ITALY | Education
After working for several years in trading in London, she founded the social impact startup Fibi with the goal of helping women to be financially independent and to reduce the financial gender gap. Alberta holds a Bachelor Degree in Economics from University of Rome Tor Vergata and a MSc in Economics from Bocconi University in Milan. She loves boxing, martial arts and yoga, as well as traveling and discovering different cultures and corners of the world.

MEXICO | Legal/Justice
Alejandra Traslosheros Reyes is a project manager and social impact strategist currently serving Climate Skills portfolio for Mexico and Brazil at the British Council. She works closely with grantees across Chiapas (Mexico), and supports grantees in Brazil, to deliver measurable, sustainable outcomes.

Alejandra holds a Master's degree in Comparative Politics from the London School of Economics, where she earned the MSc Award for Best Dissertation. She brings over seven years of diverse experience across the politics and nonprofit sectors, having successfully led grant writing efforts, fundraising strategies, institutional development, and digital outreach campaigns. Her work spans from managing complex grant portfolios to mentoring young civic leaders and designing innovative programs. She served on the Board of United World College Mexico and currently serves as vice-president of the LSE Mexican Alumni Association.

She enjoys three big loves: forests, her pets (Peggy, Chuquito and Chobby), and a high-quality bar of chocolate

FRANCE | Legal/Justice
Aurora Pinelli holds a double degree in European Social and Political Studies from Sciences Po Paris and University College London. She is currently completing a joint law degree between Columbia Law School, Sciences Po Paris, and Université Paris-Sorbonne, specializing in transnational crime, war crimes, and international law.
Originally from Sicily, Aurora was shaped by a region marked by migration flows, systemic inequalities, and the legacy of organized crime. These early experiences instilled in her a deep commitment to justice, equality, and the rule of law.
She co-founded the Next Chapter Project under the United Nations Millennium Fellowship Class of 2021, fostering intercultural dialogue between migrants, refugees, and local communities in Palermo and London. She later worked on transitional justice, conflict-related sexual violence, and genocide prevention at the Post-Conflict Research Center in Sarajevo. Her undergraduate thesis on “Genocide Denial and Justifications of Free Speech Restrictions” was awarded and published by the Global Undergraduate Awards in 2022.
Aurora gained legal experience in white-collar crime at A&O Shearman, where she was awarded the firm’s Excellence Scholarship for Equal Opportunities. The scholarship supported her legal studies and the founding of Legal Change, an NGO promoting equity in the legal profession. At Columbia Law School’s Human Rights Institute, she contributed to the Clooney Foundation’s TrialWatch project and conducted research on sexual violence against the Rohingya in Myanmar.
She is currently interning at WJ Avocats, a boutique firm specializing in international sanctions, INTERPOL matters, and cross-border criminal litigation.

Aurora represented Italy at the Fora Global Summit in Toronto and contributed recommendations at the Commission on the Status of Women in 2023. In 2025, she returned as a youth delegate to CSW69 at the UN in New York.

A strong advocate for justice through an intersectional lens, Aurora aspires to become an international lawyer advancing global justice.

CHINA | Health/Reproductive Health
Born into a literary family in Beijing, Charlie grew up self-driven academically and showed curiosity and talents in languages and cultures. She started reading writing and practicing calligraphy at age 3 and started publishing poems and novels on magazines regularly since 6. Shortlisted for Youth Olympics, she contended at the Pierre de Coubertin Youth Forum and was awarded “the Pierre de Coubertin Medal for Youth” for intellectual contribution and sports performance by the IOC. She became known nation wide when she ranked number one in Chinese national college entrance exam, also known as gaokao. As she toured around the country giving speeches and advice to students of various age groups, she also developed deep interest in women and children rights. In her works as a painter, writer and art consultant, she relentlessly addresses gender issues. She was one of the national representatives and a speaker on “Women and media” panel at HPAIR conference 2013’, and the national representative of China at G20 2014’ in Sydney presenting a communique drafted by fellow 20-year-old female delegates from other G20 countries to world leaders. She is on the organizing and advisory panel for Greater Bay Area Global Talents Summit in Macau which aims to bridge regional young talents to the world.

