Alex Quian

Alex Quian is a Gen Z leadership speaker, author, and intergenerational community builder, who helps young people recognize their capacity to lead, serve, and create opportunities, and he helps adults become better listeners, mentors, and champions for emerging leaders.

Quian’s commitment to youth leadership and community engagement began while he was a student at Cornell University. During that time, he challenged himself to complete 30 service projects in 30 days. What began as a personal commitment became a defining leadership experience and taught him that young people do not need to wait for a title, invitation, or perfect opportunity to make a meaningful difference.

Following the experience, at 21, Quian founded his first nonprofit, which helped other young people discover accessible ways to serve their communities. He also wrote a book about his 30 Days of Service journey called "Better Together: How 30 Days of Service Changed My Life." The book shares the lessons he learned and offers practical guidance for young people who want to turn their ideas into impact. Through this work, Quian developed a deep understanding of how service can help young people build confidence, strengthen relationships, discover their abilities, and begin seeing themselves as leaders.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Quian continued creating opportunities for students and young professionals to learn and remain connected. This included *Mentor Moments8, a podcast he created to share advice from business and community leaders such as then Dallas Mavericks CEO Cynt Marshall, Topgolf CEO Dolf Berle, and Capital One CTO Arjun Dugal.

Today, Quian draws on his personal journey, professional experience, and perspective as a member of Gen Z to help young people navigate leadership, service, mentorship, and the early stages of their careers. He speaks honestly about the pressure young people often feel to have everything figured out, the importance of building meaningful relationships, and the value of taking action before the entire path is clear.

Quian also helps adults better connect with and support young people. Rather than treating generational differences as barriers, he encourages educators, mentors, managers, and community leaders to listen more closely, communicate more openly, and create meaningful opportunities for young people to contribute and lead.

Quian’s presentations combine compelling personal stories, candid generational insight, and practical lessons that audiences can immediately apply. Young people leave with greater confidence in their ability to take initiative and create opportunities. Adults leave with a clearer understanding of how to encourage, mentor, and champion the emerging leaders in their lives.

Quian earned his degree in Information Science from Cornell University and is based in Dallas, Texas.