Generation We

AnneMarie Hayek

There are moments when the normal flow of time catches, hesitates, and shifts direction.

2020 was one of these moments.

Now, at this critical juncture, a new generation is coming of age and demanding a reckoning: Generation Z. Three billion strong, they’re at the center of the most pivotal issues of our time, from reimagining how we live on our changing planet to enacting a new mandate for racial equity. The following decade will bring unparalleled change, with Zs shaping the path ahead.

This generation has a voice—and force—that’s united, unprecedented, and still unacknowledged.

In Generation We, cultural and generational expert AnneMarie Hayek joins forces with thousands of Zs to tell their powerful story—one that impacts all of us. From new ideas on capitalism, politics, and climate change to education, gender, race, and work, AnneMarie explains how Gen Z thinks, what they envision, and why we should be hopeful. Zs are not naïve idealists. They’re hardened realists with a bold vision for how we can transition, re-create, and progress. Generation We is your invitation to see the future they will create as it’s unfolding.

Press & Praise

Kary Mcilwain, Chief Marketing & Communications Officer, Lurie Children's Hospital, past President & CEO Young & Rubicam Chicago

This is the final word on Gen Z! Ms. Hayek, through meticulous research and sharp insight, has captured the essence of this vitally important generation. A must read for anyone hiring, working with, selling to and just plain understanding today's young adults and tomorrow's leaders!

Tracy Sefl, Democratic Strategist

AnneMarie Hayek explores the dynamic change-makers of Generation Z through a lens of deep respect and pride. She leads readers through an accessible, lively sociocultural analysis and demonstrates how the impact of Gen Z is furthered by technology and other tools specific to this moment in time. With her Margaret Mead-like exploration coupled with vivid interviews of "Z Voices," readers will be left with a sense of hopefulness even in the face of our profound structural inequalities and growing political challenges. Hayek shows us clearly that Gen Z knows their power and in wielding it, may save us all.

Bob Raidt, Managing Director, Accenture Interactive

There's not a more important read at this moment than Generation We, AnneMarie Hayek's tour de force reflection on Generation Z. AnneMarie applies the rigor of a disciplined researcher to unpack insights into this fascinating cohort that is so vital to the future of both the planet and civilization's social fabric. It is written with soul and clarity by a gifted storyteller. The ambitions, ideas, pain and hope in the voices of those whom AnneMarie interviewed merit contemplation long after the last page of Generation We is turned. The immediacy and the enduring nature of the challenges and opportunities in front of Gen Z are brought into sharp relief in Generation We. The impact on the reader promises to call for contemplation and, as AnneMarie acquaints us with Generation We more intimately, to inspire genuine hope for the future.

AnneMarie Hayek is a cultural consultant, generational expert, and social agitator who deeply understands society’s evolutions. She founded and leads two companies, Global Mosaic and ZSpeak, with a passion for navigating the cultural movements shaping our world. AnneMarie and her team of experts have advised the world’s largest companies, organizations, governments, and presidential candidates for more than twenty-five years. She has a graduate degree from the University of Chicago and previously served as SVP and VP of Global Strategy at BBDO and Leo Burnett.


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