Generator Collective

Cofounded by my dear friend Glennis Meagher and her co-conspirator Ilana Glazer, Generator brings the energy to make political engagement something that we all can do without feeling overwhelmed or without the power that we actually hold in the political process. Cheat Sheet for the Polls is one of their initiatives to help ease the seemingly huge burden of understanding our role in democracy and the political process.

In non-pandemic times, Generator Collective threw parties–Genny Socials–at clubs in New York and went on tour to interview people who are interesting, involved, and steeped in American governmental process in front of live audiences. They’re bringing it all to millennials and speaking our language. It’s going to (and already has!) change how thousands and thousands of people experience the democratic process.

Generator gives out Ilana’s number so people can text her and get involved in the Generator text group. Just another way that Generator is breaking down barriers to involvement and access to knowledge about our democracy.

Folx in the collective are encouraged to share short videos about how policy has affected their lives. This takes so much of what we hear about in the news out of an abstract concept world and makes empathy that much more accessible in understanding how policies surrounding immigration, gender, campaign finance, gun safety, minimum wage, health care, the opioid epidemic and more affect real people in real ways.

They’ve also boiled down the formula for the videos to keep their content digestible and relatable to people watching. Their quick, clean, easy instructions help bring people into the process and do so easily.