Next Generation Changemakers
Meet the Council's group of inspiring young leaders, driving innovation and meaningful social change to better guide and inform our work.
We believe that empowering and amplifying the voices of young people globally is key to catalyzing change and building a more inclusive, equitable, and sustainable world.
That’s why we are committed to building a vibrant and diverse global community of inspiring young changemakers who are committed to innovative action and impactful social change. Through collaboration and networking, we hope to create a space for connection and learning to amplify their lived experiences, expertise, and impactful solutions. In turn, we hope this will inspire and empower others to act in their own communities.
To help deliver on this promise, we have identified and recruited a network of intersectional and multi-disciplinary thinkers, doers, and communicators in key areas such as climate, equity, culture, foreign policy, and innovation and technology to serve as Next Generation Changemakers to better guide and inform our work.
Meet the Inaugural Cohort
Regional Coordinator, Royal Commonwealth Society
Anoka Abeyrathne is an eco-social entrepreneur, advocate, and currently serves as the regional coordinator of the Royal Commonwealth Society. Known for Mangrove conservation, digital upskilling, nature-based solutions, and regenerative agriculture, she has been a lead negotiator with the British Council for the historic Loss and Damage Fund.
Food Equity Activist & Co-founder, Capsule Media
Christina Adane is a campaigner based in London. She started her journey at Bite Back, where she was co-chair of a youth-led movement fighting for a fairer food system in the UK. She's most known for starting the campaign to extend free school meal provisions during the COVID-19 lockdown, as well as other campaigns around junk food marketing and food equity issues.
Young Leader for the SDGs, Doctor, and Fashion Designer
Dr. Mayada Adil is a young leader in sustainable development goals (SDGs), a medical doctor, fashion designer, climate advocate, and co-founder of the LaLoupeCreative artistic platform. She was recognized by the Secretary-General's Envoy on Youth for her profound work in achieving the Agenda 2030 and advancing and amplifying young voices in human rights, SDGs, and peace and health equity.
Founder, Copia
Komal Ahmad is a changemaker, humanitarian, and entrepreneur. As a young student at UC Berkeley, she founded Copia, a food redistribution and waste reduction technology company that has revolutionized how we combat food waste and eradicate hunger in North America. Her efforts have diverted an impressive six million pounds of food from landfills, providing over seven million meals to those in need.
Founder & Chief Executive Officer, AGREA
Cherrie Atilano, a Filipino social entrepreneur, heads her own company AGREA: an innovative and inclusive agri-business that is founded on sustainable agriculture, fair trade, and a replicable model of an agri-based economy. She is an influencer for Filipino farmers and was recognized by the UN and the World Economic Forum for her work towards achieving sustainable development goals (SDGs).
Co-founder, Jóvenes Por El Clima (Youth for Climate)
Nicole "Nicki" Becker is an Argentine climate activist and cofounder of Jóvenes Por El Clima (Youth for Climate), a youth-led social and political movement working to combat the climate crisis. She's been recognized by the Argentine Congress for her climate advocacy and named one of the seven most influential women by the newspaper Infobae.
Human Rights Activist
Jamira Burley is a human rights activist and social impact strategist focused on the intersection of community, policy, and philanthropy. For over 17 years, she has worked across the United States and in more than 30 countries, partnering with businesses, governments, and youth leaders to drive equitable change rooted in the experiences of those directly affected.
Professor for China and Asia-Pacific Studies, Department of Government, Cornell University
Jessica Chen Weiss is the Michael J. Zak Professor for China and Asia-Pacific Studies in the Department of Government at Cornell University. Previously, she served as senior advisor to the secretary's policy planning staff at the US State Department on a Council on Foreign Relations fellowship for Tenured International Relations Scholars (IAF-TIRS).
Climate Activist
At 19, Nalleli Cobo led a grassroots campaign that successfully shut down a toxic oil drilling site in her community, which had caused serious health problems for her and others. Her advocacy led to major policy changes, including unanimous votes by the Los Angeles City Council and County Board of Supervisors to ban new oil drilling and phase out existing sites.
Founding Member, Latin American Coalition for Clean Air
Alejandro Daly is the former president of the board at El Derecho a No Obedecer, Colombia's largest youth-led non-profit, where he worked to develop social advocacy around air pollution, climate justice, and refugee rights. As a founding member of the Latin American Coalition for Clean Air, his purpose is to promote climate justice and the right to a healthy environment for young people.
