Indeed, recent research shows that to attract Gen Z, brands must demonstrate a real commitment to addressing societal challenges like diversity, climate change, and sustainability. A Gen-Z herself, Ferreira hopes to inspire change through these values, starting with her experience at Voxburner.

During her internship, she was tasked with two core responsibilities: Pitch speakers for the annual Youth Marketing Strategy conference–including experts from companies like Amazon, HelloFresh, and Reddit–and produce original content for the company’s blog.

Both helped her understand Gen Z’s pain points more deeply, but she was most passionate about blogging.

Each week, Ferreira researched and pitched blog topics on Gen Z trends and insights, including film preferences and TikTok trends. Voxburner encouraged Ferreira to investigate any topic she wanted (as long as it aligned with Gen Z’s interests), a freedom that fueled her creative autonomy.

“I took more initiative and responsibility because I had to be sure what I included was accurate,” she says. “It was completely my own work, and I was so proud of that.”

Through writing, Ferreira delved deeper into Gen Z marketing best practices, like why nostalgia can be such a powerful marketing tool. And why entertainment marketers targeting Gen Z should not romanticize messy relationships (cue: the 2003 rom-com “Love Actually”).

As an international student–Ferreira is originally from Trinidad and Tobago–she especially appreciated the opportunity to experience a different business culture. Compared to America, Ferreira says London’s work culture seems much more collaborative and relationship-focused—a structure that helped her further develop soft skills like communication and trust-building.

Looking toward graduation next year, Ferreira plans to continue building on what she’s learned in business and eventually hopes to land a job at a marketing agency in the US.

Most of all, she wants to leverage her knowledge of Gen Z to help inform marketing—and contribute to a more significant focus on social change in the business world. This way, she can help businesses couple profit and purpose to achieve lasting success.

“I think a huge part of business is stepping up to impact societal issues,” says Ferreira, “which also helps companies improve their bottom lines. I’m excited to be part of this change.”