Rated Gen Z

Send us Fan Mail Vivian is 18 years old, based in Austin, Texas, and the co-founder of All the Same Organization — a nonprofit that has donated over 150,000 supplies to more than 20,000 people across 212 branches in 150 countries. She built it almost entirely through social media, starting from a simple observation about resource barriers in her own community. In this conversation, Vivian walks us...

Send us Fan Mail Uzi failed her freshman year of college. Perfectionism, anxiety, and a transition she wasn't prepared for knocked her down hard. Seven years later she was standing in the White House advocating for 988 mental health resources to be placed on ID cards nationwide. In this episode of Rated Gen Z, Uzi shares the full journey — from that difficult first year to becoming a mental h...

Send us Fan Mail Kiki Whitman grew up in a rural town of 4,000 people near Bakersfield, California — where the median household income is $26,000 a year and most kids have never heard the words "dual enrollment." She made it to UC Berkeley. And now she's building something to make sure more kids like her get the same shot. In this episode Kiki shares the story behind OPAL, a student...

Send us Fan Mail Freshman year at UCLA, Tavian spent his weekends alone in the dorms. By senior year, 58 people showed up to celebrate his birthday. What happened in between is the story of this episode. Tavian just graduated from UCLA and is heading to JPMorgan Chase as a global finance and business management analyst — but he's also a filmmaker with two short films, a former Daily Bruin jou...

Send us Fan Mail Bryce Foyabo was in a middle school play when it happened — he made the audience smile, and he felt it. That was the moment he knew. Now 23 and studying theater arts at Cal State Dominguez Hills, Bryce is doing the work to turn that feeling into a career. In this episode we talk about what it really looks like to pursue acting as a Gen Z artist — the demanding classes, performing...

Send us Fan Mail Danielle just graduated from UCLA's nursing program, with her sights set on becoming a psychiatric nurse. But her path into mental health work became deeply personal last year, when she lost her best friend to suicide — someone who was deeply loved across the entire UCLA campus. Instead of letting that loss go unspoken, Danielle helped organize a mental health event in his ho...

Send us Fan Mail Sean is back. You might remember him from last year's episode. Sean has been vocal about red pill culture and toxic masculinity, and in this episode he gets completely honest about it. He was that guy. The one who bought into the alpha male mentality, who had damaging views about women, and who chased money and status thinking it would make him happy. It didn't. Now he&a...

Send us Fan Mail This week on Rated Gen Z, Raquel sits down with 18-year-old changemaker Siri, founder of SmilesThruArt and recent creator of a web app bringing art therapy to children’s hospitals. Together, they dig into the real impact of art on mental health, the highs and lows of social media, and why Gen Z is rewriting the rules on connection, college life, and creativity. Tune in for raw sto...

Send us Fan Mail On this episode of Rated Gen Z, Raquel reconnects with Najuka, a 23-year-old healer, life coach, poet, and aspiring novelist based in Mumbai. They discuss Najuka’s unique journey from data analyst to life coach, her experiences helping clients address root issues through life coaching, akashic readings, and numerology, and the increasing openness among Gen Z in India to explore me...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Rated Gen Z, host Raquel Host sits down with 19 year old Maliya for an honest and insightful conversation about growing up, navigating academic and social pressures, and finding your path in today’s world. Maliya shares her journey from San Diego to USC, her passion for behavioral economics and psychology, and the inspiration behind her own podcast, The Mental P...

Send us Fan Mail In this insightful episode of Rated Gen Z, Raquel sits down with Harshini—an 18-year-old changemaker who’s already deeply involved in community work, personal branding, and even preparing to launch her own podcast. The conversation dives into topics like building a personal brand on LinkedIn as a young adult, finding balance amidst school and extracurriculars, and the pressure Gen...

Send us Fan Mail Season 2 kicks off with Anvita, who's graduated from Raq the Boat to Rated Gen Z by turning 18. We're covering the important stuff: her new baking obsession (pistachio cake included), what it's like speaking at FDA meetings about pediatric healthcare, and why turning 18 isn't the dramatic transformation everyone promises. powered by raqvision If you'd like...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, you’ll meet Pepper, an 18-year-old with a love for planes, a flair for music, and a thoughtful take on navigating young adulthood today. Pepper talks candidly about the realities of college applications, the highs and lows of participating in band and choir, and the challenges of finding a college that feels safe and welcoming as a trans student. There are genuine...

