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.

Hafsat Abiola

President and Chief Executive Officer, Women in Africa Initiative, France

Hafsat Abiola-Costello is the President/CEO of Women in Africa Initiative, a platform connecting leading and high potential women in Africa to facilitate their increased individual success and collective impact. A leader in Nigeria's pro-democracy movement, she served as a member of state cabinet in Nigeria industrial state from 2011-2019. She is also the Founder and President of the Kudirat Initiative for Democracy (KIND), an NGO that promotes the development of women as initiators of change by offering leadership training and raising awareness about harmful social issues such as violence against women. A prolific writer and speaker, Abiola-Costello holds an A.B. (Hons) in Economics from Harvard University and a Master's in International Development from Tsinghua University. She sits on several boards and is one of fifty councillors of the World Future Council. Abiola-Costello is the recipient of several national and international awards and the subject of the award winning documentary, The Supreme Price.

Enass Abo-Hamed

Chief Executive Officer, H2GO Power Ltd., United Kingdom

Enass Abo-Hamed is the Chief Executive Officer of H2GO Power, an award-winning pioneering company developing hydrogen energy storage technologies. Abo-Hamed is a Royal Academy of Engineering Enterprise Fellow, Chair of the Sustainability Interest Group at the Royal Academy, advisory board member at General Atlantic's BeyondNetZero $4Billion growth equity climate fund, and a technology expert consultant to the European Commission.

Reuben Abraham

Chief Executive Officer, Artha Global, United Kingdom

Chief Executive Officer and Senior Fellow, IDFC Institute, a Mumbai-based think/do tank focused on state capacity and political economy. Non-resident scholar, New York University, and Senior Fellow, Milken Institute. Former Professor and Executive Director, Centre for Emerging Markets Solutions (CEMS), Indian School of Business (ISB).

Senior Advisor to Swiss Re and the Asia New Zealand Foundation; Board member, Centre for Civil Society, India's leading classical liberal think tank; Advocata, a Sri Lankan think tank; THNK, The Amsterdam School of Creative Leadership; GSM Association's Interact. Investment committee of Endiya, an early stage deep-tech fund. Former Independent Director, Soros Economic Development Fund (SEDF), an impact investment pioneer and Member, Global Advisory Board of Unicredit, Italy's largest bank. TED Global Fellow (2007); served on the TED Fellows Advisory Board. Legatum Institute Fellow (2013 and 2016/2017). Named to Wired Magazine's "Smart List 2012: 50 people who will change the world". Young Global Leader, World Economic Forum (2009).

MA, MPhil and PhD, Columbia University. Former: Associate Fellow in Global Economics, Council on Foreign Relations; Fellow, Public Policy Consortium; Sloan Foundation/CITI Telecommunications Fellow.

Niklas Adalberth

Founder and Executive Chairman, Norrsken Foundation, Sweden

Niklas Adalberth, the unicorn entrepreneur behind payment start-up Klarna, donated $125 million to found the Norrsken Foundation, a tech-for-good ecosystem for social impact entrepreneurs daring to tackle societies biggest challenges. Norrsken currently houses 125+ companies in Europe's largest impact hub in Stockholm and is opening up Africas largest hub for entrepreneurs in Kigali Rwanda. Norrsken Foundation have also launched different impact funds in Europe and Africa.

Joseph Adelegan

Secretary-General, International Rubber Study Group, Finland

Professor Adelegan is the Secretary-General of the International Rubber Study Group (ISG) based in Singapore, the biggest worldwide community in the Rubber Industry. He is a C-Suite Executive and an international development expert, a Professor of Practice of Environmental Science and Engineering and a practitioner-scholar in management with over three decades of distinguished professional trajectory across 20 African Countries, Europe and United States. His work experience spans several organizations including the United Nations, development finance institutions, international organizations, government, non-governmental organizations, education, innovation and research institutions among others.

He has extensive experience in the sustainable investment, disruptive innovation and circular economy of the elastomer products. He has held Senior Roles at the United Nations as the Team Lead for the Global Circular Economy Program of the United Nations Technology Innovation Lab at the first European Lab in Finland and as a Senior Advisor at the United Nations Office of Project Services in Denmark.

Professor Adelegan was the Division Chief at the Office of the Vice President of the ECOWAS Bank for Investment and Development, an International Development Financial Institution established by ECOWAS Treaty and covering 15 ECOWAS Countries. He was a representative of Africa and the Middle East at the Climate Investment Trust Fund at the World Bank, Washington DC, United States. His portfolios has included programs and projects funded by the European Union, World Bank, Green Climate Fund, Climate Investment Fund, African Development Bank, ECOWAS, African Union, NEPAD Agency, Foreign and Commonwealth Development Office (FCDO), Australian Aid, several United Nations agencies and funds among others.

Professor Adelegan have held several board appointments, created strategic partnerships and mobilized resources from development agencies, development finance institutions and several donor agencies. He was a Member of the World Economic Forum Global Agenda Council, Geneva, Switzerland and Non-Executive Director of the European Sustainable Development Organization among others.

