Community

The Forum of Young Global Leaders is a community of innovators from diverse backgrounds and experiences. Search current members and alumni by year awarded, sector or region.

David Jones

Founder, One Young World, USA

Honored by the World Economic Forum as a Young Global Leader, David Jones is a leading proponent of corporate responsibility and social change and The Guardian’s 2013 Sustainable Business Leader. 

Alongside Kate Robertson he is the co-founder of One Young World (described by CNN as the “Young Davos”), a nonprofit organization that provides brilliant young leaders with a global platform through which to effect positive change.

David was the driving force behind Kofi Annan’s TckTckTck Campaign for Climate Justice and is the creator of the Social Business Idea and author of best-selling book Who Cares Wins: Why Good Business Is Better Business, published in 2011 by Pearson/Financial Times Publishing in over 50 countries. 

In June 2015, after raising $350 million, David launched You & Mr Jones, the world’s first Brandtech™ group, a technology holding company that helps brands do their marketing better, faster and cheaper. The group now has over 3,000 employees in 40 countries and is working with leading companies including Unilever, Adidas, Microsoft, Reebok, PayPal, Marriott, LVMH, Renault-Nissan, Danone, Google and RB. In December 2019, You & Mr Jones raised an additional $200 million, as part of a Series B round that has the company valued at a $1.3 billion post-money valuation.

Previously he was the youngest global CEO in the history of advertising, heading both Havas and Havas Worldwide, and the only British CEO of a French publicly-traded company.

David was one of the founding members of the Facebook Client Council, was inducted into the American Advertising Federation’s Hall of Achievement in 2005, and was voted one of the two top executives of the decade by readers of Adweek. David was also named one of Britain’s 500 Most Influential People by The Sunday Times. 

Vimbayi Kajese

Adjunct Professor, #Adtags, USA

Vimbayi is the Founder of #Adtags, a proudly African based marketplace that helps conscious brands source desperately needed images of people of colour for advertising, from everyday social media users around the world. After 15 years of working in media, Vimbayi knows that the power of visual representation is lifesaving. She was invited to expound on her thesis on the TED stage in her thought-provoking talk entitled: “Can an Image Save a Life?”

Vimbayi is happiest grilling heads of states, captains of industry, thought leaders, and influential disruptors (politely) at prominent conferences and private events. Audiences enjoy watching her guests reveal themselves in down-to-earth ways that other interviewers haven’t been able to achieve. Vimbayi is therefore sought after for her personable and diplomatic interview style which allows her to connect with some of the most media avoidant personalities.

Her activism for creating new narratives: for women, people of colour, her African continent and tech in the age of the Fourth Industrial Revolution is at the heart of everything she does. She has served communities in different parts of the world as a rape crisis counselor, mentor to the next generation of leaders, cofounder of a Business Sustainability consultancy and publication in China, and most notably was instrumental in improving intercontinental relations as the “Face of Africa for China” as the first African anchor on Chinese state news, which broadcasts to over a billion viewers globally. She also helped lead Zimbabwe’s Presidential delegation on their maiden voyage to Davos 2018, to thaw and re-establish relations with the West.

Vimbayi has featured in several publications, been invited to present on the TEDGlobal, and TEDx stage; was recognized as a "Young Global Leader” by the World Economic Forum; a "New Generation Leader" by the African Leadership Network; declared one of Zimbabwe's "Most Influential Under 40"; and was appointed by the Chinese government as a "Special Friendship Envoy and Cultural Ambassador".

Madhu Kannan

Vice-President; Global Head, Corporate Development, Uber Technologies, USA

Madhu Kannan is currently Vice President & Global Head of Corporate Development at Uber Technologies. In this role he has responsibilities of global M&A, Integration, Treasury, Capital Markets and minority investments, Madhu rejoined Uber in Dec 2023 after a stint at Bank of America Securities where has an Executive Vice Chair of Global Corporate & Investment Banking. His first stint at Uber had included being the Chief Business Officer for Asia Pacific. Madhu also has been a Group Head of Business Development at Tata Sons and Chief Executive Officer of the Bombay Stock Exchange. Other roles he has had included Managing Director in the Corporate Strategy Group of Bank of America-Merrill Lynch and a Senior Vice-President at NYSE Euronext in the listings and Business development functions. He earned his BEng degree (Hons) in electrical engineering and electronics, an MSc (Hons) in economics from BITS, Pilani, India, and an MBA in finance from Vanderbilt University, USA.

Elsie S. Kanza

Ambassador of the United Republic of Tanzania to the USA and Mexico, Embassy of the United Republic of Tanzania in the USA, USA

Elsie S. Kanza is a Tanzanian economist who is Special Adviser to the President of the World Economic Forum (WEF). As the head of the WEF’s regional agenda on Africa and member of the Executive Committee, since 2011 she has led numerous public-private collaboration initiatives to solve complex systemic challenges related to the UN Sustainable Development Goals and African Union Agenda 2063. From 2006 to 2011, Kanza served as economic advisor to the President of Tanzania. Between 1997 and 2006, she worked in Tanzania’s finance ministry and its central bank.

