Lessons from One Young World for a generation in motion

Munich left me hopeful and reflective in equal measure. One Young World brought together young leaders who are stepping into a world that feels both full of possibility and heavy with complexity. Sitting in sessions, listening to activists, technologists, journalists, and executives, I felt the weight of the challenges we are inheriting, but also the clarity that we are not powerless. What emerged was a shared belief that our generation can shape what comes next if we choose courage, stay rooted in truth, and lead with purpose.

What follows is a full synthesis of the ideas, stories, and conversations that stayed with me. It brings together insights from every session I joined across politics, journalism, AI, leadership, community building, and global conflict. These themes helped me reconnect with my own North Star and crystallized why the work we do matters now more than ever. It inspired a fresh sense of momentum about my day to day at Jellyfish, because the conversations were a reminder that the choices we make through our work, our teams, and our clients can either reinforce connection and truth or weaken it, and that responsibility sits with each of us every single day.

Courage, truth, and moral leadership

This theme directly impacts brand trust and relevance in a high-stakes, polarized world.

• Courage: Brands are expected to take a stand on issues relevant to their employees and customer base, moving beyond neutral corporate statements. This means showing courageous leadership in marketing, supply chain, and public policy positions. Silence is now often interpreted as complicity or lack of conviction.
• Truth & Facts: In an era of rampant misinformation, consumers seek out and reward brands that are transparent and prioritize factual accuracy. This matters for product claims, sustainability reports, and brand storytelling. Brands must actively fight disinformation related to their industry or product, becoming reliable sources of information.
• Trust and Shared Reality: Trust is the basis of all commerce. When a brand's actions don't align with its stated values, it breaks trust, leading to swift and visible backlash (the "trust deficit"). Brands need to ensure their entire operation reflects a single, authentic reality for customers, employees, and investors.
• Integrity: Young consumers, especially, want to buy from brands whose values align with their own. Acting with integrity, even when uncomfortable or costly (e.g., pulling advertising from problematic platforms, divesting from unethical suppliers), builds long-term brand equity over short-term gains.

AI as a general-purpose transformation

This is a business imperative that dictates future efficiency, customer experience, and brand reputation.

• The Next "Electricity": Brands must treat AI as a foundational technology that will redefine every function, from R&D and manufacturing to personalized marketing and customer service. Failing to adopt AI means falling behind in efficiency and customer experience.
• Human Input and Empathy: The "Humans WITH AI" concept is vital for the brand-customer relationship. AI should enhance, not replace, human connection and emotional intelligence in service interactions. Brands need to clearly articulate how they are using AI to make things better for people (e.g., faster service, better personalization, not just cost-cutting).
• Surrendering Agency: Brands that overly rely on "black box" AI for content generation or targeting risk losing their unique voice and connecting with customers in an authentic way. The brand must remain the master of its own narrative, with humans setting the creative and ethical guardrails for AI tools.
• Programmed Values: Since AI’s impact depends on the values programmed into it, brands are responsible for the ethical footprint of their AI systems. This means actively combating bias in algorithms (e.g., in hiring, lending, or ad placement) to avoid severe reputational damage and legal issues.

Leadership in business: Empathy, low ego and purpose

This theme drives talent acquisition, internal culture, and external perception of the brand.

• Low Ego & Vulnerability: Modern leadership is moving away from the "hero CEO" to a model of servant leadership. Brands should communicate stories that highlight team efforts, learning from failure, and executive humility. This makes the brand feel more relatable and less monolithic.
• Mission-Driven Outperformance: A strong, authentic purpose acts as a filter for all business decisions. For brands, this purpose is the single most compelling reason for customers to choose them over a competitor. Brands with a clear mission attract better talent and command a price premium from loyal customers.
• Experimentation and Mistakes: The ability to move quickly and adapt is crucial. Brands need to foster an internal culture that embraces testing and failure—and communicate this agility to the outside world. This signals to consumers the brand is innovative and responsive to their changing needs.
• Building Environments for the Extraordinary: The best advertising a brand can have is a genuinely happy and empowered workforce. An excellent internal culture translates directly into better service, better products, and more compelling, authentic marketing. Employee satisfaction has become a critical brand metric.