Unconventional Leaders

It’s easy to make excuses that we’re too young or too old or don’t know what to do next. As leaders, we often need to simply step out and take action. The founders of Big and Mini (Aditi Merchant, Allen and Anthony Zhou) teach us to work through dull tasks, persist in spreading our ideas, and believe in our mission enough to keep going. Founded in early April 2020 by 3 teenagers in Texas, Big & Mini is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit with a mission to combat social isolation and bridge the generation gap by connecting youth and seniors through video calls. This organization has more than 300 volunteers from 37 states and features in The Houston Chronicle, MSN, and SoulPancake.  They’ve been awarded the Blackstone Summer Startup Fellowship and have partnered with several aging and youth organizations, including the Texas Aging and Longevity Center and Aging Well. Going forward, they hope to further expand their platform to include more seniors in care homes and begin the implementation of local chapters to increase