Who we are

The Young Global Leaders ® Community is an accelerator for a dynamic community of exceptional people with the vision, courage, and influence to drive positive change in the world.

Our growing membership of more than 1,400 members and alumni of 120 nationalities includes civic and business innovators, entrepreneurs, technology pioneers, educators, activists, artists, journalists, and more.

Aligned with the World Economic Forum’s mission, we seek to drive public-private co-operation in the global public interest. We are united by the belief that today’s pressing problems present an opportunity to build a better future across sectors and boundaries.

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Meet our members

Michael Kratsios

Managing Director, Scale AI, USA

Michael served as the 4th Chief Technology Officer of the United States at The White House. As President’s top technology advisor, Michael led the development and execution of the national technology policy agenda.

Michael previously served as Under Secretary of Defense. As the third highest ranking official at the Department of Defense, Michael managed the largest research and development budget for a single organization in the world, supervising all research, engineering, development, and prototyping at the Pentagon.

Michael is currently a Managing Director at Scale AI, leading corporate strategy and helping accelerate AI applications across industries.

Shani Senbetta

Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Kidame Mart, Ethiopia

Shani Senbetta is founder and CEO of the for-profit social enterprise Kidame Mart, Ethiopia's largest last-mile distribution network, empowering rural female micro-entrepreneurs to earn incomes by selling high impact goods door-to-door in their communities. Shani is also director of Zeleman Communications, Advertising and Production, the largest communications and advertising company in Ethiopia with over 140 full-time employees. Shani has a BA from Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service, an MBA from Harvard University and was a Fulbright Scholar. She is passionate about addressing social problems with innovative private-sector solutions.

Noura Bint Faisal Al Saud

Founder and Managing Director, Global Culture House, Saudi Arabia

Her Highness Princess Noura bint Faisal Al Saud founded Culture House as a Saudi boutique consultancy providing advisory and implementation services related to culture, creativity, and sustainable business. Culture House signifies Her Highness’s return to the private sector after successfully establishing the Fashion Commission at the Ministry of Culture. Princess Noura joined the Ministry of Culture in June 2019. She led Strategy Development for the fashion sector in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, building local and international partnerships with fashion institutions and nurturing Saudi fashion talent. She was part of the team that developed the Commission’s flagship outreach projects, including the Fashion Futures annual conference, digital platform, and mentorship program Saudi 100 Brands. Through her appointment as the Commission’s Ecosystem Integration & Program Delivery General Manager, Princess Noura oversaw the implementation of the strategy’s initiatives, ensuring their delivery at standards of excellence with measurable impact. Princess Noura’s entrepreneurial career commenced in 2009 in the United States. In 2015 she co-founded her first business, which focused on talent and lifestyle, before launching Global Fashion House, a fashion consultancy based in Riyadh. In April 2018, Princess Noura organized the Saudi Kingdom’s first fashion Week with this company, bringing together international and local stakeholders.

Luana Génot

Executive Director, Identities Institute, Brazil

Luana Genot is a Award-winning leader and social entrepreneur passionate about inclusion and social justice. With a background in communication and human rights advocacy, Luana has dedicated herself to creating innovative solutions that promote equal opportunities, particularly for underrepresented groups, specially from the global south. Mother of two adorable kids, she is also a writer, presenter and board member. In 2022 she was selected by the World Economic Forum as aYoung Global Leader. Luana is the founder and Executive Director of ID_BR - Instituto Identidades do Brasil / Identities Institute - Brazil. ID_BR has nearly 40 staff that support companies, government agencies and third sector organizations with anti-racist education and affirmative action on diversity, equity and inclusion.Her experience in technology and social business led ID_BR to recently launch Deb (@chamaaDeb) https://www.instagram.com/chamaadeb/ , an artificial intelligence platform focused on advancing racial and gender inclusion in the workforce.