Managing Director, Asia Society Policy Institute and Senior Fellow, Center for China Analysis
Rorry Daniels is the managing director of the Asia Society Policy Institute (ASPI), where she leads and oversees strategy and operations for projects on security, climate change, and trade throughout Asia. Her research encompasses US-China diplomacy and its regional implications, Taiwan and cross-Taiwan Strait relations, and strategies for dealing with North Korea.
Korean Studies Fellow, Asia Program, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
Dr. Darcie Draudt is a postdoctoral research associate at the Princeton School of Public and International Affairs and a fellow for Korean studies in the Asia Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. A political scientist and policy analyst, she publishes research and commentary on Northeast Asian relations and United States foreign policy.
Research Fellow, Clingendael Institute
Niels Drost is a research fellow at the EU & Global Affairs Unit and the Russia & Eastern Europe Centre (CREEC) of the Clingendael Institute. His research revolves primarily around contemporary politics and security issues in Russia, Eastern Europe, the Caucasus, and Central Asia.
Climate Activist
Ilyess El Kortbi is a Ukrainian climate justice activist and a public figure in human rights protection, environmental conservation, and climate change mitigation. As a key member of the youth climate movement, a peace campaigner, and one of the co-founders of Fridays for Future Ukraine, they challenged world leaders' interests by speaking at the G7 Leaders Summit.
Assistant Political Science Professor, University of Richmond
Dana El Kurd is a political scientist specializing in comparative politics and international relations in the Arab world, with a focus on how authoritarianism persists and how societies push back against it. Her work has appeared in journals like Global Studies Quarterly and PS: Political Science & Politics, and she's currently exploring how the issue of Palestine shapes the global order.
Founder, REES Africa
Deborah Fadeyi is an accomplished energy and sustainability professional with a decade of cross-disciplinary experience. She founded REES Africa, a non-profit providing energy access to Nigeria's most vulnerable and remote rural communities. She works as the chief sustainability officer at Mottainai Recycling, Oyo State Waste Management, holding the position of the youngest C-level executive.
Founder & Executive Director, Black Girl Environmentalist
Wawa Gatheru is a GenZ environmental justice advocate and Rhodes Scholar passionate about cultivating a climate movement made in the image of all of us. She is the founder and executive director of Black Girl Environmentalist, the largest national community dedicated to empowering Black girls, women, and non-binary people in the climate movement.
Chief Executive Officer, IGNITE
Sara Guillermo is the CEO of IGNITE, bringing over 15 years of experience helping young women break into America’s political landscape to become leaders within their communities and beyond. Under her leadership, IGNITE was recognized with a $4 million award by the Equality Can’t Wait Challenge for its bold ideas to expand women’s power and influence in the United States by the year 2030.
EU Youth Delegate, United Nations
Nadia Gullestrup Christensen is the EU youth delegate to the United Nations for the 77th session of the UN General Assembly. She's also the chair of the Danish Youth Climate Council, where she advises Denmark’s Minister of Climate and Energy. In this role, she works to build a global alliance of youth climate councils and promotes local engagement by establishing similar councils across Denmark.
Co-founder, Hello Tractor
Martha Haile is a seasoned startup executive and food systems venture builder with a strong background in the agricultural technology sector. With nearly a decade of experience in Kenya and Nigeria, she has played key leadership roles in top ag-tech startups operating across Africa, including Hello Tractor and Wefarm.
Founder, Queer Brown Vegan
Isaias Hernandez created the digital media platform Queer Brown Vegan to produce independent communication videos on the climate crisis while building events to bring people together. As Hernandez witnessed the ways pollution affected his health and community, he turned his frustrations into a solution: creating environmental education that would prioritize accessibility and intersectionality.
Assistant Professor of Public Policy and the Environment, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill
Angel Hsu is also the founder and director of the Data-Driven EnviroLab, an interdisciplinary research group that applies data-driven approaches to environmental issues. She was a contributing author to the IPCC Sixth Assessment Report and a report released by the National Academy of Sciences on greenhouse gas emissions information necessary for decision-making.
Founder & Chief Executive Officer, Chayn
Hera Hussain is the founder and CEO of Chayn, a global nonprofit that creates resources on the web to address gender-based violence. Chayn’s multilingual resources have reached more than 500,000 people from all around the globe. She believes in using the power of open-source technology, trauma-informed design, and hope-filled framing to solve the world's pressing issues.
