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Judges 2024

Judges 2024

The high-level panel of judges is composed of distinguished individuals from across the world, representing UN leadership, high-ranking government officials, grassroots activists, civil society, creatives, and business leaders driving positive impact. Given their vast knowledge and experience, the panel of judges is uniquely positioned to recognize and celebrate the transformative initiatives and committed individuals who are wielding the power of creativity and innovation to bring us closer to a more sustainable, equitable and peaceful world.

The UN SDG Action Campaign is proud to partner with this exceptional group of leaders, each committed to shaping a future that brings us closer to the Sustainable Development Goals.

Niels Annen

Parliamentary State Secretary to the Federal Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development Federal Republic of Germany
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Honourable Emma Inamutila Theofelus

Minister of Information and Communication Technology Republic of Namibia

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Stefano Gatti

Director General for Development and Cooperation Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MAECI)
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H.E. Dr. Rania
A. Al-Mashat

Minister of Planning, Economic Development & International Cooperation Arab Republic of Egypt
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Rebeca Grynspan

Secretary-General  UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD) 
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Achim Steiner

UNDP Administrator
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Sabrina Dhowre Elba

Activist, CEO, Global Citizen Europe Chair and UN Goodwill Ambassador for IFAD
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Dr. Felipe Paullier

United Nations Assistant Secretary-General for Youth Affairs
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Muhammed Muheisen

Canon Ambassador and two-time Pulitzer Prize winner
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Maureen Penjueli

Co-Lead Pacific Network on Globalisation (PANG)
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Lambert Wilson

Actor, Director, Singer, and Activist
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Jessica Smith

Paralympian and Disability Advocate
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Prof. Dr. Jayati Ghosh

UN High-Level Advisory Board on Effective Multilateralism and Economist
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Guy Ryder

United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Policy
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Kitty van der Heijden

Deputy Executive Director for Partnerships UNICEF
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Michelle Roverelli

Director of Member Relations and Communications, European Broadcasting Union
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Lucia Silva

Group Chief Sustainability Officer Assicurazioni Generali
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Amitabh Behar

Executive Director Oxfam International
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Madam Mayor, Mrs. Geraldine Lendor-Gabriel

Mayor, City of Castries
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Farhoud Meybodi

award-winning film director and producer
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Alicia Pepe Vides

SignPost Senior Manager International Rescue Committee
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Stefano Boeri

Architect and Urban Planner
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Heidi Solba

President and Head of the Global Network Let’s Do It World and World Cleanup Day
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Nery Santaella

Founder Voices of Venezuela
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Rupen Desai

CMO & Venture Partner, Una Terra Co-Founder, The Shed 28
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Sadya Touré

Generation17 Young Leader UNDP
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Foodmasku

Artist
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Casey Camp-Horinek

Environmental Ambassador & Hereditary Drumkeeper, Women’s Scalp Dance Society of the Ponca Nation of Oklahoma
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Leyla Hasanova

Youth Climate Champion for COP29
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Shomy Hasan Chowdhury

Co-Founder Awareness 360
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Meet the 2023 Judges
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Niels Annen

Parliamentary State Secretary to the Federal Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development Federal Republic of Germany

Niels Annen is a German politician who has been serving as Parliamentary State Secretary in the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development in the coalition government of Chancellor Olaf Scholz since 2021. Mr. Annen previously served as Minister of State at the Federal Foreign Office from 2018 to 2021 in the government of Chancellor Angela Merkel. He has been a member of the German Bundestag from 2005 to 2009 and since 2013. As a long-time member of the Committee on Foreign Affairs, he established himself as a foreign policy expert, focusing largely on the German engagement in Afghanistan and the Middle East. As a Spanish speaker, he is also well versed in the history and politics of Latin and Central America. Within the Committee on Foreign Affairs, he has served on the Subcommittee for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation as well as the Subcommittee for the United Nations. Previous to this position, he served as the Foreign Policy Spokesperson for the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD) and as a Senior Transatlantic Fellow at the German Marshall Fund in Washington between 2010 and 2011. He also worked for the Department for International Policy Analysis of the Friedrich Ebert Foundation in Berlin. He holds a Master Degree in International Public Policy of the Johns Hopkins University, Washington D.C., USA.