He was a Professor of Environmental Science and Engineering at Universities in Africa, Europe and North America. He was a Professor of the Practice of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Venda, South Africa. He is a Visiting Professor of Water and Energy Engineering at the Pan African University, Institute of Water and Energy Sciences (including Climate Change), Tlemcen, Algeria established by the African Union. He was a Visiting Professor of Environmental Management at the Commonwealth University, London, United Kingdom. He is a Professor of Environmental Leadership at the Missional University, North Augusta, South Carolina, United States.

Professor Adelegan is a recipient of several global awards including: 2006 Young Global Leader of the World Economic Forum, Geneva, Switzerland; recognition in 2007 as an Inventor Social Entrepreneur and Ashoka-Lemelson Fellow by the Ashoka Innovators for the Public and the Lemelson Foundation based in United States; 2009 Technology Pioneer of the World Economic Forum, Geneva, Switzerland; 2009 Technology Award Laureate and Prize Recipient of the Technology Museum of Innovation, San Jose, California, United States; 2010 Member of the Crans Montana Forum of New Leaders of Tomorrow, Geneva, Switzerland and 2010 Member of the Clinton Global Initiative, New York, United States among others.

He is in high demand as a regular speaker at international conferences in Africa, Asia, Europe, South America, North America and Australia. He has made appearance in CNN as 2008 Principal Voices on the “Economics of Energy” by CNN in association with Shell, Times and Fortune Magazine. He has travelled to over 120 countries in this regard. He has written over 30 publications on several topical issues.

Professor Adelegan earned Two Doctorate Degrees. He earned a Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) Degree from the Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, United States. He also gained a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) Degree in Civil and Environmental Engineering from the Nigerian Premier University of Ibadan. He is an alumnus of a number of executive programs including the United Nations University, Tokyo, Japan; the University of California, Berkeley, United States; Santa Clara University, Santa Clara, California, United States; John F. Kennedy School of Government and the Harvard Business School, Harvard University, United States among others.

David Aikman

Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer, ESG DAO, Switzerland

David is a Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of ESG DAO PLC, a company that uses Web3 to democratise ESG, connect people & brands around shared values, and help businesses make positive impact. He has proven leadership experience in creating innovative partnerships between companies and non-profit organisations, that create sustainable, shared value on a global scale. Over the last 25+ years, working for the International Olympic Committee and the World Economic Forum, David has created, curated, and led innovative communities that have changed the world for the better including the Forum of Young Global Leaders (2007-2015), the Global Shapers (2011-2015), the Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship (2012-2015), the Technology Pioneers and the Global Growth Companies. From 2015-2021 David was Chief Representative Officer of the World Economic Forum in Greater China. In his spare time, David collects bad Dad Jokes, Scottish single malts, and Chinese contemporary art.

Anulika Ajufo

Venture Partner, Europe, Middle East and Africa, Sagana, United Kingdom

A vibrant and inspirational leader in Finance and Philanthropy with extensive experience in investments in both public and private sector markets from some of the world's largest Financial Institutions- Lehman Brothers, Goldman Sachs, Carlyle Group and Soros Fund. For over a decade, Anulika has developed extensive experience globally, notably in the fields of private equity and venture capital investing. She believes in the ability to drive change at scale through socially and environmentally oriented business having led inclusive investment portfolios across EMEA with sectoral focus across financial inclusion, renewables, healthcare, education and widening access to other basic services for marginalised populations. Her philanthropic work with young people in the United Kingdom over the past 15 years has also gained widespread recognition. As an advocate for economic justice and social mobility, she currently Chairs the Board of University of East London- London's most diverse and inclusive university by race and socioeconomic status. She is also the Founder of the Sequoia Platform- a social mobility engine for ethnic minority and disadvantaged youth in the United Kingdom, geared towards creating educational and employment opportunities in the United Kingdom. Anulika has an MEng in Medical Engineering from Queen Mary University of London and an MSc in Law and Finance from the University of Oxford.

Rafat Al-Akhali

Fellow of Practice, Strategic Projects, Blavatnik School of Government, University of Oxford, United Kingdom

Rafat is a thought leader and practitioner passionate about addressing political and economic challenges in situations of fragility and conflict. He has over 15 years of experience in the public and private sectors in Yemen and internationally, including in senior government positions. Since 2016, Rafat has been a fellow at the Blavatnik School of Government, University of Oxford where he has led the school’s multiple initiatives in the field of state fragility including the LSE-Oxford Commission on State Fragility, the Council on State Fragility, and the DFI Fragility Forum. He has previously served as Minister of Youth and Sports in the Government of Yemen, and prior to that was leading the Policy Reforms team at the Executive Bureau for Acceleration of Aid Absorption and Support for Policy Reforms.

Rafat has successfully led multiple large-scale social and economic research studies in Yemen, and is an advisor to Yemeni and international stakeholders on political, peace building, and economic issues in Yemen. He previously held senior positions with PricewaterhouseCoopers and IBM in Canada.

Rafat earned his second Master degree in Public Policy (MPP) at the Blavatnik School of Government, University of Oxford, UK. His first Master degree was in Business Administration (MBA) from Ecole des Hautes Etudes Commerciales (HEC) Montréal, Canada.