Social Entrepreneur & Public Speaker
Lina Tori Jan is a social entrepreneur, public speaker, and advocate for equality and human rights, with a focus on women, girls, and refugees. She currently leads Georgetown University’s Onward for Afghan Women initiative, which supports and amplifies the work of Afghan women leaders by providing opportunities for continued advocacy.
Computational Scientist & Entrepreneur
Aurélie Jean is the chief AI officer and cofounder of an AI deep tech startup on early detection of breast cancer. She's been working for over 15 years as a research scientist and an entrepreneur in computational sciences, as applied to engineering, medicine, education, economy, finance, and journalism. Previously, Jean worked at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and at Bloomberg.
Writer & Community Organizer
Hoda Katebi is the founding member of Blue Tin Production, an apparel manufacturing workers co-operative run by women of color; a national lead with Believers Bail Out, a bail fund using Zakat to bail Muslims from immigration incarceration; and is currently building a community space in Chicago in collaboration with Black and brown youth organizers called 63rd House.
Africa Director and Special Advisor, UN High-Level Climate Champions Team
Bogolo J. Kenewendo is a global economist and strategic advisor who has served as the Cabinet Minister of Investment, Trade, and Industry and a specially elected member of Parliament in Botswana. In her current role as Africa director and special advisor of the UN High-Level Climate Champions team, she leads efforts on climate action as a catalyst for development in Africa and the Global South.
Founder & Executive Director, Climate Cardinals
Sophia Kianni is an Iranian-American social entrepreneur and activist studying at Stanford University. She is the founder and executive director of Climate Cardinals, the world’s largest youth-led climate nonprofit. She's served on boards and advisory councils for the New York Times and World Economic Forum, among others, and is the youngest UN board member and advisor in US history.
Founder, EmpoderaClima
Renata Koch Alvarenga is a prominent youth advocate for gender and climate justice. At 22, she founded EmpoderaClima, a youth-led organization based in Brazil that promotes women's empowerment in climate decision-making and advocates for girls' education and climate action in the Global South, particularly in Latin America and the Caribbean.
Indian Ocean Regional Director, French NGO People Power Inclusion
Marie Christina Kolo is a climate activist, social entrepreneur, and ecofeminist from Madagascar. In her current role, Kolo focuses on economic and financial inclusion of the most vulnerable through the green/blue economy. Her social business, Green N Kool, is a model in the circular economy and the leader of the national platform on gender and climate justice.
Founder, Sustainable & Just Future
As the founder of Sustainable & Just Future, a youth-led nonprofit making environmental education accessible, Sage Lenier advocates for an education system that prepares Gen Z for a climate-changed future. While she was a student at the University of California, Berkeley, Lenier designed the Solutions for a Sustainable & Just Future course, which has since enrolled over 1,800 students.
Founder, The Hungry Lab
Bian Li is a renowned futurist, educationist, and celebrated thought leader in transforming the future of work and education. As the visionary founder of The Hungry Lab, she spearheads innovation in sustainability-focused startups, dynamically reshaping the requisite ecosystems for their evolution and growth.
Chef and Owner, Uptowne Cafe and Bakery
Adrian Lipscombe advocates for fostering connections between local farmers and ranchers with chefs, promoting opportunities for all. Through her restaurant—Uptowne Café in La Crosse, WI—she weaves her Southern upbringing, Midwest ingredients, and African-American heritage, creating a unique culinary experience.
Master's Candidate, Economic and Social History, University of Oxford
Ilina Logani is a 2023 US Rhodes Scholar pursuing a master's degree in economics and social history at the University of Oxford. She's worked as a research fellow under Washington's Lieutenant Governor to study the state's affordable housing crisis, and researched income inequality and homelessness as a pre-doctoral research fellow at the University of Chicago’s Harris School of Public Policy.
Founder, ClimateInColour
Joycelyn Longdon's research centers on the design of justice-led conservation technologies for monitoring biodiversity with local forest communities in Ghana. She's also the founder of ClimateInColour, an online education platform and community for the climate curious at the intersection of climate justice, climate technology, and biodiversity conservation.
