Gen Z isn’t Waiting for a Job Offer. They’re Building the Company.

At 23 years old, University of Pennsylvania graduate Melanie Herbert is tackling one of the most pressing issues in healthcare: the elder care crisis. Herbert is the cofounder of Sync Labs, a startup that aims to better support caregivers and older adults by leveraging AI.

The inspiration for Sync Labs stems from Herbert’s personal care history. Having spent years undergoing hospital treatments for a serious medical complications during her childhood, she gained a deep, firsthand understanding of U.S. healthcare delivery and the immense pressure placed on medical staff.

To alleviate some of this burden, Sync Labs develop a system that uses non-invasive privacy-first sensors to monitor seniors’ daily habits, including eating routines and fall risks. Because the data is processed directly on the device, customers can have confidence that their data will not be used for marketing or third-party research purposes. This critical health information is automatically compiled into an app called “Alice,” which allows caregivers to focus immediately on providing on care rather than spending their limited time playing detective. For their groundbreaking work. Herbert and her co-founders were awarded the 2025 Penn President’s Innovation Prize.

Herbert’s journey is representative of a much larger macroeconomic shift. According to recent data from the Bank of America Institute, business applications submitted by Gen Z entrepreneurs jumped a staggering 66% in June 2026 compared to the previous year, far outpacing all other generations. Driven by a desire to create their own opportunities and empowered by new AI technologies Gen Z is proving to be the next most prosperous generation as the long time chair holder Baby Boomers start to decline.

Judah Lindsay