Having spent a year in psychology research labs and giving lecturers at HKU, she stepped out of the academia world embracing her passion for art and business. After a wealth management role at AIA, she proceeded to lead APAC strategy department for European supply chain company Geodis under SNCF, being mentored and working under renowned European economist Luca Silipo. The in-depth knowledge in logistics and time spent working for fashion and art centers led her to start her own firm Fame Concept HK Ltd., sourcing rare fabrics from Middle East and India Pakistan for Chinese fashion market, and acted as agent for art galleries in Greater China Region.

During Covid, she facilitated government PPE procurement deals, specifically for Sichuan and Guizhou provinces, sourced ventilators for various embassies in Beijing and foreign government entities, worked with Italian embassy and supplied hospitals and schools in Milan and Rome in their critical times. Her last two years’ work is focused on making Aiooki a smarter platform that makes real estate investment easier and accessible to more. Moving forward, she hopes to dive deeper into the AI movement, use her voice and creation to make more positive impact making people feel genuinely connected in this digitally hyped yet often spiritually isolated era.

AUSTRALIA | Culture and Recreation
Through every endeavour, Clara remains dedicated to amplifying youth voices, building inclusive movements, and bridging local action with global impact to shape a more just and equitable world.

ROMANIA | Health
Cristina is a Romanian social entrepreneur and strategy consultant passionate about gender equity, education, and inclusive leadership.

She studied Economics at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania on a scholarship and later earned a master's in Global Affairs as a Schwarzman Scholar at Tsinghua University, where she researched female leadership in China.

She currently works as a Senior Associate Consultant at Bain & Company in London and is the founder of FeminEast, a nonprofit that promotes financial literacy among women and minorities in Eastern Europe. Since launching, FeminEast has reached over 2,000 people through school programs, workshops, and digital resources, and partnered with institutions like the National Bank of Romania.

Cristina's work bridges grassroots impact and global strategy, driven by her belief that financial education is key to unlocking long-term gender equality and economic resilience.

BOLIVIA | Environment and Climate Change
Dayana Blanco Quiroga is an Indigenous Aymara environmental activist from Oruro, Bolivia, known for her powerful leadership in restoring the polluted Uru Uru Lake. As the first professional woman in her family, Dayana combines traditional Aymara ecological knowledge with innovative, nature-based solutions to combat the devastating effects of mining, plastic pollution, and climate change.

She co-founded the Uru Uru Team, mobilizing communities to build floating gardens from recycled materials and reintroduce native plants like totora to heal the lake’s ecosystem. As Coordinator of the Uru Uru Team, she also advocates for Indigenous women’s rights and climate resilience in highland communities. With a deep spiritual connection to the land and unwavering commitment to justice, Dayana stands at the forefront of grassroots environmental leadership in Bolivia, inspiring global conversations about sustainability, gender equity, and Indigenous knowledge.

NIGERIA | Health/Reproductive Health
Deborah Oludimu is a Feminist, Women’s Health Advocate, a communications expert and a Law Student. At 18, she founded A Pad for Her, an organization dedicated to addressing period poverty in Nigeria.

Since its establishment in December 2021, Deborah has led efforts to provide menstrual health solutions that impact more than 12,000 girls and preventing 4,000 girls from missing school through Pad Bank projects. She is passionate gender equality, especially in women’s health, and has partnered with public and private organizations to advocate for menstrual health awareness.

EU | Research
These achievements have led her to earn the Greek International Women Award and the Education Leader Award. Forbes also included her in the Forbes 30Under30 Greek List for 2019.

TURKEY | Education
Ece believes that a better world can only be achieved with civil society participation and active citizenship. She has worked as an advocate for children’s access to quality education and for young people’s social cohesion and representation under the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

She is the founder and chairwoman of the SosyalBen Foundation, launched in Istanbul, headquarters in Brussels which has since expanded its operations to 11 countries and has reached more than 65.000 children with its programs to provide access the quality education. She launched SosyalBen Foundation when she was 14, she has been working with more than 15000 active young volunteers for over 17 years. The foundation empowers economically disadvantaged children through extracurricular activities and workshops. She advocates inside and outside international institutions for children’s rights and youth empowerment. 2024 April, she was elected as the youngest Standing Committee Member of the Committee of INGOs in the Council of Europe and she is currently pursuing a phd in cultural anthropology.

