The Conversationalist

We can't unify without "U&I"

AMPIFLY
GEN Z

Breaking our echo chambers leads to a more unified world.

The Conversationalist is a non partisan educational platform empowering Gen Z to break out of their echo chambers, have difficult conversations, and unify together. Inheriting a world of polarization, our community of 15,000 young people is committed to unifying across differences through our Gen Z Talk Show, "POVz," our digital network on the Geneva app, and our text line.

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Hear how it all began

& how I broke open my echo chamber

Sophie-

2006

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2006

Growing up in Wichita, Kansas, yes just like Dorothy, I felt like I didn’t have a voice. I was the only Jewish student in my grade at school and I constantly felt misunderstood. I wanted to make a difference and have important conversations, but I thought I was only allowed to be an agent of change if I was granted the permission to be one.

Sophie-

2013

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2013

I followed the yellow brick road all the way to The University of Pennsylvania, where I studied Communications, Music, and Nonprofit Leadership. In 2015, I started a club called TableTalk, which I transformed into a nonprofit dedicated to bringing people together from all walks of life on over 80 college and high school campuses.

Sophie-

2016

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2016

Amidst the Presidential Election, my campus felt like an echo chamber, where students felt uncomfortable sharing their true thoughts and opinions. I authored a column in the Huffington Post, where I urged my generation to listen to people who think differently than they do. This premise was the spark behind TC.

Sophie-

2019

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2019

We launched TC in 2019 and the platform has since grown into a movement of 13,000+ Gen Z leaders. Now more than ever, we need a platform like The Conversationalist. Inspired by the events of 2016, TC is uniquely suited to fuel an urgent and profound civil discourse in 2021. The Conversationalist is the place for all of us to be heard.

Our Philosophy: 
Get Comfortable With
The Uncomfortable

Meet our unifiers

Sophie

Beren

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Sophie Beren

Founder & CEO

Desanka

Ilic

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Desanka Ilic

Head of Growth

Marissa

Williams

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Marissa Williams

Head of Operations

Katie

Powers

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Katie Powers

Head of Content

Noelle

Fitchett

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Noelle Fitchett

Social Media Manager

Alisa

Gonzalez

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Alisa Gonzalez

Community Manager

Ransom

Fox

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Ransom Fox

Leadership Board President

Bella

Santos

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Bella Santos

Leadership Board President

Ways to get involved 📝

Join our Gen Z community
Apply to be a moderator
Host a conversation
Join our core team
Apply to our advisory board

Meet our A-LIST

Our "Conversation A-LISTERS" are the best and brightest experts, thought leaders, and public figures who embody what it means to use their voices for good. They serve as both role models and resources to our global Gen Z community. A-LISTERS hold expertise across many different sectors and each represent a particular topic that we discuss in our community.

Reed

Alexander

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Reed Alexander

Journalism A-Lister

Reed Alexander is a journalist, author, and actor best known for his role as Nevel Papperman in Nickelodeon's iCarly. He currently reports on the Wall Street beat at Business Insider.

Sara

Mora

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Sara Mora

Immigration A-Lister

Sara Mora is a storyteller, model, digital strategist and artist. She is the founder of Population MIC which is a think tank initiative focused on making storytelling tools accessible to all around the world.

Mike

Johnson

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Mike Johnson

Relationships A-Lister

With focus on self-love, Mike Johnson from ABC's The Bachelorette and Bachelor in Paradise is transforming audiences by showcasing his global influence through his podcast, brave storytelling, and big smiles.

Alyson

Stoner

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Alyson Stoner

Wellness A-Lister

Alyson Stoner is a multi-hyphenate known for her on-screen acting work in franchises such as Step Up and Camp Rock. As the founder of Movement Genius, Alyson promotes movement to improve mental and emotional health.

Shana

Minei Spence

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Shana Minei Spence

Body Image A-Lister

Shana Minei Spence is a Registered Dietition Nutritionist who labels herself as an "eat anything" dietition. She founded The Nutrition Tea to give you the tea on nutrition, one sip at a time.

James

Rose

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James Rose

LGBTQ+ A-Lister

James Rose is a non-binary, NYC based actor, "Health At Every Size" personal trainer, trauma-informed yoga instructor, content creator, and the co-host of the Full Soul Nutrition Podcast.

Amanda

LaCount

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Amanda LaCount

Breaking the Stigma A-Lister

Amanda LaCount is a well known hip hop dancer, choreographer, model, actress, and influencer. Her viral movement, #breakingthestereotype, promotes body positivity and the belief that any "body" can be a dancer.

Jake

Hunter

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Jake Hunter

Social Media A-Lister

With an impressive list of over a dozen film and television roles to his credit, Jake Hunter is an actor, writer, Emmy Award-winning producer, and social media star with over 1 million followers.

Brandon

Farbstein

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Brandon Farbstein

Empathy A-Lister

Brandon Farbstein is a 21 year old renowned speaker, Gen Z activist, and author inspiring millions of people across the globe with his universal message of living life on your own terms and building the framework for self-acceptance.

Christi

Lukasiak

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Christi Lukasiak

Economics A-Lister

Also known as Chloe's mom from Dance Moms, and our 2020 Conversationa-LIST honoree for economics, Christi Lukasiak is on a mission to empower Gen Z-ers through her platform Adulting 101.

Nidhi

Tewari

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Nidhi Tewari

Mental Health A-Lister

Nidhi Tewari is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with specialized training in EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing). She is also an EMDRIA Certified EMDR Therapist and Consultant-in-Training.

