During my summer at the Sustainable Media Center (SMC), I contributed to the organization’s core research by supporting a Gen Z–led initiative to reimagine the future of social media, while also helping to grow SMC’s external footprint through partnerships and public-facing content. SMC is a nonprofit dedicated to catalyzing positive change in media by empowering young people to shape the platforms they use, with a mission to foster media that connects and entertains without undermining health and emotional well-being.

My work centered on designing and launching a project that brought Gen Z participants together with nonprofit partners and technologists to explore what “sustainable media” could look like in practice. This included developing and facilitating stakeholder interviews, synthesizing research insights into themes such as mental health, misinformation, and trust, and contributing to content strategy through briefs, communications, and digital storytelling. In parallel, I built a diverse portfolio of 100+ strategic partnerships with impact-driven entrepreneurs, family offices, and social movement leaders, and elevated SMC’s public profile by representing the organization at industry events, hosting weekly video podcasts with guest speakers, and producing original content that amplified youth perspectives.

Over the course of the summer, I prepared a strategic memo and communication materials that translated the initiative’s findings into actionable recommendations for SMC’s partners. This work directly advanced SMC’s mission by centering youth agency in media innovation and turning their lived experiences into evidence and narratives that can inform product design, policy, and advocacy, while simultaneously expanding an ecosystem of collaborators committed to building a more ethical and sustainable media landscape.

At CBS, I have had the opportunity to participate in programs and clubs that have shaped how I approach mission-driven work, including the Nonprofit Board Leadership Program and serving as president of the Innovation & Design Club. These practical, hands-on experiences have helped me explore how business, design thinking, and stakeholder engagement can be translated into social impact outcomes in the media and technology space.

The courses that I have taken at CBS have also played a key role in preparing me for my work at the Sustainable Media Center. For example, Media Marketing and Entrepreneurship equipped me with tools to understand audience segments, value propositions, and go-to-market strategies in media, which I drew on when shaping SMC’s partnership and content strategies. Business Strategies for Solving Social Problems provided frameworks for diagnosing root causes, mapping systems, and designing interventions that informed how I thought about SMC’s role in addressing issues such as misinformation, platform design, and youth mental health. I also took The Leader’s Voice, which strengthened my ability to use narrative through memos, presentations, and public-facing content to elevate Gen Z perspectives and make complex media challenges accessible to a wide range of partners.

One challenge was defining a partnership strategy that balanced breadth and depth while still aligning with SMC’s limited capacity as a lean nonprofit. Building a portfolio of 100+ relationships meant being intentional about which conversations to advance into formal collaborations versus which to maintain as looser connections in the broader ecosystem.

Another challenge involved crafting outreach that resonated with very different audiences, from family offices interested in impact investing to social movement leaders focused on grassroots organizing. Each group had distinct priorities, time horizons, and communication styles, so I had to constantly refine messaging to highlight how sustainable media and youth-led initiatives supported their specific goals.

Elevating SMC’s public profile also required experimenting with formats and channels. Hosting weekly video podcasts, representing SMC at industry events, and producing original content meant navigating production constraints, guest availability, and the need to maintain a consistent, authentic voice. Iterating on topics, cadence, and distribution strategies taught me how to adapt quickly while staying anchored in SMC’s mission and youth-centered values.

My internship at SMC reinforced my belief that media and technology can be powerful levers for social change when youth are treated as co-creators rather than passive users. Working alongside Gen Z participants, nonprofit partners, and technologists showed how intergenerational collaboration can generate more holistic solutions to issues like platform addiction, online harm, and civic fragmentation.

I also gained a deeper understanding of how narrative and storytelling shape both public perception and product roadmaps in the media ecosystem. By helping craft communications and content that elevated youth voices, I saw how strategically framed stories can influence funders, advocates, and industry leaders, complementing more traditional research outputs. The experience sharpened my skills in stakeholder engagement, facilitation, and impact-oriented communication.

Most importantly, this summer clarified my long-term goal of building a career at the intersection of media, technology, and social impact, working on products and initiatives that prioritize well-being and equity alongside growth. The internship offered a concrete model of how a small, mission-driven organization can have an outsized impact by leveraging diverse networks and insights into actionable strategies for a more ethical and sustainable media landscape.