Currently a Richard von Weizsacker Fellow, Kanza has been recognized for her achievements in advancing economic development. In 2008, she became an Archbishop Tutu Leadership Fellow, and in 2011 a WEF Young Global Leader. In 2020, the magazine Forbes Africa listed her as one of Africa’s 50 most powerful women. She has served on various boards, including those of the African Leadership Institute - South Africa, Mercy Corps Europe, The Nature Conservancy Africa Council, and the Uongozi Institute.

In 2015, Kanza was awarded a Doctorate of Business Administration (honors causa) from the University of Strathclyde for her role in driving transformative impact in Africa. She also holds a MA in Development Economics from the Center for Development Economics – Williams College; a MSc in Finance from the University of Strathclyde; and a BSc (cum laude) in International Business Administration from the United States International University - Africa.

Asli Karahan

Chief Investment Officer, Lioness Capital, USA

Asli Karahan is CIO of Lioness Capital, a policy and political event-driven hedge fund based in New York, focusing on developed and large emerging economies, with a US bias. Lioness runs a discretionary thematic portfolio, where each theme is expressed in liquid exchange-traded instruments that include equities (single stocks, ETFs, and equity indices), fixed income, futures, commodities and currencies. Risk management is a core component of the
investment process and is managed at position, theme and portfolio levels. Asli is the former Managing Partner of US Policy Metrics, a policy advisory and research firm for hedge funds. This follows her experience for almost a decade at UBS as Senior Client Relationship Director in the CEO's office, covering the largest client and/or transactions globally, where she developed a rare blend of policy expertise, an ability to analyze complex business problems, and a range of global economic policy and regulatory issues. Asli began her career at Schlumberger International, working in Egypt, India, Venezuela and Trinidad &Tobago. She later worked for Procter & Gamble as a Brand Manager running a flagship brand with US$ 100 million-plus revenue at the age of 25. Ay has an MBA from Harvard Business School and a BSc in Industrial Engineering from Bilkent University in Turkey. She holds various financial licenses in the United Kingdom and in United States and is a Chartered Alternative Investments Analyst.

Karen Karniol-Tambour

Co-Chief Investment Officer, Bridgewater Associates, USA

Karen Karniol-Tambour is Co-Chief Investment Officer at Bridgewater Associates, responsible for managing the company’s investment process. Karen oversees the systemization of Bridgewater’s research into trading strategies, manages the development of proprietary investment management models, directs the design and implementation of client investment strategies, and publishes timely market understanding to clients and global policy makers via Bridgewater’s Daily Observations. She also co-leads the firm’s Sustainable Investing efforts, overseeing the design of new investment solutions with both financial and sustainability objectives. Karen joined Bridgewater in 2006 after graduating from Princeton University. She serves on the boards of Search for Common Ground and Seeds of Peace. Karen is a World Economic Forum Young Global Leader, was included in Fortune’s "40 Under 40" most influential leaders in business in 2019, and has been named to Barron's list of "Most Influential Women in US Finance" for three years in a row.

Sam Kass

Partner, Acre Venture Partners, USA

Sam led food and nutrition policy for the Obama Administration, and was the Executive Director for First Lady Michelle Obama's Let's Move! Campaign. He was also the chef for the Obamas. Sam is now focusing on the intersection of health, climate change and food systems in numerous ways through strategy work and investing.

Drue Kataoka

Founder, Drue Kataoka Studios, USA

Technology Artist Drue Kataoka is known for creating interactive and engaging artworks with significant social impact using cutting edge technologies like virtual reality, brainwaves (EEG), and mobile platforms. Drue’s painting Up! has been featured in the first zero gravity art exhibit at the International Space Station. Drue is sought after for her intricate mirror-polished steel sculptures, cast with ancient metal-working techniques, and shaped with free form organic expression only recently made possible with virtual reality.

Drue’s piece “400,000 Is Not a Number” helped shine a light on the backlog of 400,000 untested rape kits waiting for justice, and her “Touch Our Future” digital tapestry drew the attention & participation of dozens of Nobel Laureates and heads of state to help reduce infant mortality.

Only 24 hours after its creation, Drue’s portrait of British M.P. and humanitarian Jo Cox flooded social media, newswires and TV. Drue’s posters were carried by tens of thousands of people in Trafalgar Square, Batley, Dublin, Buenos Aires, New York, Washington DC, and many other cities, as a symbol of our shared humanity.

