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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.

Daniel Arrigg Koh

Deputy Cabinet Secretary, The White House, USA

Daniel Arrigg Koh is a public servant dedicated to positive social change.

He currently serves as the White House Deputy Cabinet Secretary, where he helps guide the affairs related to the Cabinet of United States President Joseph R. Biden. Immediately prior, Dan served as the Chief of Staff of the United States Department of Labor, a $14 billion, 17,000 employee organization dedicated to improving the lives of America's 150 million workers. He helped lead the development of the Healthcare Emergency Temporary Standard that protects millions of healthcare workers around the country from COVID-19.

Before his service in the Biden-Harris administration, Dan served as Chief Operating Officer of HqO, a technology company focused on changing the way we interact with physical space. In this capacity, he helped grow the company from 30 employees to over 150 across multiple financing rounds, leading to a $500 million valuation.

In 2019, Dan was elected to the Town of Andover Select Board where he served as Vice Chair. Previously, he was a candidate for the Massachusetts Third District of the United States Congress, where he ran a true grassroots campaign with thousands of volunteers knocking hundreds of thousands of doors, coming within 0.2% of the Democratic primary nomination after a district-wide recount.

From 2014-2017, Dan served as Chief of Staff to Boston Mayor Martin J. Walsh, guiding his agenda for the city, its 18,000 employees, $3 billion budget, and 700,000 residents. In this role, he pioneered “CityScore,” an award-winning performance management system for improving city services.

Dan previously worked as Chief of Staff to Arianna Huffington at The Huffington Post and Advisor to Mayor Thomas M. Menino of Boston. He has served additional roles at Booz Allen Hamilton, Spencer Stuart, Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, Major League Baseball, and the New England Patriots. He began his career as an intern for the late Massachusetts Senator Edward M. Kennedy.

He has been named to the “30 under 30” list by Forbes Magazine and the “40 under 40” list by the Boston Business Journal. In 2016, he received an honorable mention from The Boston Globe for “Bostonian of the Year.” A native of Andover, Massachusetts, Dan holds a B.A from Harvard College and an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School, where he was President of his section. Dan is an avid runner, having completed 62 marathons across the U.S. and Canada.

Priyanka Bakaya

Commercialization Adviser, US Department of Energy, USA

Priyanka Bakaya is a climate technology commercialization advisor who has been recognized on the Forbes 30 under 30 List, the Fortune 40 Under 40: Ones to Watch List, Conscious Company's Top 30 Social Entrepreneurs List, is a Cartier Women's Initiative Award Laureate, and is a World Economic Forum Young Global Leader. She is a graduate of MIT Sloan and Stanford University with Honors and has completed Executive Education at Harvard's Kennedy School and Princeton's Andlinger Center for Energy and the Environment.

Bakaya currently serves as an advisor on Technology to Market Commercialization to the U.S. Department of Energy's Advanced Research Projects Agency–Energy (ARPA-E). She began her career in finance and venture capital, and currently serves on the Impact Committee of the Circular Innovation Fund. She brings extensive experience as a climate tech entrepeneur and coaches founders on the topics of entrepreneurship and sustainability through MIT Bootcamps. She has been invited as a keynote speaker and panelist at dozens of global conferences across six continents; presenting at events such as Fortune Brainstorm Green, Sustainable Brands, Global Entrepreneurship Summit, TEDx, and more.