AFGHANISTAN | Education
Aside from her academic and leadership interests, Fatima enjoys writing and photography, putting the two together in reflective photo essays whenever possible. She is a work in progress as a changemaker committed to making a more educated and inclusive tomorrow.

USA | Environment/Climate Change
Hailey Campbell is a climate and gender justice advocate, educator, and advisor. As the Executive Director of Care About Climate, Hailey delivers capacity building projects to break barriers for young people to engage in climate policy spaces and activate their voices to safeguard our planet for generations to come.

Armed with an Masters in Sustainability Solutions, Hailey was recognized as the Bloom's Top 30 Under 30 2024 for her efforts to bridge the gap between intergenerational, gender, and climate justice through the NDC Equity Tracker, a program that trains young feminists to engage with National Climate Commitments. She has served in several leadership and fellowship roles, including as a UNICEF Climate Fellow, Clinton Global Initiative Fellow, and Fora Network for Global Change Ambassador.

Prior to her work as a Climate Policy Advisor, Hailey served as Climate Adaptation Specialist for the City and County of Honolulu, where she delivered urban planning and community-led adaptations solutions.

TURKEY | Health/Reproductive Health
Dr. İlayda Eskitaşcıoğlu is an award-winning feminist human rights lawyer, attorney-at-law, menstrual justice activist, and children's book author. She holds a Ph.D. in public international law from Koç University in Istanbul, where she researched the human rights responsibilities of multinational corporations. She is currently a postdoctoral researcher and affiliated scholar at the Koç University UNESCO Chair for Gender Equality and Sustainable Development.

İlayda is the president and co-founder of We Need to Talk Association (Konuşmamız Gerek), a youth-led feminist NGO established in 2016 to fight against period poverty and menstruation stigma in Türkiye. The organization provides sanitary products and menstrual care support to three vulnerable target groups: seasonal agricultural workers, the Syrian refugee community, and pre-teens attending school in remote rural areas. Through its programming, the NGO sparks honest and open conversations about menstruation, works to dismantle taboos, and advocates against the unjust taxation of menstrual products in Türkiye and the Middle East.

Her international recognition includes being selected as one of Turkey’s Changemakers in 2020, a member of the Generation Equality Youth Task Force led by UN Women, and one of the 17 United Nations Young Leaders for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). İlayda has also supported the UN Women Europe and Central Asia Regional Office as an international consultant on youth engagement.

Her academic and advocacy interests lie at the intersection of gender equality, business and human rights, women’s sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR), climate justice, child labour, and international human rights law.

İlayda continues to amplify the voices of young feminists and marginalized communities through her legal, scholarly, and grassroots work—committed to creating inclusive, just, and period-positive societies.

MORROCO/GLOBAL | Health/Reproductive Health
Imane Lakbachi is an Indigenous youth and gender equality advocate from Morocco, with a strong academic and professional background in technology and computer science. She currently serves as the Director of Network Engagement at the International Youth Alliance for Family Planning (IYAFP), a global network of young human rights defenders advancing sexual and reproductive health, rights, and justice (SRHRJ).

In addition to her role at IYAFP, Imane is the Focal Point for the Digital Transformations for Health Lab (DTH-Lab) at the World Health Organization Youth Council. She is also the Founder of Concealed Narratives, a youth-led initiative that leverages digital advocacy and storytelling to spotlight issues affecting women and girls. Imane further contributes her expertise as a Board Member at PMNCH, a Youth Advisory Board Member at NATO, and a Youth Reference Committee Member at the African Union Office of the Youth Envoy.

Imane is an alumna of several prestigious programmes, including the U.S. Department of State’s Community Engagement Exchange Programme, the Women Deliver Young Leaders Programme, the Fora Network for Change Global Summit, Giving Tuesday’s Starling Collective Fellowship, the Swedish Institute Leader Lab Program, and the Transform Norms Fellowship. In recognition of her contributions to youth leadership and advocacy, she was honored with the Diana Award in 2022.

