Geoff Bennett: What happens when leaders across generations come together to reimagine the future of collaboration?

Earlier this year, CoGenerate — that’s a nonprofit that brings older and younger change-makers together — hosted a gathering in Los Angeles to explore the power of intergenerational partnership.

In this Brief But Spectacular, participants reflect on what it takes to build a better future together.

Ali Weinstein, Sustainable Entertainment Alliance: What does it feel like to be your age?

Imani Woody, Participant: It feels great.

Ali Weinstein: Really?

Imani Woody: The end, yes.

(LAUGHTER)

Alex Edgar, Participant: It feels a little scary sometimes.

Kevin Patel, Participant: Anxious.

Donna Butts, Participant: It’s exciting.

Alex Edgar: With technology, I feel like every second is a new problem.

Ashton Applewhite, Participant: Well, I’m 73, and that seems like really old.

Loren Waters, Participant: I’m 29.

Tony Brown, Participant: I’m 55, and I feel like I’m younger than that.

Jordan Bowman, Participant: So I’m 29. I’m in love with my life right now. It’s a really cool place to be, right? And I get to have fun.

Tony Brown: I love your life.

Jordan Bowman: Come hang out.

Woman: Welcome, everybody.

Tanzina Vega, Journalist: We’re here in Koreatown in Los Angeles meeting today with a group of older leaders and younger leaders to have a conversation about how we create co-generational allyship.

This is a moment where we, across generations, need each other. I’m a journalist and the lead researcher and writer for CoGenerate on their Older Leaders Project.

Marci Alboher, CoGenerate: CoGenerate is a social impact organization committed to bridging the generational divide to solve big problems in our society.

What are the new models for shared leadership in this multigenerational world?

Tanzina Vega: One of the things that comes up in my conversations with older leaders is often about power.

Raymond A. Jetson, Author, “Aging While Black”: Those who are thought to hold power create this story that power is a zero-sum game. One of the greatest gifts that we can share with younger leaders is to share with them that you can create your own power.

Paul Irving, Milken Institute: Those of us who are our age also need to acknowledge when young people talk about the impacts of gerontocracy in our government, the failure and refusal of aging leaders to make space for young people, that that is oftentimes a really serious problem.

Ali Weinstein, Sustainable Entertainment alliance: I think it’s so valuable that older generations know the past, but that does not mean you know the future. But I still want to learn from you about the past.

Imani Woody: What do older people get wrong about your generation?

Ali Weinstein: It’s supposed to be brief. That we’re — our generation and the generations below us are lazy.

Kevin Patel: I see that perspective from young people as wrong because I think we also bring ideas.

Hulissa Aguilar, Participant: People always tell me like, oh, you haven’t lived long enough. And I’m 19. I have struggled a lot, though.

Alex Edgar: What do younger people get wrong about your generation?

Nancy McPherson, Participant: That we’re just taking, taking, taking from the economy, that I am a certain way because I’m a certain age.

Sarita Mohanty, Participant: They feel like we like to go to bed early.

Loren Waters: I like going to bed early.

Fernando Torres-Gil, Participant: I have a disability. I’m a polio survivor.

Man: And I either get an element of pity or you’re not that relevant, so I can essentially just ignore you.

Imani Woody: Is pay your dues still relevant?

Ali Weinstein: In entertainment and in Hollywood, everyone is still paying their dues if they work in this industry, but no one is getting the rewards.

Jordan Bowman: Have your inflation calculator ready when you’re looking at differences, because the value is different. I think the concept of paying your dues or working for free is an object of the past, and I’d love for us to leave that behind.

Sarita Mohanty: Yes, I’m older. There are certain dues I have to pay to be relevant.

Loren Waters: It’s like reversed.

Sarita Mohanty: It’s like a reverse, yes.

Tanzina Vega: A lot of the older leaders that I spoke to, they want to be seen, as much as younger folks want to be respected for their ingenuity. It’s a question of understanding that ambition changes over the course of one’s life and how we can respect that and at the same time make room for each other’s ambition.

My name is Tanzina Vega, and this is my Brief But Spectacular take on the power of intergenerational communities.

Geoff Bennett: It’s great stuff.

You can watch more Brief But Spectacular videos online at PBS.org/NewsHour/Brief.