Exclusive – Six climate activists give us the scoop on COP26
If this year’s COP summit taught us anything, it’s that young people are the key to climate justice. For this reason, we asked a collection of changemakers about their expectations, concerns, and takeaways before, during, and after the event. Today’s youth are the least to blame for the climate...
Current in Exclusives
Exclusive – Gen Zer Brian Femminella is in the vanguard of social impact
Fuelled by a dedication to serve others, Gen Z entrepreneur Brian Femminella founded SoundMind, a company combining the power of music therapy with technology to help those suffering from trauma, anxiety, and depression. ‘My niche seems to be doing something that immediately assists the public in one way or another,’...
Exclusive – Discussing the ‘gender play gap’ with Stefani Nurding
The skateboarder is shaking up the outdated preconceptions of an inherently male-dominated sport. We spoke with her on the importance of reclaiming femininity in skating, working towards a more inclusive athletic community, and improving the visibility of women who choose to compete. Nowadays, though female athletes are undeniably more visible...
Exclusive – Chatting to Gen Z activists Jeremy and Michelle
Michelle and Jeremy are siblings from Western Kenya who describe themselves as energetic environmentalists. Their dream is to improve the cleanliness of our oceans and build better habitats for aquatic life. They built an app to do just that. Michelle, a 16-year-old final year student from White Oaks School, Kisumu,...
Exclusive — Meeting deaf YouTuber Jazzy Whipps
Jazzy Whipps, 22, was born profoundly deaf in both ears. After years of not being represented in British media, she took to YouTube herself and started a platform dedicated to deaf UK culture. It’s midday and Jazzy Whipps pops up on the Zoom screen. She waves at me with a...
Exclusive – The future of sustainable fashion lies in the hands of the agriculture industry
With COP26 on the horizon, a growing number of fashion brands are embracing regenerative agriculture in order to meet eco-friendly consumer demands. ‘Regenerative agriculture is a powerful movement in fashion that I think is going to catch fire,’ says Oliver English. English is the CEO of Common Table Creative (CTC),...
Exclusive – Lana Weidgenant on food systems and climate action
I spoke with Gen Z environmental activist Lana Weidgenant about the importance of pushing for sustainable consumption habits to nourish humanity without destroying the planet. In May, animal-rights group Mercy for Animals debuted For Nature, a hard-hitting short film conceptualised and scripted by Greta Thunberg. Filled with images of environmental destruction, it directly links humanity’s exploitation of animals with the worsening climate crisis. ‘When we think about the villains of the climate...
Exclusive – Meeting Gen Z filmmaker Kasha Sequoia Slavner
Kasha Sequoia Slavner is an award-winning filmmaker and director who made a splash in the industry with her 2017 social change film ‘The Sunrise Storyteller’. We discussed her work and future ambitions, as well as her take on the changing landscape of cinema. If you’re an indie film savvy you may have already heard of Kasha Sequoia Slavner, a 22-year-old director, screenwriter, and founder of The Global Sunrise Project. Her...
Exclusive – Impactr, the app turning social media into social change
Thred has been given an exclusive, pre-launch peek at new app Impactr, the self-proclaimed ‘anti-Amazon’ about to revolutionise online interaction. What’s next in social media? It’s a question people have asked themselves since David Fincher’s The Social Network premiered in 2010, seemingly the swan song of a digital juggernaut that was fast losing its novel sheen and youth-centric flavour. Throughout the 2010s, we’ve gone through various incarnations of the connected media...
Exclusive – How Ann Makosinski exemplifies an industrious generation
Ann Makosinski is innovative, entrepreneurial, and eager to build a better planet – all traits of a multitalented Gen Zer who’s striving to prove that science and art go hand in hand. Canadian inventor Ann Makosinski had something of an unusual childhood. Daughter of a father born in Poland during WW2 and mother from a tiny town in the Philippines, she recalls their parenting style as ‘unique,’ guided by a shared...
