Generation Alpha refers to the cohort born roughly between 2010 and 2024 — the children of younger Millennials and the first generation raised entirely in the age of smartphones, AI and voice assistants. They follow Generation Z and are shaping the next wave of consumer, education and family behaviour across Europe.
Generational Expert & Keynote Speaker
I build bridges between your world and the world of Generation Z
Benoît Vancauwenberghe helps brands, leaders, marketers, HR teams, and educators surpass stereotypes and trend reports. He clarifies the cultural shifts shaping Gen Z and their Alpha successors through powerful keynotes, workshops, and strategy sessions. From youth values and digital rituals to new forms of activism, anxiety, and identity, Benoît equips audiences with the insight they need to understand, connect with, and design for the future of youth.
About Benoît Vancauwenberghe
From Understanding …
Benoît Vancauwenberghe is one of Europe’s leading voices on Generation Z and Alpha. As a strategist, keynote speaker, and co-founder of 20Something, a pioneering youth-focused agency founded in 2009, he has spent over a decade decoding how young people think, consume, communicate, and shape culture.
With a background that blends sociology, marketing, psychology, and trend forecasting, Benoît transforms raw research into sharp cultural insight. He’s delivered data-driven, future-facing talks across Europe, from Cannes Lions and D&AD London to Brand Week Istanbul, Eurobest, Pandox Stockholm, and BAM Youngster Brussels.
Whether you’re a brand, institution, HR, leader, or educator, Benoît’s work helps you understand youth not as a trend but as a transformative force shaping the future of leadership, work, and society.
… to Action
Today’s youth aren’t just influencing the future but rewriting it.
In his keynotes and workshops, Benoît challenges audiences to move beyond observation and into action. He equips decision-makers, marketers, HR professionals, and educators with the insight and tools they need to engage meaningfully with Gen Z and Gen Alpha across Europe and beyond.
This isn’t about inspiration. It’s about strategy.
It’s not about following trends. It’s about anticipating cultural shifts before they break.
Discover some of our client testimonials below.
"world-class keynote speaker who can inspire audiences, challenge conventional thinking, and leave a lasting impact"
Benoît was one of the standout moments of UNFOLD Festival 2026. From the moment he stepped on stage, he captivated the audience with his energy, authenticity, and fresh perspective on the future of leadership, entrepreneurship, and Generation Z.
His keynote was insightful, thought-provoking, and highly engaging, leaving our audience inspired long after it ended.
Beyond being an outstanding speaker, Benoit was a true professional—easy to work with, passionate about creating value and genuinely committed to connecting with people. His ability to combine strategic insight with powerful storytelling makes him a speaker who doesn’t simply deliver a presentation; he creates an experience.
We are proud to have welcomed Benoit to UNFOLD Festival 2026 and would highly recommend him to any organization looking for a world-class keynote speaker who can inspire audiences, challenge conventional thinking, and leave a lasting impact.
Discover more of testimonials below.
Keynotes
Any questions?
Generation Z is commonly defined as those born between 1997 and 2012, and Generation Alpha as those born between 2010 and 2024. Definitions vary by researcher; Benoît works with European datasets and adjusts these boundaries to the cultural and market context of each engagement.
The generation after Alpha is provisionally called Generation Beta, expected to include those born from around 2025 onward. It will be the first cohort born into a world of mainstream generative AI and agentic technology — a core theme of Benoît’s forward-looking keynotes.
Gen Z (1997–2012) grew up alongside social media and remembers a pre-smartphone world; Gen Alpha (2010–2024) has never known one. Gen Z shaped today’s culture of authenticity and activism, while Gen Alpha is being formed by AI, gaming and creator-led learning. Benoît’s keynotes decode both and what they mean for brands and organisations.
Gen Alpha slang is a fast-moving vocabulary born on TikTok, YouTube and gaming platforms (terms like “skibidi”, “rizz”, “gyat”, “sigma”). Beyond the words, it signals how Gen Alpha builds identity and community online — a live example Benoît uses to help brands and educators stay culturally relevant.
Gen Z employees prioritise purpose, transparency, flexibility, mental-health support and rapid growth over loyalty to a single employer. Managing them well means clear feedback, meaning and autonomy. Benoît’s HR keynotes turn these expectations into concrete recruitment, management and retention playbooks.
Marketing to Gen Z means earning cultural credibility rather than buying attention: creator-first content, authenticity, values that show up in action, and native presence on the platforms they own. Benoît’s keynotes give marketing teams a practical framework to stay relevant without trying too hard.
Benoît has spoken at leading European stages including Cannes Lions, D&AD London, Brand Week Istanbul, Eurobest, Pandox Stockholm, FIBO Köln, BAM Youngster Brussels and UNFOLD Festival, and for organisations such as PwC and RTL Belgium.
Benoît delivers keynotes and workshops across Europe, on-site or remote, in English, French and Dutch. Each talk is tailored to the audience’s sector and context.
To book Benoît Vancauwenberghe, contact the 20Something team via the Contact page. Share the date, location, format (keynote or workshop) and audience profile to receive a tailored proposal.