Erifili Gounari

Erifili Gounari is a Gen Z strategist, keynote speaker and author who specialises in helping organisations understand, engage and retain younger audiences in an evolving digital landscape. As Founder and CEO of The Z Link, a Gen Z-led marketing agency celebrating six years in business, she has partnered with major brands including IKEA, Pepsi, Deloitte, MINISO UK and the United Nations to develop authentic connections through tailored strategy and content. Named in Forbes 30 Under 30 and recognised as a LinkedIn Top Voice, she is also the author of the bestselling book Design Your Life: Your Career, Your Way. Her keynotes equip business leaders and marketers with practical strategies to meaningfully connect with Gen Z across social media and the workplace, whilst inspiring young professionals to build careers aligned with their values.

At 25, Erifili Gounari founded The Z Link from her university bedroom as a side project, transforming what began as a creative experiment into a thriving Gen Z-led marketing agency now celebrating six years in business. What started as curiosity about how her generation engaged with brands has evolved into a full-time career working with major organisations including IKEA, Pepsi, Deloitte, MINISO UK and the United Nations. Her agency develops tailored strategy, content and research that helps global brands authentically connect with younger audiences, recently achieving visible success with MINISO UK's social media presence across Instagram and TikTok, including content featured on Oxford Street. This hands-on approach to building meaningful engagement has positioned her as a trusted voice on Gen Z behaviours, digital culture and the evolving nature of modern careers.

Named in Forbes 30 Under 30 and recognised as a LinkedIn Top Voice, Erifili has built her reputation on clear, engaging commentary grounded in real-world practice rather than theory alone. Her bestselling book, Design Your Life: Your Career, Your Way, offers practical guidance for young professionals seeking to break away from traditional career paths and build work that reflects their values and ambitions. As a keynote speaker, she has delivered talks at leading events including Global Entrepreneurship Week, Google Cloud for Startups, TechBBQ, Youth Marketing Summit, Ad Age Next Gen, The Drum LIVE and the UN Youth Knowledge Forum. Her most popular presentation focuses on understanding, engaging and retaining Gen Z, addressing both how brands can meaningfully connect with this generation on social media and how organisations can successfully collaborate with them in the workplace. Looking ahead to 2026 and 2027, she continues to expand her expertise, with plans to focus on creative direction and online learning as natural extensions of her work.

Erifili's talks resonate with business leaders, marketers and young professionals alike because they translate cultural shifts into actionable strategies. Audiences leave her sessions with practical tools for navigating a fast-changing digital landscape, whether they're looking to refine their marketing approach, build more inclusive workplaces or design careers aligned with personal purpose. Her ability to connect where culture, content and commerce intersect makes her particularly valuable for organisations seeking to remain relevant and forward-facing in a world increasingly shaped by the next generation. She helps audiences move beyond assumptions about Gen Z towards genuine understanding, offering fresh thinking rooted in lived experience and measurable results that create lasting impact.