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.

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.

Lamya Al Haj

Associate Professor of Molecular Biology, Sultan Qaboos University, Oman

Lamya Al Haj holds a PhD in Structural and Molecular Biology from UCL and an MSc in Environmental Science and Technology from UNSW. She is a researcher on biodiesel alternatives to oil, and an Associate Professor at the Sultan Qaboos University. Lamya founded a speakers' platform in GCC region “Jalasat Mulhimoon” to showcase role models and inspire younger generations. She has spoken at conferences and corporate events including Harvard and IMD Middle East Alumni conferences on leadership. She was recently selected as a judge for an MIT based competition “Innovators under 35” organized by MIT Technology Review. She is the founder of “Coach4Change” where she worked alongside and supported senior government officials, CEOs, business leaders and boards around the country. She received numerous awards & recognitions including the “Boban Marcovic Prize in Environmental Science”, The “Gulf Intelligence - Occidental Award”, “National Research Award”, “Omani Woman Award 2019” for her innovation, and the prestigious “L’Oréal UNESCO award for women in science- Middle east fellowship award”- 2018. She is featured in the book "100 most successful Omani woman" and more recently classified as top 20 most inspiring persons in Oman by TAS ICON awards. She is also a Fellow at The World Academy of Science (TWAS 2019-2023 affiliate) and a YGL class 2020.
Her passion is in the fields of disruptive education, R&D, youth empowerment and community service.

Faisal Alibrahim

Minister of Economy and Planning, Ministry of Economy and Planning of Saudi Arabia, Saudi Arabia

Has devoted career to unlocking Saudi Arabia's economic potential. Work, including in venture capital, has helped lay the foundation for a vibrant entrepreneurial culture and a technology agenda shaping the leading energy and chemicals company in the world.

Thani Ahmed Al Zeyoudi

Minister of State for Foreign Trade, Ministry of Economy of the United Arab Emirates, United Arab Emirates

H.E Dr. Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, was appointed as Minister of State for Foreign Trade in July 2020 to oversee the development of non-oil foreign trade and the expansion of global trade partnerships and increase Exports. In addition to supervising the portfolio of retaining and attracting the best talents and competencies serving the strategic orientation of the UAE, His Excellency also leads the efforts to enhance the UAE’s investment climate in order to achieve the country’s economic interests and strategic goals, thereby strengthening its position as a prime destination for business and investments at both regional and global levels.

Prior to his appointment as the Minister of State for Foreign Trade, H.E held the position of Minister of Climate Change and Environment and supervised the implementation of the country’s strategies at the domestic level, for environment and climate action, agricultural development, animal husbandry and fisheries, in addition to combating desertification and preserving biodiversity leading to enhance the sustainability of natural systems, food diversity and the transition to a green economy.
Through diverse Global participations, HE led the UAE’s efforts to mitigate and adapt to the repercussions of climate change, and protect the country's natural ecosystem by developing and implementing a set of effective policies and initiatives to achieve sustainable development at both regional and international levels and by strengthening existing and new partnerships with the government and private sectors that are capable of increasing the contribution of environment, agricultural, livestock and fisheries sectors to ensuring food security and biosafety in the country as well as increasing the quality of national production.

Previously and after he served as the Director of the Department of Energy and Climate Change at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, H.E Al Zeyoudi was appointed as the UAE’s Permanent Representative to the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) as extraordinary Ambassador.

Minister Al Zeyoudi started his career as an oil engineer at the Abu Dhabi Marine Operating Company (ADMA-OPCO), and then moved to Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company (Masdar), where he worked on the development of renewable and clean energy technologies and solutions, and also played a key role in the success of the UAE’s 2009 campaign to host the headquarters of the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) in the capital City, Abu Dhabi.
In 2020, HE. was chosen by the Davos World Economic Forum to become a member of the Young Global Leadership Council affiliated with the Forum, recognizing his outstanding international efforts in the field of environment and climate. In 2015, Dr. Al Zeyoudi received the first award for Excellence from the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf in recognition of his pioneering efforts in the field of renewable energy.