H.R.H. Princess Reema Bandar Al-Saud

Ambassador of Saudi Arabia to the USA, Embassy of Saudi Arabia, USA

Her Royal Highness Princess Reema bint Bandar Al Saud was appointed Ambassador to the
United States on February 23, 2019, by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman
bin Abdulaziz. She is the first woman in the country’s history to serve in the role of Ambassador.
She presented her credentials to President Donald Trump on July 8, 2019.
In Saudi Arabia, Princess Reema focused on private sector initiatives and the empowerment of
women in the Kingdom. From 2007 until 2015, Princess Reema was the Chief Executive Officer
of Alfa International Company Limited - Harvey Nichols Riyadh, a multi-brand luxury retail
company, during which she commissioned a study on Obstacles for Women in the Workplace,
which set the tone for female inclusion in retail and resulted in opening the first workplace
nursery. In 2013, she founded Alf Khair, a social enterprise aimed at elevating the professional
capital of Saudi women through a curriculum developed to enable financial self-sufficiency.
In 2016, Princess Reema left the private sector to begin a career of public service as Vice
President of Women’s Affairs at the Saudi General Sports Authority where she developed
policies and programs that benefited women and children throughout Saudi Arabia. After a
successful year, she was promoted to Deputy of Development and Planning in January 2018. In
October 2018, she was also appointed President of the Mass Participation Federation, making
her the first woman to lead a multi-sports federation in the Kingdom, a role that she occupied
until her appointment as Saudi Ambassador to the United States.
As part of her philanthropic work, Princess Reema became a founding member of the Zahra
Breast Cancer Awareness Association in 2007, which set a Guinness World Record by forming
the World’s Largest Human Awareness Ribbon at Princess Noura University in Riyadh in 2015.
She received a Bachelor of Arts in Museum Studies from George Washington University and an
honorary doctorate from Marymount University.
Princess Reema has served as a member of the World Bank’s advisory council for the Women
Entrepreneurs Finance Initiative since 2017. She has been a member of the Saudi Arabian
Olympic Committee since 2017-2019 and a member of the International Olympic Committee
(IOC) Women in Sports Commission since 2018. She is also a member of the IOC Brisbane
2032 Coordination Commission.
Princess Reema also serves as the Head of the Executive Committee for the Fashion
Commission at the Ministry of Culture, and as an Honorary Chairman of the Saudi Special
Olympics. Princess Reema is a member of the Voting Council for the RBG Awards. She also
serves as a Board Member for Panthera’s Conservation Council and the Future Investment
Initiative.

Pete Buttigieg

U.S. Secretary of Transportation, US Department of Transportation, USA

One of the most visible political figures from the Millennial generation, Pete Buttigieg is mayor of the once-struggling industrial midwestern city of South Bend, Indiana. A winner of the JFK Library Foundation New Frontier Award, he has guided the comeback of his city and works to help peer cities prepare for the future as chair of the US Conference of Mayors Task Force on Automation. An emerging leader in the US Democratic Party and a veteran of the war in Afghanistan.

François-Philippe Champagne

Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry, Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada, Canada

The Honourable François-Philippe Champagne was first elected in 2015 as the Member of Parliament for Saint-Maurice—Champlain.

Minister Champagne is a businessman, lawyer, and international trade specialist with over 20 years’ experience at large international companies in Europe, particularly in the fields of energy, engineering, and innovation.

Before entering politics, Minister Champagne was Vice-President and Senior Counsel of ABB Group, a leader in cutting-edge technology that operates in more than 100 countries. He also served as Strategic Development Director, acting General Counsel, and Chief Ethics Officer and Member of the Group Management Committee of AMEC Foster Wheeler, a world leader in the energy sector.

In 2009, Minister Champagne was named Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum. He has served on several boards over the years, and was notably President of the Canadian-Swiss Chamber of Commerce and the Banff Forum.

After his election in 2015, Minister Champagne served as a parliamentary secretary to the Minister of Finance until 2017, when he was appointed Minister of International Trade. During his time as Minister of International Trade, the Canada–European Union Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement entered into force, and Canada signed the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership. In 2018, he was named Minister of Infrastructure and Communities, and oversaw the federal government’s ambitious $187 billion infrastructure investment plan. He was appointed Minister of Foreign Affairs in 2019.

Minister Champagne holds a Bachelor of Laws from the Université de Montréal and a Master of Laws in American law from Case Western Reserve University. Minister Champagne also studied public and private international law at The Hague Academy of International Law, in the Netherlands.

Rohit Chopra

Director, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, USA

Commissioner on the U.S. Federal Trade Commission. Has been an outspoken advocate for fair competition, consumer rights and accountability for corporations that break the law. Widely recognized for his expertise on America's trillion-dollar student loan crisis.

Suzanne Ehlers

Chief Executive Officer, UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, USA

Suzanne Ehlers is the Executive Director and CEO of USA for UNHCR (effective 1/17/2023) where she is working toward a world where refugee crises would cease and people fleeing are welcomed into new communities with dignity and security.