She is deeply passionate about sustainable development, and collaborates with international NGOs, civil society organizations, and philanthropic foundations to promote meaningful adolescent and youth engagement in global policy processes and key development issues.

GREECE | Legal/Justice
I am an activist and founder working at the intersection of health, gender equity, and education. My work has consistently centered on mission-driven initiatives. At Columbia University, I conducted and published research on the economic impact of period poverty, which led to founding It's Just Period - the only non - profit that advocates for the elimination of the period tax in my home country, Greece. We work to advance menstrual equity through research, policy advocacy, and nationwide awareness campaigns.

Beginning in May 2025, I will serve as Chief of Staff at
Puberry, a B2B SaaS platform revolutionizing youth health education through gamified, MD-verified content for K–12 students. Previously, I was an
Impact Investing Analyst at a pre-seed impact fund, supporting frontier tech startups addressing basic human needs.

I have represented Greece at the Fora Network for Change in Toronto, Columbia University at the Clinton Global Initiative, and speaking at the Delphi Economic Forum - Greece's premier policy gathering, alongside national leaders. Psychology graduate from Panteion University with a Master’s in Public Policy & Human Rights from Columbia University, currently based in New York since 2022.

I'm passionate about driving systemic change through policy, entrepreneurship, and investment, and deeply believe in the power of local action supported by a global network to create lasting impact in the lives of women and marginalized communities.

PERU | Education
Jacqueline St. Laurent is a Peruvian lawyer specializing in International Human Rights Law, currently pursuing a Master of Laws (LL.M.) Degree at Georgetown University Law Center.

Her work is shaped by Latin America's human rights challenges, particularly in Peru, where she has worked as Technical Secretariat of the Ethics Tribunal of the Peruvian Press Council. She has focused her legal practice and research on freedom of expression, combating violence against women and advocating for systemic change through legal and policy reforms.

Now, she interns at the Inter-American Commission of Human Rights and is a Research Assistant at the O'Neill Institute in Washington D.C.

ZIMBABWE | Education
Juliana Kudzai Makonise is a purpose-driven leader from Zimbabwe with a strong commitment to advancing education equity, economic equity, and youth empowerment on a global scale. She is currently studying Quantitative Economics, Government, and Global Finance at Smith College in Massachusetts.

Juliana is committed to developing innovative and sustainable solutions to global challenges. In 2021 she gained international recognition for winning the World Bank’s Blog4Dev essay competition for Zimbabwe, demonstrating her passion for inclusive development and economic equity. She was further named one of the Top 5 global essay winners in the “Moving Beyond GDP” essay contest led by UNCTAD, Rethinking Economics, and the Beyond Lab in 2024.

As a global leader and public speaker, Juliana has spoken at high-level conferences in Geneva and New York. She was formerly named as one of six momentous voices at the 75th session of the UNGA, alongside renowned UN delegates and Heads of State. Through her podcast, “On the Spot with Juliana”, she shares insights on topics such as leadership and entrepreneurship, amplifying voices of underrepresented groups.

Juliana’s work reflects a strong belief in the power of inclusive and community-driven solutions. She actively advises organizations on meaningful youth engagement and continues to use her voice to inspire, educate, and advocate for positive change. Juliana has positioned herself as a voice for transformative social change and is committed to empowering the most vulnerable groups in society.

MEXICO | Education
Julieta Zacatenco is a political scientist and organizational development professional deeply committed to social justice, gender equity, and the transformation of civil society. With over four years of experience in the sector at local, regional, and global levels, her work bridges project design, movement building, and institutional strengthening through feminist, antiracist, and decolonial lenses.

Her work is rooted in a deep belief in the power of communities to create lasting change. She is passionate about widening access to tools, resources, and decision-making spaces that have historically been denied to marginalized groups—especially youth, women, and gender-diverse people.

Julieta believes that by decolonizing knowledge and rethinking how power operates in civil society and philanthropy, more inclusive, transformative, and sustainable alternatives can emerge.
Currently, Julieta collaborates with La Sobremesa, a global consultancy supporting civil society organizations through strategic planning, sustainability, and donor engagement.

