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.
Jonathan Fantini Porter
Jonathan Fantini Porter is a government official and executive in the private and social sectors. He currently serves as CEO of the public-private Partnership for Central America and previously held leadership positions at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, The White House, U.S. Congress, and McKinsey & Company.
Under his tenure, the Partnership raised $4.2 billion in foreign direct investment, procurement, and lending in 18 months for projects in the region and delivered programs to 5 million individuals across environmental, social, and governance programs to address the economic roots of migration in frontier and emerging markets. The Partnership has been cited by the President of Microsoft, Administrator of USAID Samantha Power, and the President of the World Bank as a case study on how to mobilize private sector investments for public-private economic development partnerships.
Jonathan previously served as an Associate Partner at McKinsey & Company; advisor on national security and private sector engagement to the Presidential transition of Joe Biden; a White House advisor on transnational security during the Presidency of Barack Obama; as a senior congressional aide in the U.S. Congress; and Chief of Staff in the U.S. Department of Homeland Security where he oversaw management operations of a $6 billion homeland security budget supporting 22,000 personnel in 48 countries.
He was named a Young Global Leader of the World Economic Forum and has served on advisory bodies to the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees, World Economic Forum, Amnesty International, and as a consulting fellow at the International Institute for Strategic Studies.
Jonathan is a graduate of the Harvard Kennedy School of Government and Georgetown University and was awarded an Eisenhower Fellowship. He speaks Spanish, French, and German.
Anielle Franco
Anielle Franco is from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. She was born and raised in Favela da Maré.
She has a bachelor's degree in Journalism and English from North Carolina Central University and a bachelor's and a license degree in English literature from the State University of Rio de Janeiro. She has a master's degree in Journalism, English, and Ethnic-Racial Relations from Florida A&M University and CEFET-RJ, and she is currently a Ph.D. student at the Federal University in Rio de Janeiro Applied Linguistics.
Anielle has published two books about her sister, "Letter to Marielle" and "My sister and I," and has participated in many other books, including the Brazilian edition of Angela Davis' autobiography. She is the Minister of Racial Equality in Brazil and the former Executive Director of the Marielle Franco Institute.
On the frontline of the fight for justice and a legacy for her sister Marielle Franco, Anielle uses her voice to inspire other women, girls, and poor black people in Brazil and around the world to keep moving society's structures.
Samantha Freebairn
As a C-130H Hercules and C-17 Globemaster military pilot, Samantha is committed to ensuring the concept of a woman military pilot is the norm. Leveraged her national Telstra Business Womens award to forge partnerships between inter-government agencies, police, fire and rescue, and civil industry to drive cultural change for women working in male-dominated environments. Wrote Flying Solo, a guide for women pilot trainees and Flying through Parenthood, for military parents negotiating flexible work arrangements. Her team conceptualised the Air Force Experiential Camps for Girls and developed the Air Force Graduate Pilot Scheme. The scheme doubled women pilot numbers in 2 years, when they had remained stagnant for the prior 30 years. Most importantly, she would love to see every little girl who loves rainbows to study physics and take to the skies!
Chrystia Freeland
The Honourable Chrystia Freeland is Canada’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance.
Ms. Freeland was first elected as the Member of Parliament for Toronto Centre in July, 2013. She was elected as Member of Parliament for University—Rosedale in October, 2015 and re-elected in October, 2019 and September, 2021.
From 2015 to 2017, Ms. Freeland served as Canada's Minister of International Trade, overseeing the successful negotiation of Canada's free trade agreement with the European Union, CETA. From January, 2017 to November, 2019, she served as Canada’s Minister of Foreign Affairs. During this time, she was a leading advocate for democracy, human rights, and multilateralism around the world.
As Foreign Minister, she led and successfully concluded the renegotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) between Canada, Mexico, and the United States.
In November, 2019, Ms. Freeland was appointed Deputy Prime Minister of Canada and Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs. In this capacity, she led Canada’s united response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
She was appointed Minister of Finance in August, 2020. In her role as Minister of Finance, the Deputy Prime Minister has supported the Canadian economy’s strong recovery from the pandemic recession, introduced Canada’s first national system of affordable early learning and child care, and ensured the sustainability of Canada’s finances after the winding-down of emergency pandemic spending.
An esteemed journalist and author, the Deputy Prime Minister was born in Peace River, Alberta. She was educated at Harvard University before continuing her studies on a Rhodes Scholarship at the University of Oxford.
After launching her career in journalism as a Ukraine-based freelance correspondent for the Financial Times, The Washington Post, and The Economist, Ms. Freeland went on to various roles at the Financial Times of London. She then served as deputy editor of the Toronto-based Globe and Mail between 1999 and 2001, before returning to the Financial Times as deputy editor and then as United States managing editor.
In 2010, she joined Canadian-owned Thomson Reuters. She was a managing director of the company and editor of consumer news when she decided to return home and enter politics in 2013.
Ms. Freeland has written two books: Sale of the Century: The Inside Story of the Second Russian Revolution (2000); and Plutocrats: The Rise of the New Global Super-Rich and the Fall of Everyone Else (2012). Plutocrats has been an international best-seller and won the Lionel Gelber Prize and National Business Book Award.
In 2018, the Deputy Prime Minister was recognized as Foreign Policy's Diplomat of the Year. She was also awarded the Eric M. Warburg Award by Atlantik-Brücke, for her achievements in strengthening transatlantic ties. In 2020, she was awarded Freedom House’s Mark Palmer Prize, in recognition of her years of work in championing democracy and human rights.
