Stanford MBA: From Baby Boomer to Gen Z | Class of ‘95 Meets Class of ‘25
I’m Katharine Keough McLennan, Stanford MBA Class of 1995 alumna; I am the creator, producer and facilitator for this series in which I have the honour of hosting each episode with a different pair of two Stanford MBA generations—one from my Class of 1995 and the other from the Class of 2025.
Our dialogues explore the profound shifts both of these classes saw in the "Changing of the Eras" :
- The Class of 1995 graduated at the dawn of the internet, heralding the Information Age emerging from the Industrial Age. Some of our classmates are considered global internet pioneers, and the companies they created are well-known worldwide. Our class is now in our 60s.
- The Class of 2025 enters the next era as we witness the rise of artificial intelligence. Information is a commodity and no longer describes an "era." They now grapple with a very different world than we did 30 years ago -- not only in technology but also in politics, economics, social connections, environmental challenges, and legal dynamics. They are in their 30s.
Together, we unpack the possibilities: Will AI spark a new era of human creativity and connection that I call the Inspiration Age? Or will it deepen disconnection, ushering in an Isolation Age?
This podcast is a "wisdom exchange" across generations, blending the hard-won lessons of my peers in their 60s with the bold vision of leaders in their 30s. Through candid, inspiring, and often humorous conversations, we reflect on aspirations, anxieties, and challenges while envisioning a future shaped by collaboration, ingenuity, and integrity—a call to action for a world where technology serves humanity.
For updates and more, visit katharinemclennan.com
Let’s shape the Inspiration Age, together.
Stanford MBA: From Baby Boomer to Gen Z | Class of ‘95 Meets Class of ‘25
Podcast Ep. 26 FInal Episode Summary Stanford MBA '95 Katharine McLennan Untitled Episode
Episode 26 – A Farewell and a Future: Closing the Stanford MBA ’95 Meets ’25 Series
In this final episode, host Katharine McLennan reflects on the full arc of the Stanford MBA ’95 meets MBA ’25 podcast series—25 episodes bridging two generations, born 30 years apart, at two pivotal moments in history: the dawn of the internet and the rise of artificial intelligence.
With gratitude and insight, Katharine revisits the major themes explored throughout the series: leadership in times of disruption, the evolving role of AI, and the enduring importance of human connection across age, industry, and culture.
She shares:
Her top three takeaways from this intergenerational experiment
A new leadership framework called VISTA: Vision, Intuition, Synergy, Trust, Authenticity
What’s next: a new book, solo podcast reflections, and a new series with the Stanford MBA Class of 2026
This is more than a goodbye—it’s an invitation to continue choosing ingenuity over isolation, wisdom over noise, and intergenerational dialogue over division.
🎓 Congratulations to the Stanford MBA Class of 2025.
🎉 See you in October, MBA Class of 1995.
And thank you to all listeners for being part of this journey.
Chapters
00:00 Introduction to the Podcast Series
02:21 Generational Perspectives and Milestones
03:23 Exploring Leadership Choices
04:37 The VISTA Framework
05:34 Key Insights from the Series
06:40 Future Plans and Reflections
07:29 Closing Thoughts and Farewell
Join the Podcast Series
Stanford MBA: From Baby Boomer to Gen Z | Class of ‘95 Meets Class of ‘25
Each of these episodes will feature a different pair of Stanford MBA people -- one from the class of 1995, and one from the class of 2025.
Remember to rate, review, and subscribe to stay connected with future episodes!
📺 Also available on YouTube:
Entire series playlist:
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLSaVisoF0D_GKxVmHmakNxdpAJCb5_VTP
More info: https://www.katharinemclennan.com/
Contact: kath@katharinemclennan.com
[00:00:00]
[00:00:08] my name is Katharine Keough McLennan, and this video audio is the last of my podcast series entitled From Baby Boomer to Gen Z, A conversation between two Stanford, MBA class members born 30 years apart. I had the honor of facilitating the 25 episodes of the series in which. Each episode featured two Stanford MBA classes, one from my MBA class of 1995, and one from the class of 2025.
[00:00:41] My classmates were born during the transition from the baby boomer era to Generation X the class of 2025 was born during the transition from Generation Y to generation Z. Our class of 1995 graduated at the dawn of the internet, heralding the move into the information age from the industrial age.
