“Who Are You?” The New WAY Campaign Wants You To Think About That Question

There’s a major shift happening—and it’s one of the most significant transformations to occur in work culture in decades. For young people (especially Gen Z and the emerging Gen Alpha), the future of work is being shaped by a few powerful trends: Young workers increasingly prioritize flexibility over traditional 9-to-5 office jobs, entrepreneurial mindsets are dominating, young employees aren’t simply looking for a paycheck, and there’s a growing shift away from traditional college degrees as the only measure of qualification. This shift is happening now, especially accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic, advances in AI and tech, climate anxiety, and growing awareness of systemic inequalities.

Young people today are also far more skeptical about the return on investment of a traditional college degree than previous generations were, and for good reason. Tuition costs have skyrocketed while wages haven’t kept pace, and degrees don’t always lead to secure, high-paying jobs. Financially, many are rethinking whether traditional education is worth the debt.

Sound familiar? Ever-changing viewpoints, questions around the future of work, and the idea of unlocking one’s true potential on one’s own terms aren’t necessarily new ideas, but they are ideas that traditionally haven’t been given a ton of public awareness or support from older generations. But there is interest…a lot of it. According to an ECME report, which reflects data from seven different national surveys, 63% of young people are open to options other than the traditional four-year college degree. There’s also data from organizations like Hattaway Communications that suggests 86% of young learners think non-degree pathways could make a big impact on their lives.

The problem is that there is a gap when it comes to the knowledge and resources readily available to empower learners of all ages—particularly Gen Z—to explore the options outside of a traditional postsecondary education. Plus, we know college isn’t the right path for everyone. So, if you’re someone who’s looking for your future path…what do you do?

Finding your WAY

The answer to that question may lie in a meaningful new initiative designed to tap into the power of culture to empower young people, and society in general, to redefine how they see the future of work and career success. WAY (Who Are You?) is a new campaign centered around a shift from the belief that traditional routes are the only pathways to fulfillment, to a mindset rooted in lifelong learning that inspires young people to pursue the path that is right for them, on their own terms. WAY believes that talent is everywhere and that individual potential shouldn’t be limited by whatever degree someone holds or doesn’t hold.

The initiative, a campaign partnership between Stand Together and The Weeknd’s creative agency No More Dreams founded by XO co-founder and creative director, La Mar Taylor, is not anti-education or against the pursuit of a traditional four-year degree. Far from it. WAY’s goal is to create opportunities for everyone, including those interested in traditional college degrees, to develop their unique talents and individual contributions, regardless of their background.

“This is an opportunity for us to think about success as an individual definition: What success means to me might be different from what success means to you. And there is not just one path to success,” Colette Weintraub, the Head of Stand Together Music, Sports and Entertainment, told Complex. Stand Together is a philanthropic community of hundreds of business leaders, social entrepreneurs, donors, and non-profit partners across the U.S. who are working to tackle some of the biggest issues we are facing as a society. Education and future work are two of their core issues. “WAY encourages people to ask themselves that introspective question of ‘Who Are You?’ Weintraub explained. “What are your gifts, what brings you joy, how can you apply those in the world?”

But, Weintraub explained, there are other questions that are being prompted by the cultural campaign, including: Who are you doing this for? Are you doing this because society tells you it’s the right thing to do? Are you doing this because your parents are telling you it’s the right thing to do?

“There’s often this idea in society that there is one definition of what success is and there is one pathway to get there, and the goal of the WAY campaign is to actually shift that perception, break down that belief and illustrate by really elevating a bunch of different stories of people who have defined their own success and taken different pathways, and also to explain that this is a lifelong journey,” Weintraub said. “There’s lifelong learning and you can always evolve.”

High-profile faces help launch campaign

The campaign seeks to evoke emotions of aspiration, empowerment, and introspection by telling the stories of individuals who have gone through their own transformational and nontraditional journeys to meaningful careers. Several notable creators and innovators in music, sports, tech, and business, are helping launch the campaign, including Grammy-winning rapper, activist, and entrepreneur Killer Mike; trailblazing Executive Vice President and CMO of the Atlanta Hawks and State Farm Arena, Melissa Proctor; Ghanaian-American technologist and entrepreneur Iddris Sandu; and the legendary founder of Virgin Group, Richard Branson.

Those four faces of WAY’s high-profile launch campaign are no strangers to challenging the status quo and forging their own path.

“Just the words ‘Who are you?’ instead of ‘What do you do?’ really appeals to me,” Sir Richard Branson told Complex in an exclusive interview during his recent Canadian visit, when asked why he decided to get involved with the WAY initiative. “I love creating things. I’m known as Dr. Yes by everyone at Virgin because I can’t say no to things. I will dive in and create things if I think it’s not being done well by other people.”

Branson has spent a lifetime doing just that. The maverick British entrepreneur behind the Virgin Group has built an empire spanning everything from music and airlines to space travel—all while maintaining an irreverent, risk-taking spirit that defies convention. With his signature blend of charisma, audacity, and resilience, he is arguably the world’s biggest advocate for unconventional learning, having famously dropped out of school at the age of 15 and started his first business (a magazine called Student) at the age of 16. Branson has turned bold ideas into global brands, inspiring entrepreneurs around the world to dream bigger, take calculated risks, and embrace failure as a stepping stone to success.

Branson’s story proves that business can be both adventurous and deeply human, making him a true icon of modern entrepreneurship, which made him a perfect fit to partner with WAY. An indication of Branson’s alignment with the initiative: It’s the first campaign he’s agreed to be a part of in years.