She is a member of the Forum's Board of Trustees
Chikara Funabashi
Formerly: worked on a subway development project in Jakarta; for Itochu Corporation on an airport construction in the Philippines; and at a major trading firm in Japan. 2000, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Willseed, a company that offers consulting and training services to more than 350 major companies and 600 schools in Japan. Co-Chairperson, Beyond Tomorrow, an organization which was established by several Japanese Young Global Leaders after the tsunami, 3/11. It offers scholarships and provides leadership training to young people to enable them to pursue their dreams and become leaders of tomorrow. Adjunct Professor, MBA programme, Waseda Business School. Member, Structural Reform Committee, responsible for the promotion of special economic zones. Member, Asia Society.
Lord Gadhia of Northwood
Graduate in Economics, University of Cambridge; Sloan Fellow, London Business School. Investment Banker; 1991-98, with Baring Brothers, including Director; 1998, Chief Executive, Manek Investment Managers; 2001-08, Managing Director, ABN AMRO; 2008-10, Managing Director and Head, Advisory, Barclays Capital; 2010-15, Senior Managing Director, Blackstone; 2014-2022, Member of the Board, UK Government Investments. Currently Member of the Board of the Court of the Bank of England; Rolls-Royce Holdings plc; Taylor Wimpey plc, Compare The Market Limited; Bourne Leisure and Accord Healthcare. Appointed as Member of the House of Lords of the British Parliament in August 2016. Former Trustee: Guy's & St Thomas' Charity; National Endowment for Science Technology and the Arts, UK. Current Chair: British Asian Trust, established by His Majesty King Charles.
Elissa Golberg
Ms. Elissa Golberg was appointed Assistant Deputy Minister - Strategic Policy at the department of Global Affairs Canada in September 2017. In that role she is responsible for developing, leading and coordinating Canada's emerging foreign, economic and international development policy agendas. She is also Champion for Innovation and Experimentation. From February 2015 to September 2017, she served as Assistant Deputy Minister - Partnerships for Development Innovation, where her team programmed some $330 million annually in development aid to reduce poverty in 126 countries, working with international and Canadian civil society, academic, professional associations and the private sector. From September 2011 to February 2015, Ms Golberg was Canada's Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the United Nations in Geneva and to the Conference on Disarmament. Prior to that, she held several other responsibilities within the Canadian government including Director-General - Stabilization and Reconstruction Task Force (START), and Representative of Canada in Kandahar, Afghanistan. Ms. Golberg has a Master's degree in International Relations. She is a member of the UN Secretary-General's Advisory Board on Disarmament. She is a recipient of the NATO ISAF General Service medal, the Queen's Golden Jubilee Medal, the Public Service Award of Excellence, and several Ministerial Awards for Foreign Policy Excellence. She was named a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum in 2010, and served on the WEF's Global Agenda Council on Violence and Fragility, and Global Future Council on Global Governance, Public-Private Partnerships and Sustainable Development.
Karina Gould
The Honourable Karina Gould was first elected as the Member of Parliament for Burlington in 2015.
A graduate of McGill University and the University of Oxford, Minister Gould is passionate about public service and international development. Before her election as the Member of Parliament for Burlington, she worked as a trade and investment specialist for the Mexican Trade Commission in Toronto, a consultant for the Migration and Development Program at the Organization of American States in Washington, D.C., and spent a year volunteering at an orphanage in Mexico.
Minister Gould has deep roots in her hometown of Burlington, Ontario, and is an active member of the community and an advocate for women’s issues and affordable housing. She has volunteered with and actively supports the Iroquoia Bruce Trail Club, the Burlington chapter of the Canadian Federation of University Women, the Mississauga Furniture Bank, Halton Women’s Place, and other local organizations.
Minister Gould lives in Burlington with her husband Alberto and son Oliver.
With the birth of Oliver, Minister Gould became the first federal cabinet minister to have a baby while holding office. She is passionate about breaking down barriers for women, youth, and underrepresented groups.
Amadou Hott
Undergraduate degree in Applied Mathematics and Master's in Finance, Sorbonne University, Paris; Master's programme in Financial Mathematics, New York University. 20 years experience in investment banking and investing with a focus on Africa since 2004. Worked in various financial centers including New York, London, Dubai and Lagos. Founder & CEO of FONSIS (Sovereign Wealth Fund of Senegal for Strategic Investments). Vice President for Power, Energy, Climate Change and Green Growth at the African Development Bank since November 2016. Twice volunteered with the TOKTEN programme, sponsored by the United Nations. Lecturer, University Gaston Berger of Saint Louis, Senegal. Young Global Leader, World Economic Forum (2012).
Paula Ingabire
Holds a crucial and strategic portfolio in one of Africa's leading technological powers. Through passion and expertise, has propelled Rwanda forward in its adoption of Fourth Industrial Revolution tools.
Livia Járóka
Master's in Society and Politics, CEU University, UK. Since 2004, Representative for Fidesz, Hungary and Member, European People's Party, European Parliament and European Democrats, European Parliament. Director, Roma Integration, EPP-ED Working Group. Member, Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs; EPP-ED Group, Committee on Women's Rights and Gender Equality.
Wyclef Jean
Grammy Award-winning songwriter/musician/producer, humanitarian, and Goodwill Ambassador to Haiti. Founding Member, Fugees (formerly Tranzlator Crew). Solo Artist. Started singing at age of three in his father's church. At age 10, moved to the United States. 1997, embarked on solo career. Has recorded with Bono (New Day). 2005, Founder, Yéle Haiti (Yéle means "a cry for freedom"), a grassroots movement inspiring change in Haiti through programmes in education, sports, the arts and environment; community service programmes include food distribution and mobilizing emergency relief. 2008, participated in the Clinton Global Initiative to discuss Haiti. Recipient of Grammy awards for: Killing Me Softly With His Song, Best R&B Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocals; The Score, Best Rap Album; Writing and Producing Supernatural (Carlos Santana), Album of the Year.