The American Dream isn’t broken — it’s evolving. Scrappy, self-aware, and determined to build lives defined by purpose, stability, and ownership, Gen Z isn’t waiting around for a savior. They’re rewriting the playbook for success themselves. The biggest demographic shift in history is already underway. Whether we respond with intention — or not — will shape markets, politics, and society for decades.
As a mom of five Gen Z kids and the founder of a venture fund focused on investments geared toward remedying generational fractures, I’ve had a front row seat observing the work ethic and drive of this generation. The prevailing narrative about this generation, that they’re entitled, aimless, or fragile, couldn’t be further from what I’ve observed in my own children and the 15–20 college interns I mentor every summer.
Instead, I see young people who are curious, inclusive, digitally fluent, and relentlessly resourceful. They’re resume-maximizers juggling part-time jobs, side hustles, clubs, and coursework, all while navigating a social media environment designed to distract or diminish them.
Listening sessions and pulse checks
To better understand the friction between Gen Z’s ambition and the world they’re inheriting, Visible Ventures partnered with The Up and Up, a media and strategy firm focused on Gen Z, to conduct a series of listening sessions and pulse checks with more than 50 Gen Zers. The results revealed a glaring truth: the future they envision requires on-ramps to economic opportunity and mental wellbeing, but right now, inflation and the sky-high cost of college often stand in their way. Saddled with debt, priced out of the housing market, struggling with loneliness, and staring down a chaotic world, less than half of young adults feel a sense of community.
They aren’t exaggerating the obstacles. To afford the same house today as in 2020, the average American needs to have nearly doubled their income. Rent growth has far outpaced wage gains. Inflation permeates grocery bills, insurance, and even mass transit fees. As recently reported in a Bank of America Better Money Habits report, despite the fact that Gen Z is financially self-aware, financially action-oriented, and in tune with economic reality, (distinguishing them from any prior generation’s behaviors at the same age), more than a third feel financially stressed due to insufficient income and macroeconomic instability.
This is a collective problem. As the U.S. population ages, with the number of Americans over 65 expected to nearly double by 2050, our economy will depend more heavily on Gen Z’s productivity, innovation, and tax base to sustain growth. By 2030, there will be a $30 trillion generational wealth transfer into the hands of women and Gen Z, and Gen Z, the largest generation ever, will account for all consumer spending growth over the next ten years. Their success isn’t a side narrative. In fact, it’s a structural necessity. If we don’t clear the barriers that limit their potential today, we jeopardize the very engine that’s meant to carry our economy forward tomorrow.
Looking for a sense of purpose
Through our conversations with students and early career professionals ranging in industries from consulting to teaching and construction, we learned that when it comes to their futures, many in this generation are not preoccupied with traditional status symbols or generating massive wealth. Instead, they want to be debt-free and to build a financial safety net.
As one 20-year-old woman told us, her vision of success is not living “paycheck to paycheck,” and “being able to at least save a little bit, doesn’t have to be a lot.”
Another 24-year-old shared: “What I want is a future—and a financial foundation I can control.” Beyond financial security, young people today are looking for a sense of purpose.
Still others avoid romantic relationships so they can prioritize saving money and advancing in their careers. They repeatedly shared that the cost of going on dates and paying for two rather than one is simply not feasible.
Skeptical of abiding by the way things have been just for the sake of tradition, they are reinventing traditional markers of success. Data shows that half of Gen Z wants to start their own company. But that doesn’t mean they want to be billionaires. From small business owners to start-up founders, we saw that trendline in our own research too. Instead of disincentivizing this generation’s entrepreneurial spirit, belittling them wanting to be their own boss, they need support for their endeavors.
If we want a future defined by agency, not anxiety, we need to expand the paths to wealth and invest in the infrastructure that helps young people get there. That means mentorship, early capital, and visibility into real-world opportunities beyond the traditional four year-degree or Silicon Valley playbook. Whether expanding access to vocational training, or adopting micro-credentialing to refresh and augment skills, we need to build pathways that connect Gen Z to paychecks and long-term financial stability. Entire sectors, like skilled trades, caregiving, and community-rooted services, are ripe for reinvention, yet too often overlooked by capital and culture alike. As AI reshapes the employment landscape, we must equip Gen Z to not just survive the shifts, but to shape them.
Thinking like a founder doesn’t require a pitch deck. It requires grit, agency, and ambition. Let’s stop underestimating this generation and instead act with intention by investing in the systems, support, and mentorship they need to turn their version of the American Dream into reality.
The opinions expressed in Fortune.com commentary pieces are solely the views of their authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions and beliefs of Fortune.
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