She has worked with organizations such as Fondo Semillas (Mexico) and Greenpeace (International). She also co-leads Diálogos Intergeneracionales, a national initiative in Mexico that brings together over 70 organizations and collectives to reimagine and reshape the civil society sector through participatory, intergenerational, and locally rooted processes.

Julieta’s commitment to education and community is reflected in her experience as an English teacher at Telpochcalli Communitarian Elementary School, where she supports children and youth through education and mentoring as tools to transform power structures and expand opportunities for marginalized youth from a framework of dignity, care, and interconnection.

She has held leadership roles in global advocacy spaces, including as Chair of the Board at the Youth Coalition for Sexual and Reproductive Rights, and as a speaker at forums such as CSW67, the UNFPA Global Youth Dialogue, and the ILGA World Conference.

Across all her work, Julieta centers lived experience, collectivity, and the radical imagination of communities working toward systemic justice.

GHANA | Education
Nma Dreams is a gender equity initiative that supports girls in the Upper West Region of Ghana by giving them the school materials they need. Many girls in this area miss school or drop out because they do not have basic supplies like notebooks, pens, uniforms, or sanitary products. Nma Dreams wants to change that. We believe that when girls have the right materials, they are more likely to attend school regularly, learn better, and stay in school longer. By helping them in this way, we hope to reduce the number of girls who drop out and give them a better chance at a brighter future.

The goal of Nma Dreams is not just to help girls with school supplies. We also want them to feel confident, believe in themselves, and dream big. We hope that by supporting them now, they will become strong, educated women who lead and inspire others in their communities.

ZAMBIA | Health/Reproductive Health
Mable is a changemaker dedicated to adolescent health and education, digital safety for marginalized populations, and the participation of women and girls in STEM. While pursuing her degree in computer science from 2018 to 2023, Mable discovered the transformative power of technology to drive social impact. This inspired her to champion digital inclusion, particularly for girls in under-resourced communities.

In 2021, she founded AmplifyHer in STEM, an initiative that has equipped girls across two provinces in Zambia with digital and STEM skills. Her work has earned global recognition, including being named a 2022 Gender Champion by the UN Agency for Telecommunication (ITU), a 2023 Kofi Annan Changemaker, and a Youth Advisor for Digital Opportunity Trust.

Fuelled by her lived experience with chronic illness and migraines, she transitioned from her role at AmplifyHer in 2024 to co-found the Strong Buddies Foundation, a youth-led digital movement offering mental wellness support to adolescents and youth with chronic health conditions. She is currently leading the development of the Strong Buddies Mobile App to foster peer support.

KENYA | Health/Reproductive Health
Malkia John is a Kenyan energy engineer turned feminist tech builder, deeply passionate about creating digital solutions that center on care, safety, and dignity, especially for women and marginalized communities. With a background in Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Malkia’s journey into gender justice and climate advocacy has always been shaped by her lived experience, love for data, and commitment to community-centered solutions.

She is the Founder and Executive Director of Sauti Salama, a feminist digital platform transforming how survivors of gender-based violence in Kenya access help. Malkia is driven by the belief that technology can create safer worlds when built intentionally.

Outside of Sauti Salama, she has worked across clean energy, climate justice, and data governance spaces, representing African youth voices in global platforms like SCF, G7, COP28, COP29, UNFPA, and Women7. She’s passionate about bridging the gap between grassroots realities and policy spaces, ensuring that young African women are building the table themselves.

Malkia’s work sits at the intersection of energy, gender, technology, and justice, but her heart is always in the community. As she builds dashboards for energy access and co-create safe digital spaces for survivors, she’s most inspired by local stories, joy in resistance, and the power of collective care.

BRAZIL | Environment/Climate Change
Renata Koch Alvarenga, from Brazil, is a leading voice for gender equality and youth leadership in the global climate movement, having been involved in climate justice spaces for the past decade. She founded the youth-led and Brazil-based organization EmpoderaClima at 22 years old, to raise awareness of the need for women’s empowerment in climate decision-making spaces, and advocate for girl’s education and climate action in the Global South – especially in Latin America and the Caribbean.