Send us Fan Mail In episode 32 of Rated Gen Z, we're diving deep into the power of youth-driven change with special guest Taylor Thigpen. From starting a thriving houseplant business at 14 to launching nonprofit initiatives that bridge cultures between American and Ukrainian youth, Taylor’s journey is all about purpose, passion, and real-world impact. Host Raquel returns from filming a Gen Z...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, we chat with Megumi, a Northwestern University student athlete who's got some real talk about what it's like to be Gen Z right now. She opens up about her work with the Evanston Special Olympics and how it changed her view on what success in sports really means. But that's just the start. Megumi doesn't hold back when it comes to the job hunt s...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, we kick it with Ryan, a young creative powerhouse who's crushing it in the world of content creation, podcasting, and business strategy. Ryan spills the tea on his journey from existential crisis at 19 to building a multi-faceted career that's all about making creativity his life's work. He's not just talking the talk - this guy's walking...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, we hang out with Swetha, a 22-year-old entrepreneur fresh out of UT Austin who's shaking things up in the world of AI and student empowerment. She's all about getting students AI-powered and ready to take on the future. But it's not just tech talk - Swetha gets real about the ups and downs of job hunting, modern dating, and figuring out your mental...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, we catch up with Joshua Jones, a marketing student at LSU who's back to spill the tea on his college life and Gen Z experiences. Joshua's got some exciting news - he's part of my upcoming documentary that's all about giving young voices a platform. He's pumped to show how his generation is tackling everything from social media drama to COV...

Send us Fan Mail In this inspiring episode, we connect with Vanessa Rosalie, a 22-year-old former foster youth who's turning her challenging past into a powerful force for change. Vanessa pulls back the curtain on her 13-year journey through the foster care system, sharing the raw realities of living in 12 different homes and attending 5 schools. But this isn't a story of defeat - it&apo...

Send us Fan Mail In this illuminating episode, we chat with Lachelle, a 20-year-old marketing intern at the DMAX Foundation who's making waves in mental health awareness. She spills the tea on what it's really like to balance college life, social media, and emotional well-being in today's always-on world. Lachelle gets real about the DMAX Foundation's mission to create safe spa...

Send us Fan Mail In this eye-opening episode, we chat with Josh Eckstein, an 18-year-old high school senior who's making waves in the fight against human trafficking. Josh breaks down what trafficking really looks like today, busting myths and showing us it's not always the dramatic scenarios we see on TV. He's got some serious insights on how AI could be a game-changer in this fiel...

Send us Fan Mail In this thought-provoking episode, we chat with Mana, a 26-year-old from Japan who's shaking things up in the world of caregiving. She opens up about her journey taking care of her autistic brother and the real struggles faced by families with special needs kids in Japan. But Mana's not just talking about problems - she's out there making waves, working as a peer me...

Send us Fan Mail In this engaging episode, we sit down with 24 yr old Mahika, a dynamic young entrepreneur and the founder of Muses, a Gen Z marketing consulting studio. Mahika shares her journey of launching Muses while studying at UC Berkeley, inspired by her peers who were "nano, hyperlocal creators and social media geniuses." She saw a unique opportunity to connect brands with colleg...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, we engage with Rayan, an 18-year-old entrepreneur from Lahore, Pakistan, who shares his journey through the vibrant world of startups and innovation. Ryan opens up about his educational path, highlighting the challenges he overcame to earn over 150 certifications, showcasing his dedication to self-improvement. He paints a picture of Pakistan's burgeoning star...

Send us Fan Mail In this international episode, we cross the Atlantic to speak with 21-year-old Gregary, a self-proclaimed "Genzpreneur" who's been building businesses since the remarkable age of 12. From his home in the UK, Gregary shares the fascinating evolution of his entrepreneurial journey that led to establishing his thriving PR firm, where he now navigates the high-stakes wo...