Named a Young Global Leader & Cultural Leader of the World Economic Forum (WEF), Drue was invited to give a solo exhibition at the WEF in Davos. Drue was also a featured speaker at the WEF Annual Meeting in Davos in 2011, 2012, 2013, and 2016.

Celebrating American women's "firsts," Drue’s iconic image Now Is The Time was launched around the Hillary Clinton Presidential Campaign. The only artwork officially unveiled at the 2016 Democratic National Convention.

Recent work has been featured on CNN, Returs, The Wall Street Journal, MSNBC, CNBC, CBS and ABC, and in Stanford Magazine, the San Francisco Chronicle, the San Jose Mercury News and others.

Graduate of Stanford University. Reacipient of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Research & Education Institute Award for her extensive community service along with Secretary George Shultz.

Matthew Katz

Global Head, Data Science, Blackstone Group, USA

Matthew Katz is a Senior Managing Director and the Global Head of Data Science for Blackstone. He leads Blackstone’s team of data scientists and in this capacity partners with management teams and operators to accelerate growth across Blackstone’s portfolio companies by leveraging data science. He and his team additionally work closely with Blackstone’s investment teams to provide a differentiated viewpoint through advanced analytics during the investment process.
Before joining Blackstone in 2015, Mr. Katz was a Vice President at Point72 Asset Management where he focused on data science and investing. He began his career at Credit Suisse.
Mr. Katz graduated with honors from Princeton University. He serves on the advisory board of Virginia Tech’s Academy of Data Science and is on the Blackstone Charitable Foundation Leadership Council.

Brian Kaufmann

Head, Private Equity; Portfolio Manager; Member of the Management Committee, Viking Global Investors, USA

Mr. Kaufmann is the Head of Private Equity and a Portfolio Manager for Viking Global Investors, LP, a global investment firm that manages over $40 billion. He is also a member of the firm's Management Committee. From 2010 to 2016, Mr. Kaufmann was a public equity Portfolio Manager and Investment Analyst responsible for investment ideas in the healthcare and life sciences sector. From 2005 to 2008, Mr. Kaufmann was an Associate at TA Associates, where he was responsible for originating, researching and executing private equity investments in the healthcare and business services sectors. From 2003 to 2005, he was an Investment Banking Analyst in Merrill Lynch's Mergers and Acquisitions Group. Mr. Kaufmann is a graduate of Harvard Business School, where he received an MBA and was a Baker Scholar, and of Cornell University, where he received a B.S. in applied economics and business management, magna cum laude. In 2021, he was named a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum.

Conrod Kelly

Managing Director, MSD, USA

Conrod Kelly is an award-winning marketer and industry leader, as well as a published author and sought-after speaker. Conrod’s tenure at Merck includes commercial leadership of the Diabetes, Anesthesia, Surgery, and Alzheimer’s Franchises. He is currently serving as Merck’s first Executive Director of Health Equity, leveraging data, digital solutions, partnerships, and policy frameworks to improve health outcomes and driving sustainable business and societal value. Prior to joining Merck, Conrod held roles at Johnson & Johnson in diabetes and GlaxoSmithKline in vaccines. In 2020, Conrod was recognized by Medical Marketing & Media’s inaugural 40 Under 40 in Healthcare. His work on the film A Touch of Sugar was a finalist for 33 industry awards and winner of 15. He also received the United Nations SDG Media Award and Top Black in Healthcare Award from the George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health. Conrod serves on the SDOH Taskforce and the Global Futures Council at the World Economic Forum. He received his MBA and BS from Florida A & M University and has continued his executive education at The Wharton School at UPenn and Duke University.

Ibram X Kendi

Director, Center for Antiracist Research, Boston University, USA

Dr. Ibram X. Kendi is a National Book Award-winning author of fifteen books for adults and children, including nine New York Times bestsellers—five of which were #1 New York Times bestsellers. Dr. Kendi is the Andrew W. Mellon Professor in the Humanities at Boston University, and the director of the BU Center for Antiracist Research. He is a contributing writer at The Atlantic and a CBS News racial justice contributor.

Dr. Kendi is the author of Stamped from the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America, which won the National Book Award for Nonfiction, making him the youngest author to win that award. He also authored the international bestseller, How to Be an Antiracist, which was described in the New York Times as “the most courageous book to date on the problem of race in the Western mind.” Dr. Kendi’s other bestsellers include How to Raise an Antiracist; Four Hundred Souls: A Community History of African America, 1619-2019, co-edited with Keisha Blain; How to Be a (Young) Antiracist, co-authored with Nic Stone; Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You, co-authored with Jason Reynolds; and Antiracist Baby, illustrated by Ashley Lukashevsky. In 2020, Time magazine named Dr. Kendi one of the 100 Most Influential People in the world. He was awarded a 2021 MacArthur Fellowship, popularly known as the Genius Grant.