In 2021, Renata was the first young Brazilian to speak at the UN Commission on the Status of Women (CSW65) opening, alongside the UN Secretary-General. That same year, she was nominated by Malala Yousafzai as a young leader to watch at the UN COP26. She is part of the 2022 class of Environmental Educators 30 Under 30, and she has been on boards, youth councils, and leadership programs of various international organizations, including UN Women, the UN Girls’ Education Initiative, the World Economic Forum, Vital Voices, Bloomberg, and the New York Times. In 2024, Renata was awarded the inaugural Emerging Leaders Beautiful Forces grant by Estée Lauder for her innovative and bold work with young women. She was later honored in Brazil’s Forbes Under 30 list as the cover of the Social Entrepreneurship category.

Renata graduated with a Master's in Public Policy from Harvard University, where she researched climate finance and resilience and worked with the Belfer Center for International Relations and the Center for International Development, doing fieldwork in Puerto Rico and Barbados. Renata has professional experience in global climate policy and diplomacy, having worked at the British Mission in Brazil, the United Nations Youth Office, and the World Bank Headquarters. She was a Fora delegate for the G20, representing Brazil, in 2020.

INDIA | Health/Reproductive Health
Rima Kumari is a passionate advocate for girls' education and gender equality, hailing from a small village in India where the birth of a girl is often seen as a burden. Growing up in a society that restricted girls from education, sports, and personal freedom, Rima faced immense challenges from an early age. Despite these barriers, she defied societal norms, becoming the first girl in her village to play soccer, a sport reserved for boys. Her determination led her to participate in the Donosti Cup, an international soccer tournament in Spain, making her the first girl from her village to travel abroad.

Rima's journey to education was equally challenging. In a community where no woman could read or write, she became the first woman in her village to learn to read and write. She funded her education by coaching a girls' soccer team and eventually paid for her sister's schooling as well. Through her perseverance, Rima became an inspiration to many, leading efforts to enroll girls in school and fight against child marriage and domestic violence.

Currently, Rima is pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Economics and Geoscience at Washington and Lee College in the USA and is attending Oxford University for her winter term. She has represented India at global conferences like Women Deliver and collaborated with leaders such as Malala Yousafzai. Her advocacy has resulted in more than 20 girls from her village enrolling in school, escaping child marriage, and pursuing their dreams.

Rima's story is one of resilience, determination, and empowerment. She aspires to write a book that inspires girls worldwide to pursue education, challenge gender inequality, and break free from societal constraints.

NEPAL | Health/Reproductive Health
Pursuing a double degree in Law from Nepal, Rose is a Global Citizen Youth Leaders Award recipient and a passionate social-impact practitioner. She has led initiatives in Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) advocacy, period equity, and transitional justice, working closely with both regional and international stakeholders. Her commitment to gender justice drives her intersectional approach—integrating menstrual literacy with skill development programs for post-conflict female survivors to foster dignity, healing, and empowerment.

Rose actively promotes SRHR and period-positivity by enhancing access to menstrual products in local schools and prisons, challenging harmful taboos, and building grassroots advocacy networks. She empowers women affected by conflict to reclaim their narratives through non-extractive storytelling and equips them with journalistic skills to step into leadership and decision-making roles.

With a background in journalism and extensive research on Nepal’s socio-legal challenges, Rose centers accountability and representation for marginalized communities in her work. She has represented Nepal at FORA’s Global Summit on Gender Equality and served as a speaker at the UN Women Asia Pacific event, amplifying the voices of women and girls on global platforms.

PAKISTAN | Education
Sana Askari is a third-year, full-time student at McDaniel College pursuing a triple major in Political Science, Business Administration, and Arabic and Middle Eastern Studies. Born in Afghanistan and raised as a refugee in Pakistan, Sana belongs to the Hazara people of Afghanistan, an Indigenous community that has been enduring (and continues to endure) systemic racism, structural violence, and genocide for over 130 years.

She is the founder of Esheel, a social enterprise dedicated to empowering the Hazara Community by preserving Hazara cultural identity through sustainable practices of creating authentic Hazara Cultural Expressions, hand-embroidered items, and the intergenerational sharing of cultural knowledge. Through this, she provides employment opportunities to Hazara women to earn an income to be self-sustainable and support their families, be it in their homeland, Afghanistan, or refugee resettlements in Pakistan.

