The 21 civic leaders taking part in CoGenerate’s Voices fellowship are a diverse group. They range in age from 15 to 81, and each focuses on a different aspect of civic work. But they’re all well-versed in the ins and outs of effective intergenerational collaboration....
https://youtu.be/DMmhqffPUWc As we celebrate our nation’s 250th anniversary, we are the most age-diverse society in human history — and the most age-segregated. Our next chapter will depend on our ability to work across generations.In commemoration of the United...
On a Sunday evening in mid-May, two chefs collaborated on “The Future of the Creamery,” a five-course tasting event at Long Count, an all-vegan wine bar and restaurant in New York City’s East Village. Forty years apart in age, both chefs have towering reputations —...
Simple question: Do you miss human connection when you use self-checkout at the grocery store? Complex question: How is cogeneration threatened by AI, profit-driven “efficiencies,” and automation — and what can we do about it? Allison Pugh, author of the book The Last...
Why do you do the civic or community work that you do?
I do community and civic work through journalism, public health advocacy, and youth organizing, using storytelling and research to make information more accessible and help people feel represented in conversations that affect their lives. Growing up in Queens in an immigrant family, I often translated school forms, healthcare information, and other documents for my family and neighbors, and I saw how easily people could feel disconnected from systems that directly affected them because the information was not always accessible or made with them in mind. Later, reading and listening to stories about children of immigrants acting as translators and cultural bridges for their families made me feel deeply understood because those experiences were finally being recognized as a form of leadership and civic participation. That perspective continues to shape why I do this work. I want to help create spaces where people feel informed, represented, and empowered to take part in the conversations and decisions that impact their communities.
How is cogeneration helping (or how will it help) you succeed?
Cogeneration is helping me think more intentionally about collaboration and shared voice. It’s pushing me to move beyond seeing mentorship or leadership as one-directional and instead think about how people can actively shape each other’s perspectives across generations. I noticed this during our conversations when an older participant shared experiences about community building that challenged some of my assumptions, while my perspective as a young person helped reframe how they thought about belonging and connection today. I think it’s also making me more aware of how power and communication show up in group spaces. That awareness is making me a better listener, collaborator, and storyteller.
Got one tip to help other civic leaders collaborate more effectively with older or younger people?
Approach conversations with curiosity instead of performance. A lot of intergenerational spaces become transactional because people feel pressure to either prove themselves or always have the answer. Some of the best collaborations happen when people are honest about what they know, what they don’t know, and are genuinely open to learning from each other. Creating room for imperfect ideas makes conversations much more meaningful.
What’s something giving you joy or hope right now?
Honestly, spaces like the CoGen Voices fellowship are giving me hope right now. It’s rare to be in conversations where people from different generations, backgrounds, and experiences are not just talking next to each other, but actually building on each other’s ideas in real time. I think there’s something really hopeful about seeing people choose curiosity and collaboration in a moment where it’s so easy to stay in silos.