Founder, Journey Foods
Riana Lynn is a scientist, public speaker, AI patent holder, and author. She focuses her efforts on building companies that solve science and supply chain problems. Currently, she's an angel investor and creative director, and was formerly a Google Entrepreneur in Residence. Lynn has been featured in USA Today, MIT 35 under 35, and serves as a World Economic Forum Tech Pioneer.
Educator & Community Builder
After realizing her career was no longer a marker of success, Hillarie Maddox left the tech industry to pursue writing and entrepreneurship. Her current focus is community research for modern farmers/homesteaders, and she has spent over 12 years building executive-level learning programs for some of the biggest companies in the world.
China Research Fellow, Clingendael Institute
Xiaoxue Martin holds a research MA in Asian studies and an MA in international relations from Leiden University. She joined the independent think tank Clingendael as a research fellow for the China Centre and the strategic initiatives and outreach unit. Her work focuses mainly on Hong Kong and Taiwan affairs, and China’s relations with the US and the EU.
Disability Justice Activist
Isabel Mavrides-Calderon is a Latina disability justice activist and organizer. She has hosted numerous campaigns and protests for disability rights bills with the ACLU, Patients Rising, and the Center for Disability Rights. She was one of the leaders of a successful campaign to take down CVS vs. DOE, a Supreme Court case that threatened to gut the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Research Fellow, Department of War Studies, King's College London
Dr. Jade McGlynn is the author of two books, Russia's War (Polity) and Memory Makers: The Politics of the Past in Putin's Russia (Bloomsbury). Her research focuses on Russian state-society relations, memory politics, propaganda, and Russia's war on Ukraine since 2014. Her expert commentary on all things Russia has been featured in many media outlets, from CNN to the New York Times.
Alaa Murabit
Founder, Voice of Libyan Women
Dr. Alaa Murabit founded Voice of Libyan Women at age 21 in 2011. Her leadership in peacebuilding and bringing coalitions of faith actors together to challenge the suppression of women's rights perpetuated by religious text interpretations, particularly in conflict and fragile settings, was cited as a “turning point in women’s rights globally” by Human Rights Watch.
Chief Executive Officer, Asylum Access
Sana Ali Mustafa is a feminist human rights activist and movement leader fighting against oppression in Syria and around the world. She's the CEO of Asylum Access, where she leads the organization’s work on refugee rights and refugee leadership, and is the first and only female CEO of an international refugee rights organization with lived experience of forced displacement.
Technology Researcher
Nadea Nabilla has a range of experience, from a software engineering consultant at Multi-National Company (MNC) to a beauty pageant runner-up, focusing on ocean issues. With her recent project at Azura Indonesia called Manta One, she keenly aspires to support sustainable fishing in the coastal fishermen community within Indonesia.
Executive Director, Obodo
With a background in LGBTQ+ advocacy, art curation, and community building, Matthew Nwozaku's work has left an indelible mark on young people around the world. As the executive director at Obodo, a youth-led non-profit furthering the normalization of queer experiences in Nigeria, Nwozaku has spearheaded impactful campaigns and community-driven initiatives that bridge the gap between art, technology, and philanthropy.
Founder & Chief Executive Officer, Hello Tractor
Jehiel Oliver is the founder and CEO of Hello Tractor, a technology company that connects tractor owners with smallholder farmers in need of services. He's received numerous awards for his work in social entrepreneurship, and he was appointed under the Obama administration as a member of the President’s Advisory Council on Doing Business in Africa, where he chaired the technology subcommittee.
Philanthropy Chair, Lilly Family School of Philanthropy, Indiana University
Dr. Una Osili is the Efroymson chair in philanthropy at the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy at Indiana University. She's also the associate dean of research and international programs at the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy, the world’s first school of its kind. She also leads the research and publication of the Global Philanthropy Tracker and the Global Philanthropy Environment Index.
Co-founder and Advocacy Director, Undi18
Tharma Pillai is the co-founder and advocacy director of Undi18, a youth movement that advocated for the lowering of the voting age in Malaysia from 21 to 18 years old. The constitutional amendment received unanimous votes in Parliament – the first time it happened in the country's history. The bill has enfranchised an additional 5.8 million voters, transforming the Malaysian political landscape.
Founder & Chief Executive Officer, Oaxacanita Chocolate
Germán Santillán Ugarte is a social entrepreneur and cultural chocolatier working towards a more inclusive and just future through the recognition of the importance of indigenous cultures. He is the founder and CEO of Oaxacanita Chocolate, the first Mexican social chocolate company to be recognized internationally for its social impact.
