Hello. My name is…

John Della Volpe. My students and colleagues shortened that to JDV longer ago than I care to remember. I’m the author of the best-selling FIGHT: How Gen Z is Channeling Their Fear and Passion to Save America, pollster, advisor to President Biden, and on-air contributor to NBC/MSNBC. And I have a story to tell, but it’s not mine alone.

For more than two decades, I’ve been embedded in the land of young Americans. First millennials, and now Gen Z with an eye on Gen Alpha. From my perch since 2000 as polling director at Harvard Kennedy School’s Institute of Politics, at SocialSphere, and as the dad of a few Zoomers and one Zillennial — I spend most of my time talking with, surveying, and thinking about young Americans. I’ve been called the White House’s “Gen Z Whisperer” and a GOAT by TIME’s Charlotte Alter. This pursuit has taken me to unexpected places in this country and around the world, some dark, but I always feel more optimistic about ourselves and our country when I’m back.

When I’m not listening to young people, I often speak to and work with leaders across industries and sectors in the U.S. and abroad about what youth are passionate about. I’ve counseled and collaborated with heads of state, heads of industry, generals, athletes, and entertainers from dozens of countries.

Here are some other things I wrote in 2022 for the New York Times:

Find me

Twitter is a good place to start if you're looking for me. I’m @dellavolpe. The same handle goes for Instagram and LinkedIn.

For speaking engagement requests and inquiries, please contact:

Molly Cotter
Harry Walker Agency
Email: MollyC@harrywalker.com

For media or other requests, please contact:

Email: info@socialsphere.com

What you can expect

This is for you if you’re parenting, teaching, mentoring, serving, working with, trying to sell to, manage, inspire, or persuade young Americans.

This is for you if you’re a Zoomer trying to figure out where you fit and how to seek inspiration from your peers.

And if you’re none of the above and want to learn something and maybe be an advocate — this too is for you.

To find out more about the company that provides the tech for this newsletter, visit Substack.com.

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Putting public opinion into context while creating a pathway to understanding, empowering, and engaging Gen Z.

People

Pollster | Author FIGHT: How Gen Z is Channeling Their Fear & Passion to Save America | @SocialSphere | @HarvardIOP | @MSNBC Contributor | Bylines: NYT, WaPo