Students attend National Millennial and GenZ Community trip to San Francisco

On April 3-6, 2022, two members of the Associated Students of Business student organization participated in a trip organized by the National Millennial and GenZ Community. Each of them shared a few thoughts on their experience. Photos courtesy of Jenifer Garcia and Ian Ludwig.

Jenifer Garcia, senior accounting and business administration student

It was an honor to attend the National Millennial and GenZ Community visit to San Francisco, California. The mission of NMGZ is to change the conversation about NextGen. The community elevates conversations to find real solutions. This is done by having direct conversations with corporations, foundations, governmental agencies, and nonprofit groups.

The trek from Alaska to San Francisco was not an easy one. However, I was lucky to have my fellow ASB club member, Ian Ludwig, with me on this incredible journey. Shortly after landing, we boarded the Bay Area Rapid Transit train to get to our hotel. We got off at the suggested stop, and oh boy! I was not at all prepared to haul my luggage up those steep hills. Thankfully Ian was there to offer moral support!

Those steep hills were soon forgotten as we entered the hotel and were kindly greeted by Bill Imada, co-founder of the IW Group, a marketing and communications firm. Imada makes these trips possible by organizing them with his team. Luckily, the team gave us a soft entry to the days that lied ahead by scheduling a fun first night. We ate dinner at the oldest Italian restaurant in the U.S., took a trip to Ghirardelli square, and caught a trolley ride back to our hotel.

Bright and early the next morning, we officially commenced the “business” portion of the trip. I was delighted to see that these meetings took on a more relaxed and conversational style than I had anticipated. It was evident that these businesses were truly invested in hearing from the group and learning from our experiences and perspectives. During the entirety of the trip, NMGZ members were met with enthusiasm.

Every dining experience had arranged seating. I thoroughly enjoyed this because it allowed me to sit with and meet different people every night. Dinner was also a time for students to have a seat at the table with CEOs, business owners, and senior personnel. I personally had the pleasure of meeting and dining with Fred Bateman, CEO and founder of Bateman Agency, one of the fastest-growing tech PR agencies in the last ten years. These dinners helped NMGZ continue the conversation in a much more relaxed and social setting.

By far my favorite aspect of this trip was the chance to connect with my fellow NMGZers. I am so fortunate to have been chosen by ASB to represent UAF on this trip. It was a fantastic trip where connections were formed and memories were made.

Ian Ludwig, senior business administration student

Last week I had the opportunity to travel to San Francisco, California, to represent the University of Alaska Fairbanks and the National Millenial and GenZ Community. NMGZ is a group of like-minded individuals who are aiming to break down stereotypes that revolve around our generation. To do this, we meet with business executives across the country and have open conversations with them. This trip was the most recent venture, with thirty of us coming together from across the U.S. to meet with a variety of entrepreneurs. Our group met with many companies, including Back to the Roots, Bentley’s Coffee, KQED, Google, Wells Fargo, and Wine Down Media.

My favorite meeting was with the co-owner of Back to the Roots, Nikhil. Nikhil’s enthusiasm for his business was evident. He started Back to the Roots when he was the same age I am now, which was an inspiration for me. His enthusiasm was contagious and he encouraged us to try new businesses and take leaps of faith. He discussed how he had taken risks to get to where he was today and had failed along the way. It is always encouraging to hear successful entrepreneurs share their hardships alongside their successes.

I also enjoyed meeting with Google. They were very transparent with their struggles and how they dealt with imposter syndrome every step of the way. Having high-level executives share their doubts may not be comforting for everyone, but it was an affirmation for me in my own business.