[00:01:07] The class of 2025, is soon to graduate at the dawn of artificial intelligence another transformative moment in history. The optimist within me hopes that we can catalyze an ingenuity age to replace the information age where artificial intelligence meets human creativity.
[00:01:29] Yet the pessimist in me acknowledges a looming possibility of collapsing into an isolation age where rising disconnection will fuel loneliness and anxiety and addiction. I created this podcast to foster a wisdom exchange between two generations who have the power to shape the world emerging before us. I hope our dialogues inspire us all to work through. [00:02:00] Toward an ingenuity age, ensuring that a, I enhances our humanity rather than diminishes it. Each episode of this podcast has varied in tone, and we balance seriousness with laughter, philosophical reflection with some shared anxiety
[00:02:18] most importantly, shared hope. We elders, age 60, give or take a few years, share memories of Stanford and hard won lessons from our thirties forties and fifties. Not only in business, but in our personal lives. Our family lives, our community lives. The youngers age 30, give or take a few years, share their vision for the future and the challenges as they prepare to reenter the world after their two years of their MBA.
[00:02:52] This podcast celebrates three milestones in 2025. Of course, the first is the graduation of this MBA class of 2025. On June 14th, 430 graduates will join the Stanford alum community.
[00:03:10] On the same weekend, the October 10th through 12th , of our reunion, Stanford Business School will be also celebrating its hundredth anniversary.
[00:03:23] over the past 25 episodes, I've had the incredible privilege of exploring a defining leadership choice in a world increasingly shaped by ai, will we collapse into isolation as a society, or can we catalyze the ingenuity age instead, across these 25 conversations. We explored the future of these two through distinct vistas.
[00:03:54] The collapse into isolation is a vista that is clouded, obstructed, and [00:04:00] distorted, where leaders can't see clearly due to silos and inertia or distrust. The catalyzing ingenuity has a vista that is expansive and inspiring, and it offers clear sight, creative insight, and an integrated action. Actually, the word vista comes from Italian and it means view or sight, and it's originally derived from the Latin videre, which means to see.
[00:04:29] Vista is a term that evokes a sense of looking ahead, not just at what is, but what could be. And to capture the themes that emerged in these podcast episodes, but also the work I've done with leaders and cultures over the last three decades. I took this word vista and I created a framework that could represent some of the leadership tensions between the two potential ages of isolation and ingenuity.
[00:05:00] So V is void versus vision. I is. Inertia versus intuition. S is for silos versus synergy. T is for tyranny versus trust, and A is for apathy versus authenticity. I've distilled these themes into a detailed report from the beautiful conversations we have, and we'll soon publish a short book based on what we learned.
[00:05:34] I wanted to share three insights from this series I started in November last year. Number one, I was deeply moved by the wisdom of both generations. The class of 2025 brought fierce. Curiosity and ethical imagination. My class of 1995 brought our experience hard, [00:06:00] won our humility that comes with that, and decades of lessons from lived leadership.
[00:06:08] The second reflection was that wisdom is certainly not age bound. It is a bridge. Our episodes revealed the power of mutual insight. Not top-down advice.
[00:06:21] The third insight was that we could see patterns emerging. All of us had a concern for what our leadership character would be. We have a hunger for connection across ages. And hope AI might enhance our humanity rather than hollow it out. What's next after this podcast is I will write a book called The Leader's Choice Collapsing Into Isolation versus Catalyzing Ingenuity.
[00:06:52] Second, I hope to be doing weekly podcasts about the reflections. I continue to get, both from my career and also inspired by this podcast series. Thirdly, I actually hope to continue this podcast with the Stanford MBA class of 2026 starting in October. Fourthly, I am going to continue to speak and run workshop series on leadership across generations, making that choice between isolation and ingenuity.
[00:07:29] Let me leave you with a beautiful Zulu expression that I've relied in my field of leadership and culture development over the last 30 years. And for me, it really speaks to the potential we have, this choice we have between isolation and ingenuity. When the Zulus greet each other, they say Sawu Bona, which means I see you.
[00:07:55] And your potential. And the response is, Sikhona, now [00:08:00] that you have seen me, I exist in the world and flourish. So I hope you enjoy the podcast series. I Wish the class of 2025, a phenomenal graduation, and a reentry filled with curiosity connection and clarity, to my class of 1995.
[00:08:20] A reunion coming up in October full of laughter legacy and renewed perspective. Thank you for being part of this.