Olga Rudenko

Editor-in-Chief, The Kyiv Independent, Ukraine

Olga Rudenko is a Ukrainian journalist who worked for Kyiv Post before leaving to assist in the establishment of the Kyiv Independent in 2021, where she is the Editor-in-Chief. In 2022, Rudenko was featured on the front cover of Time magazine's May double issue, as one of its “Next Generation Leaders.”

Angela Tanoesoedibjo

Vice-Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy, Ministry of Tourism of Indonesia, Indonesia

Zhizhong Li

Co-Founder and Secretary General, Shiyu Children Foundation, People's Republic of China

Dr. Zhizhong Li is a co-founder and Secretary General of the Shiyu Children Foundation (SCF). An NGO set up in 2018, SCF is dedicated to promoting awareness, patient education, and drug discovery for pediatric cancers in China. It is the first one focusing on solving children's cancer healthcare issues. Dr. Li has an impressive academic background with a BS in life science from Tsinghua University and a Ph.D. in Cancer Biology from Duke University before joining Novartis as a research investigator in the department of Oncology Drug Discovery. He published over 20 peer-reviewed research articles, including a cover story on the prestigious Cancer Cell. His work is one of the highest cited papers in the cancer stem cell field and has been cited globally over 7700 times - ranking top 2%. He deeply cares about how science can impact everyone's life. He has demonstrated a strong dedication to sharing knowledge with the broader public by promoting science, especially cancer knowledge in China. He is a best-selling author with six books on cancer biology and oncology drug discovery. His books have won many prestigious awards in China, including Best 30 Books in China and Best Pop Science Book in China. His blog has over 1,000,000 followers, including cancer patients/families and healthcare professionals. Even several China Academy of Science members regularly read his article, and they are amazed by Zhizhongs ability to translate complex biomedical issues to lay language.

Elham AlQasim

Chief Strategy and Technology Officer, Majid Al Futtaim Holding, United Arab Emirates

Elham Al Qasim serves as Digital14’s Chief Executive Officer, steering the organisation’s strategic direction, and leading over 1,000 staff in their purpose-driven work to deliver trust in digital so that clients can innovate and fulfil their potential. Prior to joining Digital14, Elham enjoyed a global career with executive roles in investment and asset management. More recently, Elham served as CEO of Abu Dhabi Investment Office (ADIO) and Executive Director of the Ghadan 21 programme at the Abu Dhabi Executive Office where she led the strategic planning for the government’s three-year, AED 50 billion investment programme aimed at accelerating Abu Dhabi’s economy. Prior to this, Elham was a Director of Mubadala Investment Company, focusing on Mubadala’s Technology and Industry portfolio. Her responsibilities included building investment/entry strategy, business development, value creation, and post-acquisition asset management in sectors including Metals & Mining, Semiconductors, and Technology. During this time, Elham also served on the executive leadership team of Emirates Global Aluminium and delivered a two year post merger integration program. Elham has served on a number of boards and is currently a Board Member of Amanat Holdings, AlAin Farms, and Phoenic Group. Elham’s international career includes JPMorgan Investment Bank, where she was part of the Global Diversified Industrials Team based in London handling M&A transactions in chemicals, metals and mining, and infrastructure. Elham holds an MSc from the School of Social Policy at the London School of Economics and a Bachelor of Business from the American University in Dubai. In April 2010, Elham became the first Arab woman to ski to the North Pole.

Laure Forgeron

Chief Underwriting Officer Casualty, Swiss Re America Holding Corporation, USA

Laure is a Managing Director at Swiss Re and leader of the single risk business in EMEA. Leading a team of nearly 100 colleagues and managing premium income of USD1bn, she is the youngest Managing Director of this leading Global Risk carrier. Together with her team, she is fully engaged to deliver on Swiss Re's purpose to make the world more resilient. Beyond work, Laure is committed to empowering the disadvantaged. She is involved in initiatives to promote diversity, including being a champion for women in STEM, supporting entrepreneurship in Africa and Chair of philanthropy committee of the Swiss Re Foundation in Switzerland. She is the happy mother of three young children and lives in Zurich, Switzerland.