Alberto Alemanno

Founder, The Good Lobby, Belgium

Alberto is the Jean Monnet Professor of Law & Public Policy at HEC Paris, and permanent visiting professor at Tokyo University School of Public Policy and the College of Europe, Bruges. Due to his commitment to bridge the gap between academic research and policy action, he is the founder of The Good Lobby, the leading advocacy movement democratizing lobbying as a legitimate, healthy practice of democratic life capable of equalizing access to power.

Alberto is Schwab Foundation Social Innovators of the Year (2022), Ashoka Fellow (2019), WEF Young Global Leader (2015), European Young Leader (2014) and BMW Responsible Leader (2018).

He regularly provides advice to governments across the world, leading and emerging philanthropies, nonprofits, progressive companies, as well as grassroots movements as well as international organizations, such as the European Commission, the European Parliament, the OECD, the World Health Organization.

Alberto is a regular contributor to The Guardian, Bloomberg, Politico Europe, Le Monde, Le Grand Continent and a frequent commentator on Euronews, France24, Al-Jazeera, and TV5Monde.

He has been involved in dozens of campaigns, ranging from the first European Citizen Initiative putting an end to international roaming to the drafting of the EU whistleblower directive, mandatory plain-packaging for tobacco products, and designed the Ukraine Corporate Index aimed at tracking businesses' responses to Russian invasion so as to make them re-assess their engagement with the Russian market.

Originally from Italy, Alemanno is a graduate of Harvard Law School and the College of Europe. He holds a PhD in International Law and Economics from Bocconi University. Prior to entering academia fully time, he clerked at the Court of Justice of the European Union, worked as a Teaching Assistant at the College of Europe in Bruges and qualified as an attorney at law in New York.

Among his latest books, 'Citizen Participation in Democratic Europe' (Rowman & Littlefield, 2021), 'Lobbying for Change: Find Your Voice to Create a Better Society' (Iconbooks, 2017), 'Nudge and the Law' (Hart Publishing, 2016) and 'Regulating Lifestyle Risks - Europe, Alcohol, Tobacco and Unhealthy Diets' (Cambridge University Press, 2015).

Alberto's MOOC Understanding Europe is available on Coursera. Launched in 2014, it gathered more than 300k participants from all over the world in its first edition.

Alberto lives in Bilbao, with his family, teaches in Paris and advocates from Brussels all across the EU and beyond.

Erica Alessandri

Member of the Board, Technogym, Italy

In 2016, after pursuing several international work and volunteering experiences, Erica joined the family business, Technogym, world leader brand in equipment and digital solutions for fitness, wellness and sport. That year, she was appointed Member of the Board when the company went public. In this position, she has been active in the design and implementation of ESG policies and other initiatives around sustainability. Moreover, after her MBA at INSEAD, Erica started leading a new and innovative project to bring a personalized wellness experience directly to consumers anywhere, anytime through a new app integrated with Technogym’s ecosystem. Alongside her focus on business, Erica also serves on the board of the “Wellness Foundation”, the family’s non-profit body, whose mission is to promote the Wellness lifestyle as an opportunity for all stakeholders: governments, companies and citizens. Erica has been involved in the development of the second phase of the “Wellness Valley”, a social project aimed at building in Romagna, their local community, the first Wellness District in the world by engaging over 200 stakeholders to leverage Wellness as a lever for sustainable economic development. In March 2020, Forbes Italy featured Erica on the cover page of their 30 Under 30 issue for her commitment in bringing forward the family’s legacy around promoting the Wellness philosophy.

Natalia Allen

Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Design Futurist SM, Spain

Natalia Allen graduated from Parsons School of Design as Designer of the Year, a title she shares with Marc Jacobs. Natalia founded Design Futurist, an award winning design consultancy that has created innovative and sustainable textiles and clothing for multinational brands such as DuPont, Calvin Klein, and Donna Karan.

For her groundbreaking work, Natalia has received numerous distinctions, including recognition as a World Economic Forum Young Global Leader, one of Fast Company's 100 Most Creative Professionals, and one of Utne Reader’s 25 Visionaries Who Are Changing Your World. An honorary Design Futures Senior Fellow and speaker on technological and socially responsible design, she has presented at international conferences in Europe, Asia and South America.

With the debut of her namesake line, Natalia spent several months in American factories learning about advancements in 3-D manufacturing. She designed beautiful minimalist clothing made in a systematic, seamless and sustainable process. The collection has trended on Oprah, Forbes and Fox Business. The complete Natalia Allen collection is available on the flagship website. Select lines are retailing at Lord & Taylor, the company’s first national retail partner.

Patrick Allen

Vice-President; International Managing Editor, CNBC, United Kingdom

BA in Economics. Former mini-cab dispatcher. Currently, Head of News and Programming, CNBC EMEA; responsible for CNBC business day programmes in the EMEA region; leads CNBC journalists, sets news agenda, manages key external relationships, budgets, live coverage and outside broadcast work. Interests: global markets and business, with a keen interest in finding solutions to youth employment.