More Than A Seat: Rethinking Youth Power in Government and Campaigns

In 2024, Queenside Ventures founder Ashley Lynn Priore contributed a compelling chapter to the global anthology Sustainability Stories: The Power of Narratives to Understand Global Challenges. Her piece, More Than A Seat: Building Sustainable Ecosystems for Youth in Government, makes a bold and timely case for a reimagined approach to youth engagement in public life.

Rooted in Ashley’s experience working on Hillary Clinton’s 2016 presidential campaign, the chapter unpacks the disconnect between how we talk about youth involvement in politics and how power is actually distributed. While many campaigns and institutions claim to uplift the next generation, most stop at optics—inviting youth to the table without giving them any real influence.

“If you vote, you are the boss of your elected official,” Ashley writes. “Unfortunately, this idea is not practiced in current politics. In fact, it scares politicians. This is one of the reasons current government structures are not sustainable.”

At Queenside Ventures, we know youth are not just future leaders—they’re decision-makers right now. That’s why we partner with campaigns, businesses, nonprofits, and public institutions to move beyond tokenism and design real ecosystems of intergenerational collaboration.

Whether you’re a campaign looking to strengthen the youth vote or a business hoping to build stronger engagement strategies, we assist our clients in establishing relationships, gaining insights from, and actively participating in intergenerational communities. Our services include strategic advising, campaign development, community-building, communications, and public engagement—all built around a core belief: that leadership is strongest when diverse generations work together.

Ashley’s inclusion in Sustainability Stories reinforces what we’ve long believed—young people bring not only energy and innovation, but critical perspective and long-term vision. And when given the tools and trust to lead, they make our institutions more just, effective, and sustainable.

Let’s build a future where youth don’t just have a seat—they have a say.