Matches made in millennial heaven
Lexi Ellenbecker, 23, of Coeur d’Alene, represented North Idaho and Lewis-Clark State College-Coeur d’Alene when she attended the National Millennial Community’s conferences in Philadelphia and Washington, D.C., in March. Ellenbecker is a marketing coordinator and office assistant at Ellenbecker Eye Clinic and she works at The Coeur d’Alene Resort as an onsite coordinator for the wedding department and as a barista in the Lobby Café. As a graduate, employee and citizen, Ellenbecker was able to share her perspectives, concerns and thoughts with corporate executives a…
Courtesy photo Lexi Ellenbecker of Coeur d’Alene, second from left, sits in on a discussion with executives from PBS during a session of the National Millennial Community’s meetings in Washington, D.C., and Philadelphia in March.
Attendees of the National Millennial Community’s spring meetings met with White House officials in March to discuss topics important to millennials, including the opioid crisis. Coeur d’Alene’s Lexi Ellenbecker, 23, standing in the back row second from right, was one of about 30 young people from around the country to attend these conferences and share insight from the millennial perspective. (Courtesy photo)
Millennials are going to take over the world.
Before they do, though, they're letting corporate executives and government officials know what matters to them so the transition is positive for every generation involved.
The National Millennial Community is already opening lines of communication between millennials — those about 22 to 37 years old — and massive companies such as Google, Starbucks, Microsoft, Boeing, Universal Pictures and McDonald's so business leaders can know what to expect when their successors walk through the door.
"We are getting into the business world. We are becoming professionals, getting out of college, starting families," said Lexi Ellenbecker, 23, of Coeur d'Alene. "They want to know how they can look best to these future employees … They know that these people are going to need jobs and these are the people they'll need to hire.
"They want to know how to attract this generation."
Ellenbecker represented millennials of North Idaho in March when she attended the National Millennial Community's spring conferences in Washington, D.C., and Philadelphia.
The National Millennial Community was founded in 2015 to "change the conversation" about the millennial generation and connect young people to key influencers in media, business and government.
“I knew that I would be meeting people from all over the country,” Ellenbecker said. "I was just really excited to see their perspectives on the world. From here (in North Idaho), we’re a little isolated; every region has their pros and cons and things we do or don’t see. I was also very excited just to meet students and people my age from all over the country and different walks of life.”
Ellebecker is a 2018 Lewis-Clark State College-Coeur d'Alene graduate who heard about the conferences from her school advisers, which is how most of the attendees learned of the opportunity.
She was one of about 30 young people from around the nation who spent three days meeting with corporate and government representatives to discuss needs, wants, concerns and other topics regarding millennials as employees, consumers and citizens.
Ellenbecker said many of the companies wanted to know more about employment habits of the millennial demographic — Why do they job hop? What motivates them? Are they easily bored?
"People are realizing that to be successful, you don’t have to stay in one job. You can bounce around, as long as you’re gaining experiences, making connections, being a hard worker still. It doesn’t mean you have to stay in one place," Ellenbecker said. "You can try different things. Sometimes it’s taking that plunge, that leap of faith. We’re almost maybe a little more courageous in that sense. Like, ‘This may not work, but I won’t know unless I try it.'"
She said she enjoyed interacting with officials from Nestlé, who probed about millennial consumer ideals.
"They pitched some products to us to get our feedback,” she said. "They were pitching those ideas to us and we’re like, ‘This is kind of cool. What if they take our feedback into account?’
"There were a couple times where I did have to almost pinch myself because I was meeting with these top executives of these huge companies that are nation- and world-wide, and they want to hear from us," she continued. "They want to know what we care about."
When Ellenbecker and her peers visited the White House, she said she was "blown away" at the amount of compassion, interest and patience shown by the government officials.
"We talked a lot about the opioid crisis because there were a couple kids in my group who have had first-hand experiences with stuff like that, whether it was them or someone in their community," Ellenbecker said. "It was very emotional, very powerful. That was really remarkable too, just to have them really care. They seemed to really take what we said to heart."
While the National Millennial Community does offer some scholarships for the trips, Ellenbecker said she’s planning to go to the conference in New York in September on her own dime because of the amazing experiences she had in Philly and D.C.
She forged friendships with other young people from other states, she engaged in dialogue that could help shape the future and, ultimately, she left optimistic about where things are going.
"Sitting in the airport coming home, I was just reflecting and I kind of broke down because I was very proud of this generation," Ellenbecker said. "It’s important because it shows that there is hope. The future is in good hands."
Info: www.nationalmillennial community.com