Dale

Wilkinson

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Dale Wilkinson

Social Impact A-Lister

Dale helps mission-driven companies connect with people who want to use their skills for good through his organization, goodgigs. As the host of the Goodmakers Podcast, Dale encourages listeners to live their purpose.

Rich

Keller

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Rich Keller

Personal Branding A-Lister

With 20+ years of experience building identities for iconic brands like Godiva, Chips Ahoy!, and Planters Peanuts, Rich creates transformation in bringing people and brands together. Rich believes this same magic can be achieved when you uncover your personal brand.

Kim

Karr

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Kim Karr

Digital/Technology A-Lister

Kim Karr is a leading motivational speaker, curriculum developer, leadership trainer, and the Executive Director and Co-Founder of #ICANHELP, promoting digital safety and celebrating youth innovation to use digital for good.

Marquis

Bradley

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Marquis Bradley

Motivation A-Lister

Marquis Bradley is a motivational speaker, personal trainer, and entrepreneur. He is the founder of Omnicut Fitness, a former athlete, and a father. Marquis is a hard working individual that has surpassed all odds to chase after his dreams and accomplish them.

Tammy

Ly

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Tammy Ly

Pop Culture A-Lister

You may know Tammy from Season 24 of The Bachelor, where she was one of 30 women competing for Peter Weber's heart. But she is also a sales producer, real estate sales person, as well as a real estate investor in New York who loves to travel.

Chris

Mosier

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Chris Mosier

Identity A-Lister

Chris Mosier is a hall of fame triathlete, duathlete, and a 6-time member of Team USA. In 2015 he became the first known transgender man to represent the US in international competition, and was the catalyst for change for the International Olympic Committee policy on transgender athletes.

Branden

Harvey

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Branden Harvey

Good News A-Lister

Branden Harvey is a storyteller focused on the good in the world. He's the host of the podcast Sounds Good, the creator of the Goodnewspaper, a printed newspaper full of good news, and built an online community over more than 250,000 world changers.

Louis

Knight

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Louis Knight

Suicide Prevention A-Lister

Louis Knight is a British-born, Philadelphia based singer-songwriter, best known for being a contestant on Seasons 18 & 19 of American Idol. His music speaks on love, loss, and hope, which aligns with his philanthropic efforts as a partner with The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.

Aviva

Legatt

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Dr. Aviva Legatt

College Prep A-Lister

Dr. Aviva Legatt is an Elite Admissions Expert and founder of Ivy Insight, the gold standard in college admissions consulting for undergraduate elite college applications. You may also recognize some of her professional work featured on Forbes.

Grace

Kinstler

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Grace Kinstler

Self Love A-Lister

Grace Kinstler is a singer and the American Idol golden ticket winner. Not only is she incredibly talented, but Grace is paving the way for plus sized women in the music industry. She is a Gen Z role model who is promoting self-love and proving that you can be successful in whatever you set your mind to.
The-Conversationalist-Hot-Take.jpg
X

🔥 Hot take 🔥

Is water wet?

Period
NO.

We love what we do

And we couldn’t do it without you! Thank you for being a part of our journey to unify the world. Now, come learn about our team!

🔥
1
Ashleigh Scipio
TC has given me the courage to speak my truth in today’s society without feeling judged or ridiculed. Opening up conversations with more and more people has helped me find my voice!
Laura Zhang
I am grateful for the TC community because we’ve created a space where I can share my opinions as they change and know I will be heard by others. There’s a real collaborative spirit that brings out individual voices.
Isaac Choi
Coming from a background where openness and vulnerability wasn’t cherished was hard. But TC was a perfect opportunity for me to educate while being educated.
Nicholas Kaplan
TC to me means seeing people as humans, not as their politics. I've learned how to engage in conversations, not to "win" or prove my opinion the best, but to genuinely learn from others, which I'm so grateful for.

Join now

And get to know us better!

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Come talk about anything

(Literally anything)

Join thousands of other Gen Z-ers from around the world to have conversations about everything that matters to you! Something that is unique about our community is that all viewpoints and all topics are welcome! This is what breaking the echo chamber is all about.

Sophie Beren

Hey bestie! Ready to break your echo chamber?

Sophie Beren

Here at TC you can literally talk about anything. What are you passionate about? Click on the topics below to get a taste of TC!

Mental Health
Politics
Environment
Taking Action
Current Events
Sophie Beren

Yes! Mental health is so important. Our community is ready to provide you support and advice on all things mental health & body image. Come chat about these topics now! 💭

Sophie Beren

Tbh it's hard not to be passionate about politics these days! However, the political landscape can be so polarizing, so here at TC our community focuses on trying to understand each other rather than debating one another. Come join us!

Sophie Beren

Do you think the environment is a topic we can all unify around? 🤔 Let us know what you think in our environment room, where we talk about everything from climate change, to sustainability, and more!

Sophie Beren

Are you looking for new ways to take action on the things that matter most to you? Do you want to promote your work and get more people involved? Check our our Self Promo 🤩 room!

Sophie Beren

Is it just me or does it feel like there is something crazy in the news every single day? Let's talk about it! Our community is waiting for you to help unpack the latest news stories. Join us now! 🌎

Sophie Beren

What's the latest on your FYP? What's your favorite social media platform? What's the deal with Instagram removing our likes? Let's talk about it! 💯