Branson shared that he is particularly passionate about the WAY initiative because of the high number of people, sometimes as high as 80-90%, who struggle with conventional school. “Should those 90% of people be wasted when they leave school? Obviously the answer is no,” Branson said. “We need to be asking questions. After all, those people need to be encouraged to get satisfaction from life.”

As for what questions you should ask yourself, Branson has a few starting points.

“Maybe the most important question to ask yourself is, am I doing something that is satisfying? Am I doing something that I want to spend the rest of my life doing? Should I be following my dream in life rather than just doing something to make money?” Branson suggested. And then he settled on the perfect starting point: “What is my passion?”

“Fear is often something that stops people from doing the things that they want to do,” Branson shared. “You have to be very brave going down a path that is slightly more risky than the conventional path that you’re on. But the fact that you only live once…it may well be that going down that path may be much more rewarding.”

Branson isn’t the only inspirational voice involved with WAY’s launch campaign. WAY also puts modern entrepreneurship front and center with their other initial campaign heroes, who are helping Branson kick off the campaign: Melissa Proctor, Iddris Sandu, and Killer Mike.

“There’s not one way to a fulfilling career, and that’s what WAY is all about. A lot of people feel like once you’ve made a decision, you’re stuck with it. I don’t believe that to be the case at all. The experiences I’ve had outside of school prepared me for what I do today,” Proctor said. “Success can come from anywhere, good ideas can come from everywhere, and creativity is currency. I hope my story inspires people to know that they can do things they never imagined they could do. Whatever that catalyst is for you, put it in the universe—because you never know who it can impact, or who it can help.”

Education shouldn’t be one-size-fits-all in our evolving world, Sandu argued. “Education isn’t something you go to. It’s something you experience, which we are showing people through WAY. The journey itself is informed by the lessons you take and the challenges you encounter. Institutions, now more than ever, will have to redefine what they think success is, and listen more closely to what people view success as. Success is not metric-based.”

Killer Mike chimed in. “Most people want to change the world but don’t change themselves. Be absolutely stubborn about wanting to see your vision come true because if you don’t treat you well, the world is not going to treat you well. If someone is out there feeling lost, you’re exactly where you need to be. WAY supports that notion and shows people there is more than one road to success.”

Culture can shift movements

The WAY campaign and its website, WAY.org, is getting its big official launch on Friday, May 9, alongside the Weeknd’s “After Hours Til Dawn” tour, which kicks off in Phoenix, Arizona, before making its way across the U.S. and Canada, ending in San Antonio, Texas, on Wednesday, September 3. The stadium tour is being hyped as a “never-before-seen-production” featuring tracks from the Toronto crooner’s latest project Hurry Up Tomorrow as well as hits off After Hours and Dawn FM, and WAY will be along for the ride, offering resources and information.

The WAY promotional video, featuring Branson, Proctor, Sandu, and Killer Mike, will be playing on big screens at every North American tour stop before the Weeknd hits the stage. Fans can also engage with an interactive WAY Station that will be onsite near merchandise stands at every tour stop across the U.S. The video/photo booth activation is free to experience and, like the promotional video, is designed to spark self-reflection as well as offer a little inspiration. Fans will have the opportunity to answer the question: “Who Are You?” and essentially insert themselves directly into the campaign, and they can instantly share their thoughts directly with friends and followers on their own social feeds.

And that launch is just the start: As it powers up, the initiative will continue to add more resources and outreach partners to inform and inspire young visitors.

The partnership between WAY and the “After Hours Til Dawn” tour is a key part of spreading the messaging across the country quickly. The connection not surprising. The Weeknd’s No More Dreams creative team is also the creative team behind the campaign, and the artist has long been an advocate for people forging their own path and unlocking their true potential on their own terms. Hxouse, the Toronto-based incubator designed to nurture and cultivate Canada’s creative class, is a perfect example. The Weeknd founded Hxouse in 2018 with his longtime friend and creative director, La Mar Taylor, and marketer Ahmed Ismail—all self-made natives of Scarborough, Ont., who want to use their connections to nurture and cultivate Canada’s creative class by lending support, financing, and physical space.

Their story is also the story of WAY: They are great examples of people who have taken non-traditional paths and found tremendous success.

“A lot of people look to The Weeknd or La Mar and the creative that comes out of this place [Hxouse] as world class,” Weintraub said. “It’s very aspirational.”

What’s right for you on your own terms

A college degree, once considered the ultimate golden ticket to success, is no longer the non-negotiable it once was—especially for young people today. In a world where tech skills, creativity, and entrepreneurial spirit often trump formal credentials, success stories are increasingly being written outside the ivory tower. While degrees can still open doors in fields like medicine, law, and engineering, many industries now prize experience, innovation, and adaptability over diplomas. In short: A degree can help, but it’s no longer the only path—or even the most exciting one—to building a meaningful, successful career.

As Gen Z demands more paths to career success, WAY is hopeful that it can offer them a space to start a journey of self-discovery that will challenge the status quo and help them forge their own path for unlocking their true potential on their own terms. Young people have, after all, been at the heart of this inquiry into what the future of work could, and should, look like for them.

“This is something that we at Stand Together feel very passionate about, in terms of really shifting the way society is thinking about this,” Weintraub said when discussing the deep level of commitment from both the Stand Together and No More Dreams teams on the entire WAY campaign. “Traditional education doesn’t always work for everybody, and this campaign hopes to help people find their way.”

After all, when you pursue a purposeful career where you can grow, thrive, and contribute to everyone’s success, we all win.

As for what the future of work should look like for you? That’s something you’ll have to ask yourself.