An Insightful Lunch

By Rhonda Sweet

I must admit, when I got the invitation to join a millennial think tank and roundtable discussion over lunch at Cafe Momentum, I chuckled to myself, “This should be interesting.” I had some preconceived ideas of my own about the “Gen Y” folks.

After having the opportunity to sit with the National Millennial Community I can say they opened my mind and changed some of my perceptions of this generation. The group was comprised of about thirty-five diverse young adults from different life stages, ethnicities, religions, political affiliations, economic statuses, and overall perspectives. They also represented over thirty-five universities and six different time zones. These future world-changers and influencers were very articulate, educated, and each one had a platform or cause they were not just passionate about, but taking action in doing their part to make a change.

This particular group has had the occasion to seat at the feet of leaders from some of the largest corporations in this country. Not only were the millennials gleaning from them, but these corporate heads wanted to hear from and feed off of their insite. As a “Baby Boomer” I cringe to think of what the “Traditionalist” generation before thought of us. I guess we were their version of “Millennials” and these generation gap conversations can go on and on. But I left that table encouraged and with the feeling of HOPE. It takes one person to make a difference, and I met thirty-five eager to do their part.