Gen-Z for Change

{{Infobox organization

| name = Gen-Z for Change

| formation = {{start date and age|October 2020}}

| logo = Gen-Z for Change Logo 2025.png

| nickname = Gen-Z X el Cambio

| formerly = TikTok for Biden, Gen-Z por el Cambio

| founder = Aidan Kohn-Murphy

| founding_location =

| type = Nonprofit

| tax_id = 87-2835389

| status = Non-profit advocacy organization; 501(c)(4)

| headquarters =

| location_country = United States of America

| methods = Social media, Digital Organizing, Activism

| fields =

| membership = 500+

| leader_title = Acting Executive Director

| leader_name = Elise Joshi

| staff = 15–20

| website = https://genzforchange.org/

| location_city =

| funding =

}}

Gen-Z for Change, formerly called TikTok for Biden, (Spanish: Gen-Z X el Cambio, formerly Gen-Z por el Cambio) is a left-wing American non-profit advocacy organization, founded in 2020 that uses social media to promote civil discourse and civil action among members of Generation Z. It consists of a core team of 15–20 people and a coalition of over 500 content creators and activists, and partners with influencers, activists and celebrities to produce multimedia content. Its advocacy addresses a wide range of topics such as abortion rights, COVID-19, student debt cancellation, climate change, income inequality, social inequality, immigration, racial justice, gun control, foreign policy, voting rights, and LGBTQ issues. Collectively, Gen-Z for Change's members have 540 million followers and receive 1.5 billion monthly views on social media.{{Cite web |date=February 7, 2022 |title=Gen-Z for Change - About Us |url=https://genzforchange.org/about/ |access-date=August 6, 2022 |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |last=Latu |first=Dan |date=November 10, 2021 |title=They started making TikToks for Joe Biden. Now Gen Z For Change wants to wield real political clout |url=https://www.dailydot.com/debug/gen-z-for-change/ |access-date=August 6, 2022 |website=The Daily Dot |language=en-US}}

Gen-Z for Change has received significant news coverage for its activities, including a one-hour briefing with the White House for 30 prominent TikTok content creators about the United States’ strategic goals regarding the Russian invasion of Ukraine (which was parodied by Saturday Night Live),{{Cite news |last=Lorenz |first=Taylor |date=March 11, 2022 |title=The White House is briefing TikTok stars about the war in Ukraine |language=en-US |newspaper=The Washington Post |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2022/03/11/tik-tok-ukraine-white-house/ |access-date=August 5, 2022 |issn=0190-8286}}{{Cite news |last=Itzkoff |first=Dave |date=March 13, 2022 |title=On 'S.N.L.,' President Biden Seeks Help From TikTok Influencers |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2022/03/13/arts/television/snl-zoe-kravitz-rosalia-tiktok.html |access-date=August 6, 2022 |issn=0362-4331}} protests against companies such as Starbucks and Kroger for anti-union firings,{{Cite magazine |last=Harrington |first=Caitlin |title=A TikTok Army Is Coming for Union Busters |language=en-US |magazine=Wired |url=https://www.wired.com/story/tiktok-army-union-busters-amazon/ |access-date=August 6, 2022 |issn=1059-1028}} and abortion-rights advocacy following the U.S. Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade in June 2022. Olivia Julianna, one of Gen-Z for Change's political strategists, raised more than $2 million in donations to abortion funds across the country through the organization after U.S. Representative Matt Gaetz ridiculed her appearance in July 2022.{{Cite web |last=Latifi |first=Fortesa |date=August 3, 2022 |title=Olivia Julianna on Gen Z for Change, Fundraising Off Matt Gaetz, and Texas Politics |url=https://www.teenvogue.com/story/olivia-julianna-gen-z-for-change-texas-profile |access-date=August 6, 2022 |website=Teen Vogue |language=en-US}}{{Cite news |last=Jones |first=Dustin |date=July 28, 2022 |title=A Texas teen raises over $700,000 for abortions after Rep. Matt Gaetz mocked her |language=en |work=NPR |url=https://www.npr.org/2022/07/28/1114300388/matt-gaetz-olivia-julianna-abortion-gen-z-for-change |access-date=August 6, 2022}}

History

{{Progressivism sidebar}}The organization's account on TikTok was created in October 2020 under the name TikTok for Biden, to support Joe Biden during the 2020 presidential election in the United States.{{Cite news |date=October 9, 2020 |title=200+ TikTokers Team Up on 'TikTok for Biden' Account |url=https://www.papermag.com/tiktok-joe-biden-2648155562.html |access-date=August 12, 2022 |website=PAPER |language=en}} The organization was renamed Gen-Z for Change in January 2021.