H.E Dr. Thani Bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi holds a Bachelor's degree in Petroleum Engineering from the University of Tulsa, an MBA from the New York Institute of Technology, an MBA in Project Management from the British University in Dubai, and a PhD in Strategy, Program and Project Management from Skema Business School in France.

Shauna Aminath

Minister of Environment, Climate Change and Technology, Ministry of Environment, Climate Change and Technology of the Republic of Maldives, Maldives

Shauna Aminath has been involved in the Maldives’ democracy movement for over 10 years. She worked for former president Mohamed Nasheed (2008-2012) and served as the Policy Secretary of the President's Office under President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih's administration. In this role, she is responsible for overseeing the implementation of all government policies. A fearless campaigner for democracy, freedom, and the rule of law, Shauna has been arrested and detained in peaceful protests in the Maldives advocating for democracy.

Bernardo Asuaje

Co-Founder and Managing Director, Grupo Attia (Colombia), Colombia

Bernardo is a vibrant young entrepreneur with a strong sense of purpose in a local industry dominated by large traditional real estate developers. In a country of more than 6 million senior citizens, Bernardo has undertaken the task of designing and building projects that can provide high-quality residences, care and wellness programs for the elderly and has shown signs of always being on the cusp of innovation for social integration in urbanism.

Cherrie Atilano

Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Agrea, Philippines

Cherrie Atilano has 21 years of experience in sustainable food systems and inclusive agribusiness as an advocate of women and youth in agriculture, agri-technology, malnutrition eradication and the responsible production and consumption for the future of food. She is a multi-awarded entrepreneur and ambassador on agricultural issues.

Kate Brandt

Chief Sustainability Officer, Google, USA

Kate Brandt credits her time in government for shaping her perspective that partnerships between the public and private sector are key to solving broad, systemic challenges like clean energy and climate change. Kate currently serves as Google's Chief Sustainability Officer, leading sustainability across Google's worldwide operations, products and supply chain. Previously, she served in the White House as the country's first Federal Chief Sustainability Officer where she helped create an executive order that will cut greenhouse-gas emissions by over 40% in the next decade.

Matthew Caruana Galizia

Director, Daphne Caruana Galizia Foundation, Malta

Advances the causes of transparency, anti-corruption, freedom of speech and access to information. Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist whose work on the Panama Papers uncovered the hidden infrastructure and global scale of offshore tax havens.

Jesús "Chuy" Cepeda

Founder and Chief Executive Officer, OS City, Mexico

Chuy uses web 3 identity to build frictionless public sector experiences in Latin America. He's a PhD in Artificial Intelligence, born and raised in Monterrey, Mexico.

As a technology entrepreneur and exponential technology enthusiast, he's been using Blockchain and Artificial Intelligence to create the future of the public sector, positioning OS City as one of the Top 100 Government Technology companies in the world.

For more information, https://jesus.os.city.

Cham Krasna

Chief Executive Officer, SOMA Group, Cambodia

Krasna Cham is the first female Chief Executive Officer of the Soma Group, believing private sector to be an effective means to influence development in Cambodia and acting as an active proponent of gender equality and female leadership in the corporate sector of ASEAN. She represents a new generation of leadership in Cambodia and is outspoken on female representation in the corporate world. As CEO of one of Cambodia’s leading locally owned companies, Krasna manages the corporate direction and strategy of the group aiming at high impact sector toward the development of Cambodia.

Pamela Chan

Global Head and Chief Investment Officer, BlackRock Alternative Solutions, BlackRock, USA

Pamela Chan, CFA, Managing Director, is Chief Investment Officer and Global Head of the Alternative Solutions Group within BlackRock Alternative Investors (BAI). As CIO, she is responsible for managing the group's multi-alternative investment portfolios and chairs the Alternative Solutions Investment Committee. She is also a member of the BAI Executive Committee, BlackRock's Operating Committee and BlackRock's Global Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Steering Committee.

She currently co-chairs for the Harvard College Schools and Scholarship Committee of New York City and is a member of the Board of Forbright, Inc. (rebranded from Congressional Bank). She has previously served on the Boards of Home Partners of America, the Harvard Club of New York Foundation and the Harvard Business School Alumni Association.

In 2012, she was nominated as a World Economic Forum Global Shaper, serving as Curator for New York City in 2014.