Ep. 23: Katya Hancock | Founding Executive Director of Young Futures | Navigating the Digital Age

Show Notes:Young Futures (YF) was started with one goal in mind: to provide a social compass for young people and their families navigating the digital age.Backed by Melinda Gates’s Pivotal Ventures, the Susan Crown Exchange, and The Goodness Web, Katya Hancock and her team at YF support non-profits and grassroots organizations working to help teens thrive in our tech-driven world.Each year, YF will host funding challenges with various themes, supporting winners with capital and admission into a 6-month non-profit accelerator called Young Futures Academy. The inaugural grant challenge—called the Lonely Hearts Club—focused on organizations fostering meaningful social connections. In our conversation, Katya highlights some of the winners—including #HalfTheStory, Be Loud Studios, Civics Unplugged, and 3G—and describes each recipient’s unique approach toward promoting social connection.In this episode, we discuss digital tension, potential future funding challenge themes, and the current landscape of tech, social media, and youth wellbeing.Check out the full list of the Lonely Hearts Club grantees here.Timestamps:[1:33]: Startup Health, Health Moonshots, Storytelling[4:36]: Young Futures’ Mission[7:58]: Tech, Social Media, Youth Wellbeing[13:52]: Listening to young people, Digital Tension, Empathy[16:58]: Flagship Grant Recipients[26:26]: The Beginning of Young Futures[27:45]: Future Funding Challenges This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit nolanshah.substack.com