In early March 2022, the presidency of Joe Biden enlisted Gen-Z for Change to help organize a briefing between senior administration officials and prominent social media influencers about the Russo-Ukrainian War.{{Cite web |last=Ward |first=Ian |title=Inside the Progressive Movement's TikTok Army |url=https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2022/03/27/progressive-gen-z-for-change-tik-tok-00020624 |access-date=April 7, 2022 |website=POLITICO |date=March 27, 2022 |language=en}} The briefing was leaked to The Washington Post, which later inspired a sketch on NBC's comedy show Saturday Night Live.{{Cite news |last=Lorenz |first=Taylor |date=March 11, 2022 |title=The White House is briefing TikTok stars about the war in Ukraine |newspaper=The Washington Post |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2022/03/11/tik-tok-ukraine-white-house/ |access-date=April 7, 2022}}{{Cite news |last=Andrews |first=Travis |date=March 13, 2022 |title=SNL imagines the Biden administration's meeting with TikTok stars for help with Ukraine effort |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/arts-entertainment/2022/03/13/snl-recap-biden-tiktok/ |access-date=April 5, 2022 |newspaper=The Washington Post}} Prior to that, Gen-Z for Change partnered with the White House and United States Department of Health and Human Services to combat COVID-19 misinformation and promote vaccination efforts.{{Cite web |title=Teen social media stars in uphill battle against COVID-19 vaccine misinformation |url=https://abcnews.go.com/Technology/teen-social-media-stars-uphill-battle-covid-19/story?id=79625431 |access-date=April 7, 2022 |website=ABC News |language=en}} Although the organization has regularly criticized the Biden administration, some have worried about their close ties to each other.

In late 2023, Gen-Z por el Cambio was established as a section dedicated to Latino and Latin American perspectives on issues like immigration.{{cite news |last=Gomez |first=Guisell |title=Are You Looking for 'Chisme,' Educational Content, and Everything In Between? Latino TikToker Tony Vara Has Got You Covered |url=https://belatina.com/chisme-educational-everything-latino-tiktoker-tony-vara/?amp |work=BELatina |date=13 October 2023}} It is now called Gen-Z X el Cambio.

In March 2024, Gen-Z for Change, with organizations like March for Our Lives, Sunrise Movement, and United We Dream Action, submitted a petition to Biden regarding U.S. democracy, climate change, and immigration.{{cite news |last1=Pequeño |first1=Sarah |title=If Biden ignores Gen Z during his State of the Union address, that would be a mistake |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/columnist/2024/03/06/biden-state-of-the-union-ignore-progressives-gen-z-voters/72858074007/ |work=USA Today |date=6 March 2024}} The organization refused to endorse Biden's re-election campaign, with Executive Director Elise Joshi citing his support of the fossil fuel economy, mishandling of the pandemic, support for Israel during the Gaza war,{{cite news |last=Lorenz |first=Taylor |title=Gen Z influencers who supported Biden in 2020 turn against him |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2024/06/13/influencers-biden-tiktok-ban/ |work=Washington Post |date=20 June 2024 |page=A13 |issn=0190-8286 |id={{ProQuest|3069694539}}}} and crackdown on immigration. However, 2 hours after Biden withdrew on July 21, it endorsed Kamala Harris's imminent campaign.{{cite news |last=Huynh |first=Anjali |title=Project coconut' and being 'brat': How some young voters are responding to Kamala Harris |work=Boston Globe |date=24 July 2024 |issn=0743-1791 |id={{ProQuest|3084055300}}}}

Members and associates

=Current=

Aidan Kohn-Murphy
Jack Petocz
Elise Joshi
Victoria Hammett
Claire Simon
Sam Shlafstein
Connor Hesse
Nandi Perry
Sofia Ongele
Anish Mohanty
Jaeden Clark
Zoe Shipley
Dominique Demetz
Sean Wiggs
Anthony "Tony" Guevara

=Former=

Olivia Julianna — Director of Policy and Government Affairs{{cite news |last1=Martínez Yañez |first1=Jordi Alonso |title=Los influencers latinos que tuvieron voz durante la Convención Demócrata (y qué dijeron sobre el voto) |url=https://elpais.com/us/2024-08-23/los-influencers-latinos-que-tuvieron-voz-durante-la-convencion-democrata-y-que-dijeron-sobre-el-voto.html?outputType=amp |work=El País US |date=23 August 2024 |language=es-us |issn= |id={{ProQuest|3096615088}}}}{{Cite tweet |user=genzforchange |number=1701630629895430547 |title=Olivia Julianna is not associated with Gen-Z for Change}}