She extended Esheel’s reach with a consultation project in Afghanistan in October 2023. She helped Shafiqa Ahmadi, a former journalism student whose dream of getting an education came to an end with the Taliban’s ban on women’s education, bring her entrepreneurial idea to life. Using tools like WhatsApp for communication, Canva for logo design and branding, and Instagram for promoting her products, Sana was able to provide Shafiqa with practical resources to establish her initiative.

Through this collaboration, Shafiqa has employed nine women in Afghanistan, offering them a lifeline during challenging times under the Taliban regime. Together, they have completed 200 projects, with their families relying on income generated from their hand embroidery. Sana is committed to continuing these consulting services to empower more women and girls in similar ways.

She is a Grassroots Voices Fellow to Vital Voices, and she is also a 2023-2024 fellow in the WIPO (World Intellectual Property Organization) Training, Mentoring, and Matchmaking Program on Intellectual Property for Women Entrepreneurs from Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities.

ECUADOR | Education
Sara Fuentes is an Indigenous Kichwa-Otavalo internationalist from Ecuador with extensive experience in project management and international cooperation, focusing on the rights of Indigenous Peoples, youth, women, and sustainable development. At the national level, she has led initiatives to strengthen Indigenous women’s leadership, secured international funding for youth programs, and facilitated English scholarship opportunities for Indigenous, Montubio, and Afro-Ecuadorian youth.

Internationally, she served as an Indigenous Fellow at the Secretariat of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), where she acted as a focal point for Indigenous representatives. In this role, she supported their participation in global dialogues and contributed to international initiatives addressing the intersection of intellectual property, traditional knowledge, and Indigenous People's rights. She was also part of the key team that supported the negotiation of the WIPO Treaty on Intellectual Property, Genetic Resources, and Associated Traditional Knowledge.

A former participant of FORA’s Network for Change and the FIMI Global Leadership School, Sara co-founded the collective Tuparina alongside fellow Indigenous women from sister communities. The collective serves as a platform to support projects and programs led by and for Indigenous women, aiming to foster empowerment through cultural, social, and economic initiatives.

Sara has a deep commitment to Indigenous diplomacy and has worked closely with grassroots organizations, UN agencies, and international stakeholders to drive meaningful change and elevate Indigenous perspectives in global forums. Her work bridges local and international spaces, grounded in a vision of justice, equity, and intercultural dialogue.

DOMINICAN REPUBLIC | Political Education
Shirley Santana Herrera is an economist, communicator, and youth leader from La Romana, Dominican Republic, with a specialization in governance, sustainable development, and public policy. She holds a Master's degree in Governance, Development and Public Policy from the University of Sussex in the United Kingdom, as a Chevening Awardee, with a background in education and project planning, with extensive experience in public affairs, gender equality, and social policy.

Her professional journey began in the Vice Presidency of the Dominican Republic, where she supported national monitoring systems and institutional planning. She later served as a Policy Analyst at the Ministry of Economy, leading inter-institutional strategies focused on childhood, disability, early education, and gender equity. Collaborating alongside 17+ public institutions to strengthen inclusive policy design, she has represented youth and women's interests in government, civil society, and international spaces.

In 2022, she was named as one of the top 25 Young Ibero-American Leaders by Fundación Carolina and Santander Bank, representing her country in Spain and Belgium. The same year she was selected as the first-ever Dominican delegate of Fora’s Global Summit, sharing extensive training in advocacy and gender equality activism alongside 30 delegates from around the world. In 2023 she was appointed as Secretary General of the International Model United Nations of the Ministry of Education (MINUME XV), overseeing the participation of over 800 students in discussions on diplomacy, science, and global development, focusing her leadership on the promotion of innovation, governance, and the future of STEM careers. She also served as a national consultant for UNFPA, coordinating youth networks and policy engagement in sexual and reproductive rights.

She is the founder of Excelsior Academy, an EdTech platform reaching over 3 million youth in Latin America to access quality education opportunities, and of Voces de la Tierra, a fellowship on climate governance and diplomacy across 13 Latin American countries.

