Stephen, 22, from Pennsylvania, is co-founder and National Field Director of Sunrise Movement. This organization mobilizes young people nationwide to combat the influence of fossil fuel executives

Stephen, 22, from Pennsylvania, is co-founder and National Field Director of Sunrise Movement. This organization mobilizes young people nationwide to combat the influence of fossil fuel executives and lobbyists, empowering them to elect leaders who will address climate change and create green jobs.

He organized the 'Sunrise Semester,' a fellowship program that engaged 70 young people in five key states for the 2018 elections. This initiative combined campaigning for progressive candidates with direct action to expose fossil fuel money. Stephen's organizing journey began at Swarthmore College, where he led a widely publicized fossil fuel divestment campaign.

Stephen Grotz, a Charlotte-based architect and UNC Charlotte graduate, champions urban living, believing suburbia is unsustainable for future urban planning. Despite a decade designing suburban

Stephen Grotz, a Charlotte-based architect and UNC Charlotte graduate, champions urban living, believing suburbia is unsustainable for future urban planning. Despite a decade designing suburban homes, his academic research and pandemic experiences revealed its limitations for social exchange and financial investment.

Inspired by SimCity, Stephen advocates for urban settings as the only sustainable, resilient, and humane way to live. His Master of Architecture research, to be published this fall, delves into social and financial obstacles to upward mobility through real estate. He asserts, "fences do not make good neighbors, they make good strangers."

This talk was presented at a TEDx event. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx.