Going Global at Dinner Time: Snap and The Female Quotient Give a Fork About Gen Z
On a recent evening, thirty women from Paris and its surrounding region connected on Zoom to discuss creativity's influence on social change, specifically among Gen Z. Another Zoom call, and during dinner, you might ask? But that wasn't the vibe at all. As each participant shared a little bit about herself, one thing became clear -- women are too modest about their success. As some spoke, others piped in on the chat board. "She works at the No. 1 real estate brokerage in Paris." "Her family's bakery has the most amazing bread!" "This is the link to her art on Instagram." Many, who were strangers before, touted each other's accomplishments amongst a diverse group that included an economist, a diplomat, authors, investors, artists, marketers, coaches and students.
This after-work, virtual roundtable was the 26th FQ Global Pack dinner held to date. We are on an ambitious journey to host 60 by year's end, culminating in a global gala of 150,000 women -- the largest virtual gathering of its kind. What began with ten dinners hosted in Africa has grown to weekly virtual dinner parties being held throughout Europe and Latin America. Hosted by The Female Quotient with partner Snap, the series of Global Pack dinners were designed to provide a space for collaboration and conversation, connecting women across industries to create change and advance equality.
Findings from a research study conducted with Snap around Gen Z drive the dialogue at each virtual gathering, with a goal of understanding how emerging leaders differ across regions. During our dinner in Guatemala, participants spoke passionately about ending femicide and gender-based crime. Our Italian friends drove home the importance of storytelling, how our fairytales and legends become our legacy. In France, the conversation centered on how this newest generation is harnessing their creativity to share content that inspires and can often be the best voice for a cause.
"Welcome to Paris," Emmanuelle Asseraf, head of agency sales at Snap, said as she tilted her camera to share a view of the iconic Eiffel Tower, and remind us that it awaits our return. She noted that Gen Z has figured out the secret sauce to make prominent issues and their solutions go viral quickly, leading to an accelerated pace of awareness and change. "We call them 'GenCam,'" she said. "It's a new way to communicate, a better reflection of yourself. There is no time to be fake on video. The camera is the new keyboard."
FQ's research with Snap found that a majority of Millennials and Gen Zers seek out content from those who look and/or believe differently than they do. This provides the perspective to learn about others and expand the way they see and think about issues. Gen Z is comfortable using humor and entertainment to discuss serious topics, and it is something we can all emulate as this is the first time five generations are engaging together in the workplace.
Dr. Anino Emuwa, a former banker and international management consultant, questioned why we always seem to focus on the lack of women at global events such as the World Economic Forum. "Instead, focus on the women who are there and what they are doing," she said. "Create a table and a platform, and it will grow."
Apollonia Poilâne, a third-generation artistic baker and owner of Poilâne Bakery inspired us to use a new lens to look at everyday items we take for granted, such as bread. "It's an ingredient so essential that you can't go a day without it," she explained. "Bread not only nurtures your body, but your soul."
The only way to ignite change is to share your wisdom. Snap has partnered with us on Global Pack dinners to activate and engage change-makers around the world. Get involved in FQ Global Pack or join one of our upcoming regional dinners, for LATAM on May 18 and for Europe on May 25.
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