NIGERIA | Economic Empowerment
Titilope Adedokun is a Nigerian social impact professional, storyteller, and entrepreneur working to expand access to opportunity for historically excluded communities. With over six years of experience in impact and development, she has worked across communications, grantmaking, operations, research, and project management.

At Sisterly HQ, Titilope empowers over 50,000 Nigerian women with access to inclusive stories, opportunities such as jobs, internships, and scholarships, and skills training through digital platforms. She also works at D-Prize, where she helps fund early-stage founders tackling poverty in Low- and Middle-Income Countries.

A 2025 recipient of the Global Impact Fund by Fora Network for Change, Titilope previously represented Nigeria at the organization’s Global Summit in Toronto, Canada, in 2022.

Her work has earned recognition across global platforms. She was named a Vital Voices and Estée Lauder Emerging Leaders Fund Visionary, joining a select cohort of women leaders at the Vital Voices Global Headquarters in Washington, DC. She was also selected from a pool of 2,210 applicants for the Western Union Foundation Fellowship powered by the Watson Institute, where she placed fifth in the Venture Development Stipend Competition.

She has received additional honors, including the Common Purpose Global Legacy Award, recognition as a 30 Under 30 Social Impact Leader by the Global Governance Initiative, and distinction as a powerful global voice disrupting systems and driving change at Women Deliver in Rwanda.

Driven by a commitment to mentorship, Titilope uses digital storytelling to share lessons and opportunities that empower others to create meaningful change. A two-time LinkedIn Top Voice, she creates content to democratize information and share knowledge that opens doors for others.

Titilope has spoken at Duke University’s Business Oriented Women, the Hult Prize at the University of Lagos, and Lagos Model United Nations. Her work has been featured in Opportunity Desk, TechCabal, and LinkedIn News.

PERU | Education
The Association of Peruvian Students Abroad (AEPEX) started in 2021 as a result of the lack of quality education and its aggravated effects by the COVID-19 pandemic. We provide college application counseling for talented low-income students, aiming for full-ride scholarships at the best universities abroad. Many of these students would not be able to afford to go to university anywhere unless everything is covered including housing, meals, etc. Moreover, through a mentorship system and scholarship guidance for colleges around the world, our vision supports the idea that students still mentorship and a community to thrive academically and emotionally, even after getting in.

Since foundation, we have been recognized by as part of the UNWomen’s Generation Equality Coalition, with over 2000 students in our networks, becoming the largest network of Peruvian students and working professionals abroad for this purpose. The 2023 AEPEX Fellowship Class had acceptances and full-ride scholarships for the 2028 Class to Georgetown University, Stanford University, etc. For the first time ever, Peru was the LATAM country with the most admitted students to Brown University in the history of the college, with many of the Peruvian admitted students being personally mentored by our team. It is worth mentioning that a full-ride scholarship amounts to approximately USD 96,000 per year.

AFGHANISTAN | Education
Zakia Abdul Malik graduated from Bibi Hawa Girls High School in Nangarhar, Afghanistan. She earned a full four-year undergraduate scholarship from the U.S. Embassy to study at the American University of Afghanistan in the Spring of 2015. Having excelled in her major, Business Administration, Zakia is now ready for graduation. She has been one of the most active students, participating in numerous social activities. She served as the president of Professional Women Networking Club where she aimed to inspire and motivate students to build productive network. She is an active member of the basketball club.

She earned the competitive, merit-based international scholarship, to represent Afghanistan at G(irls)20 Global Summit 2018 in Argentina, where she found her way to launch her own social initiative to empower economically, girls and women at home. After returning home, she passionately started working on her social initiative impact which is mainly focusing gender equality through economically empowerment of youth and especially women.

In 2019, she was selected to represent Afghanistan at NAM-Youth Summit in Baku, Afghanistan, where she exchanged ideas, visions and perspectives on current challenges with representatives from NAM Member States that they face in ensuring their sustainable progress and how these difficulties could be overcome through concerted and adequate responses of their States. She was tasked to develop a list of recommendations for its subsequent presentation to the Heads of State and Government of the NAM Member States on one of the “three
pillars” (peace and security, human rights and development) of the United Nations at the opening session of the NAM Baku Summit.

Zakia is working to launch her social initiative soon.