Wake up Millennials, Wake up and Give a Shout.

Business most unusual for 1 Baby Boomer and 3 Generation X-ers

Baby Boomer and famed rocker-turned-philanthropist Sir Bob Geldof issued last week a rallying cry to Millennials all over the world. His stirring speech at the One Young World Conference in Bangkok implored millennials to start "tweeting about serious things" and to "get real with your governments" and "get people of your age group to understand" about climate change, health, food education, security threats etc. (see it here). 

Dr Aseem Malhotra, a cardiologist, founding member of Action on Sugar  and Generation X-er, called on folks all across Britain to "get angry about sugar". It is his fervent belief that it's only through public pressure that government will finally agree to taking important policy steps which could begin impacting positively on people's health right away (read more here). So start tweeting your MP, emailing the PM, sharing with the store manager of your nearest supermarket what you prefer to see stocked on shelf, and taking part in a community event.

Famed restaurateur, global foodie and Generation X-er Jamie Oliver's recent #SugarRush TV programme showing the effects of sugar over-consumption on kids' teeth and diabetic folks' health helped to generate over 150,000 signatures on a public petition that forces Parliament to debate the issue - scheduled for 30th November (read here). Jamie's also after making food education in schools across the globe compulsory as it's vital the next generation gets the knowledge and skills they need as early as possible to lead healthier, happier, more productive lives. He's aiming for 3 million signatures so sign it (here), share it and support his #FoodRevolutionDay drive.

Like a number of Generation X-ers in the past few years, I opted to hang up my corporate boots and recently launched my own healthier food & drink startup in the UK. However, unlike most, I have not stayed quiet watching the slow inevitable choking of shelf access to healthier #foodtech style innovations by retailers and "category captains" intent on maintaining the status quo. I have become part of the vocal minority that speak for millennials crying out for more affordable and more relevant (to them) healthy options to be made available to help embed better eating & drinking habits (read here).

Why we stick our necks out!

None of us - certainly not Jamie nor Aseem - need to stick our necks out and risk ridicule, criticism and even threats to life or livelihood. So why do it? 

Because we know how easy it is for policy makers - spurred on by big business lobbyists and apathy policing the populace [paraphrasing Flobots] - to kick important decisions into the "long grass".

We also know that it's you, Ms. and Mr. Millennial, and your children, who will bear the burden of our own past actions or inactions if nothing is done.  You must be the ones who help make governments and each other understand. You must be the ones to get angry about policies and actions that are destroying our health and future. You must be the ones to deploy technology to design a new more tolerant, harmonious world, and then build it brick by brick.

Millennials, don't let "apathy police the populace"!

I got a glimpse of the potential for Millennials to "rise up" during the recently concluded London Food Tech Week which showcased new trends, ideas and companies transforming the food technology space and the #FutureofFood. I saw first-hand young folks - techies and non-techies - come together to hack new solutions to making healthy eating more accessible and "cool" to children. Yes, Millennials like Nadia, Victoria, Umesh, Mark, Yinka, Nicole, Simone, Neeru, Agnieszka, Stefania, Mona, Nicole, Aggie, and Tim are already at it......but there are millions more that may still be asleep!

 Wake up Millennials, Wake up and Give a Shout!