Prior to this appointment, Suzanne served as CEO of Malala Fund and, in this role, she provided leadership to a global staff of experts and advocates who are breaking down barriers that prevent girls from going to school. Suzanne worked closely with co-founders Malala and Ziauddin Yousafzai and a highly regarded board of directors and professional team to advance progress toward girls’ education around the world.

Previously, Suzanne served as President & CEO of PAI, a global leader in the effort to protect and promote the reproductive rights of women and girls. Suzanne led the organization for 10 years, and was at PAI for 16 years. Under Suzanne’s leadership, PAI’s budget almost quadrupled and the organization dramatically expanded its work to more countries, spreading more shared wealth, technical assistance and capacity building.

Suzanne repeatedly served on the U.S. government delegation to the United Nations’ Commission on Population and Development under President Obama. She currently serves as a board member for Ibis Reproductive Health in Boston and the Latin American Montessori Bilingual Public Charter School in Washington, DC; she was named a World Economic Forum Young Global Leader in 2012; and she has served on the boards of the U.S. Global Leadership Campaign, the Global Health Council, the Janelia Family Foundation, The Biodiversity Project, and the Asia Pacific Alliance.

Earlier in her career, Ms. Ehlers was a grantmaker at the Wallace Global Fund. At WGF, she supported a grants portfolio that broke new ground in the fields of sustainable forestry and laid the early foundation for philanthropic engagement on climate change.

Ms. Ehlers served as a Peace Corps volunteer in the Central African Republic following her graduation from Cornell University with a degree in Government. Suzanne speaks French, Spanish and Sango at various levels of proficiency. She lives in Washington, DC, with her husband and two daughters.

Marcela Escobari

Assistant Administrator, US Agency for International Development (USAID), USA

Marcela Escobari serves as the Assistant Administrator of USAID’s Bureau for Latin America and the Caribbean. For over two decades, the Hon. Marcela Escobari led organizations focused on promoting inclusive economic growth. She is spearheading USAID’s efforts to advance a collaborative, regional response to the historic displacement of over seven million people across the LAC region. Working with the US Government and regional partners, USAID is driving forward a three-pronged strategy focused on addressing root causes, expanding legal pathways, and promoting the integration of migrants into host communities. She is also expanding the bureau’s efforts to help democratic reformers in the region to deliver for their citizens in the face of the economic contraction caused by COVID-19, which hit Latin America and the Caribbean harder than any other region in the world.

Escobari previously served in the Obama-Biden Administration in this role in 2016, during which time she reinforced U.S. support for Peace Colombia, helped mobilize a humanitarian response plan to Hurricane Matthew in Haiti, and helped unlock obstacles to deliver humanitarian aid in Venezuela. In response to Congress’ doubling of funding to Central America, she led changes in strategy, organization and execution to help USAID expand programs to improve citizen security, strengthen governance, and create economic opportunity.

Prior to serving in government, Escobari was Executive Director at the Center for International Development at Harvard University. During her tenure, the Center launched projects in 17 countries across five continents focused on unlocking constraints to economic growth. Most recently, as a senior fellow at Brookings, she created the Workforce of the Future initiative and applied international economic development models to map the industrial path of American cities and identify policies to help workers prosper in the face of evolving labor markets. She worked with US local leaders, companies and policy makers, including in Idaho and Texas, to strengthen paths to the middle class.

Her career has spanned the private sector, government and academia, with a common thread of producing growth that is inclusive and sustainable. She began her career as an investment banker at J.P. Morgan and worked across the globe on export competitiveness projects as a strategy consultant. The World Economic Forum named her a Young Global Leader in 2013. She co-authored the book “In the River They Swim: Essays from Around the World on Enterprise Solutions to Poverty.” She holds a B.A. in economics from Swarthmore College and an M.A. in public policy from the Harvard Kennedy School.

Jonathan Fantini Porter

Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer, Partnership for Central America, USA

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.

Chrystia Freeland

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance of Canada, Office of the Deputy Prime Minister of Canada, Canada

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

Karina Gould

Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, House of Commons, Canada

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.

Wyclef Jean

Ambassador-at-Large of the Republic of Haiti, USA

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.