Participation Trophy
Participation Trophy
Podcast Description
Millennials have been handed a sh*t sandwich. We’ve been labeled lazy, entitled, and (just like our participation trophies) we’ve had everything handed to us. But Millennials are all grown up, and it turns out that this hard-working, purpose-driven generation is changing the world. Join host Topher Williams as he sits down with Millennial do-gooders and changemakers on an unfiltered and (extremely) unscientific quest to discover if participation trophies actually made Millennials unstoppable.
Podcast Insights
Content Themes
The podcast covers topics such as activism, leadership, LGBTQ+ rights, and political engagement. Episodes feature specific themes, including gun violence trauma as discussed by Brandon Wolf in EP01 and the challenges young leaders face in politics highlighted in EP02, focusing on grassroots efforts and community-driven change.
Millennials have been handed a sh*t sandwich. We’ve been labeled lazy, entitled, and (just like our participation trophies) we’ve had everything handed to us. But Millennials are all grown up, and it turns out that this hard-working, purpose-driven generation is changing the world. Join host Topher Williams as he sits down with Millennial do-gooders and changemakers on an unfiltered and (extremely) unscientific quest to discover if participation trophies actually made Millennials unstoppable.
Headcount is turning concerts into launchpads for civic action by making voter registration as common as buying a band tee. In this episode, Topher Williams chats with Lucille Wenegieme, the Executive Director at Headcount, about how music, culture, and civic engagement all show up in the same place, and why that matters more than ever. Lucille shares how her Nigerian-American upbringing shaped her approach to community, and how that early sense of mutual aid evolved into a nationwide movement that registered nearly 500,000 voters in 2024.
They unpack why traditional “just vote” messaging misses the mark with Gen Z and Gen Alpha, and how Headcount is closing that gap by meeting people where they already are: at concerts, festivals, and online. With partnerships ranging from Sabrina Carpenter and Green Day to Spotify, Headcount creates experiences that feel fun and real, not forced or transactional.
Lucille also lays out the structural challenges young voters face and makes a strong case for voting systems built around access, not red tape. The results speak for themselves: a 78% turnout rate among Headcount participants and over 3.3 million civic actions in a single cycle.
The episode wraps with Lucille’s hot takes on fashion, playlists, and why a crisp white button-down might be the secret to a good day. It’s a reminder that the people leading these efforts aren’t just policy wonks or campaign strategists. They’re also music lovers, community builders, and maybe even someone you’d want to swap outfits with. Curious what it takes to make civic engagement feel like a movement instead of a lecture? This one’s worth a listen!
Episode Breakdown:
00:00 Meet Lucille Wenegieme: Where Music, Voter Registration, and Elections Intersect
03:33 How Community Roots Shaped a Career in Civic Action
05:03 What Actually Motivates Young Voters Today
09:04 Why the Voting System Needs to Catch Up
16:04 Inside Headcount: Turning Concerts into Civic Hubs
21:13 Authenticity, Culture, and the Future of Engagement
27:49 Fashion, Playlists, and Lucille’s Civic Style
Connect with Lucille Wenegieme:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/lucillewenegieme/
https://www.facebook.com/HeadCountOrg/
https://www.instagram.com/headcountorg/
https://www.tiktok.com/@headcountorg
https://www.threads.com/@headcountorg
https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:youx3yujl2pz7g5ebjd5spjc
https://www.linkedin.com/company/headcount-inc./
Connect with Topher Williams:
https://www.participationtrophypod.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/topher-williams-1a477264/
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