Founder, Slow Factory
Céline Semaan a Lebanese-Canadian designer, writer, speaker, mother, and advocate working at the intersection of environmental and social justice. She founded Slow Factory, a 501c3 addressing the intersecting crises of climate justice and social inequity — filling the gap for climate adaptation and preparedness, building community through open education, narrative change, and regenerative design.
Founder, Tuesdays for Trash
Sharona Shnayder is a Nigerian-Israeli environmental activist, National Geographic Young Explorer, chairwoman of the social justice nonprofit OurstreetsPDX, and founder of the global grassroots movement Tuesdays for Trash, which has brought people from over 40 countries together to remove over 38,000 pounds of litter from our environment on six continents.
Climate Justice Activist
Mitzi Jonelle Tan is a full-time climate justice activist based in the Philippines. She is the international spokesperson of Youth Advocates for Climate Action Philippines (YACAP) and a steering committee member of the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty and the Youth Climate Justice Fund, and an organizer with FFF MAPA (Most Affected Peoples and Areas).
Found & Chief Executive Officer, Feminist Foreign Policy Collaborative
At the Feminist Foreign Policy Collaborative, Lyric Thompson leads the development and execution of strategy, helps form evidence-based policy recommendations, and convenes critical conversations that foster learning and innovation in this growing field. Throughout her career, she's advocated for women’s rights issues at the United Nations, G7/G20, White House, and USAID, among others.
Senior Fellow, Middle East Institute (MEI)
Dr. Gönül Tol is the founding director of the Middle East Institute’s Turkey program, a senior fellow with the Black Sea Program, a frequent media commentator, and the author of Erdogan's War: A Strongman's Struggle at Home and in Syria. She's taught courses on Turkey, Islamist movements, world politics, and the Middle East at George Washington University and the National Defense University.
Professional Chef
Rōze Traore is a chef, media personality, and entrepreneur who has made it his mission to help those of every socio-economic background, working to bring the pleasures of eating fresh, beautiful food to communities facing food insecurity. He is the creator of unique dining experiences for iconic brands such as the New York Times, Veuve Clicquot, AMEX, and Louis Vuitton.
Co-founder & Chief Executive Officer, Glass Half Full
While at Tulane University, Franziska Trautmann co-founded Glass Half Full, whose mission is to recycle glass into sand for coastal restoration, disaster relief, and more. After graduating with honors in chemical engineering, she continued to pursue Glass Half Full full-time. She now serves as the CEO, forging new partnerships, expanding operations, and leading coastal restoration efforts.
Founder, SustyVibes
Jennifer Uchendu is a climate activist and founder of SustyVibes, a youth-led organization guiding sustainability advocacy and implementation in Nigeria. Recently, her work has focused on the intersection of climate change and mental health, where she is exploring safeguarding and support systems for Africans through research, advocacy, and community action.
Chief Executive Officer, Agrosmart
Mariana Vasconcelos is a climate activist and an expert in digital agriculture, currently serving as the CEO of Agrosmart, a technology pioneer alumnus of the World Economic Forum (WEF). She's also an advisory board member at Thought For Food and Fundação Espaço ECO, among others, and she was named one of the most influential people in Latin America by Bloomberg Linea.
Physician, Conservation International
Dr. Neil Vora is a physician with the environmental nonprofit Conservation International, where he leads the organization's efforts on pandemic prevention. Previously, he served with the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), leading an investigation in the country of Georgia concerning a newly discovered poxvirus.
Founder & Chief Executive Officer, World Honey Exchange
Brian Woerner is the Boston-based founder and CEO of World Honey Exchange (WHE), an organization that works on bridging beekeeping groups and cooperatives around the world with new marketplaces. He was a Young Leaders of the Americas Initiative reverse exchange fellow (Colombia), a Foreign Language and Area Studies fellow (Swahili), and a Peace Corps volunteer (Guinea and Mali).
Director, CIRCLE at Stanford Psychiatry
Dr. Britt Wray is the director of the chair’s special initiative on climate change and mental health in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Stanford Medicine. She is the author of two books, the most recent being Generation Dread: Finding Purpose in an Age of Climate Crisis, which is an impassioned generational perspective on how to stay sane amid the climate emergency.
For Questions, Contact
Tria Raimundo
Vice President, Programming & Strategic Content
Contact
Send a Message or Question