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Honourable Emma Inamutila Theofelus

Minister of Information and Communication Technology
Republic of Namibia

Honourable Emma Inamutila Theofelus is a Member of Parliament and the Minister of Information and Communication Technology in the Republic of Namibia. In her current role, she is spearheading national initiatives to increase internet access, build digital literacy and prepare Namibia for the Fourth Industrial Revolution. She also champions digital justice across the African continent as a council member of the Nala Feminist Collective.

A globally recognized leader and former youth activist, she is the 2022 Laureate in the Individual Category of the United Nations Population Award and serves as a board member of the Leadership Council of Africa REACH.

Previously, she served as the Deputy Speaker of the Youth Parliament of the Republic of Namibia, Board Member of the National Council of Higher Education and the Junior Mayor of the City of Windhoek amongst other roles.

Her extensive advocacy for gender equality, children’s rights and sustainable development has earned her international acclaim, including being named to the BBC 100 Most Influential Women in the World 2021.

Born in Windhoek, she holds an LLB Honours Degree from the University of Namibia, alongside diplomas in Business Management from Amity University and Afrikan Feminism and Gender Studies from the University of South Africa. She is currently pursuing a Master’s Degree in ICT Policy and Regulation at the University of Witwatersrand.

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Stefano Gatti

Director General for Development and Cooperation Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation
Italian Republic

Stefano Gatti is a senior Italian diplomat serving as the Director General for Development and Cooperation at the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MAECI). Mr. Gatti also serves as the Special Envoy of the Italian MFA and International Cooperation for Food Security. In this capacity, he co-chaired the Steering Committee for the organization of the 2021 Pre-Food Systems Summit and the 2023 Food Systems Summit+2. Previously, he served as the Ambassador of Italy to Australia, First Counsellor at the Permanent Representation of Italy to the United Nations, Counsellor at the Permanent Representation of Italy to NATO, and First Secretary at the Italian Embassy in New Delhi. He has also been the Director for International Affairs, General Director of Participants, and Director of the Italian Pavilion at Italy EXPO 2015. In addition, he worked as Diplomatic Advisor of the Minister for Innovation and Technologies, and Head of the E-Government Mission Unit for the Development of the Presidency of the Council of Ministers from 2001 to 2006.  

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H.E. Dr. Rania A. Al-Mashat

Minister of Planning, Economic Development & International Cooperation Arab Republic of Egypt

H.E. Dr. Rania A. Al-Mashat is the Minister of Planning, Economic Development and International Cooperation of the Arab Republic of Egypt. H.E. Dr. Al-Mashat previously served as the country’s Minister of International Cooperation and was Egypt’s first female Minister of Tourism. She has over 20 years of international experience in central banking, financial systems, monetary policy frameworks, international cooperation policies and strategies, sustainable development, and climate finance. Her previous positions include Advisor to the IMF Chief Economist and Sub-Governor for Monetary Policy at the Central Bank of Egypt. She also has several publications in monetary policy, financial stability and institutional reforms in transition and emerging markets. She was named the Most Visionary & Outstanding Minister of International Cooperation in Africa in 2022 by the Elliott School of International Affairs George Washington University and the GE7 Initiative.

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Rebeca Grynspan

Secretary-General 
UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD) 

Rebeca Grynspan, of Costa Rica, was appointed the eighth Secretary-General of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) on 13 September 2021. Ms. Grynspan is the first woman to hold this position in the history of the organization. She is also Coordinator of the Task Team of the Global Crisis Response Group on Food, Energy and Finance set up by the UN Secretary-General to help support developed and developing countries face the economic shocks related to the war in Ukraine. Prior to her UNCTAD appointment, she was the Secretary-General of the Ibero-American Conference from 2014 to 2021, the first woman to lead the organization. She is also a former Under Secretary-General of the UN and Associate Administrator of the UN Development Programme (UNDP), and a former Regional Director for Latin America and the Caribbean. Prior to joining the UN, she served as Vice President of Costa Rica from 1994 to 1998. She also held the positions of Minister of Housing, Minister Coordinator of Economic and Social Affairs, and Deputy Finance Minister. She holds a degree in economics from the University of Costa Rica and a Master’s degree in economics from the University of Sussex. She was awarded a Doctorate Honoris Causa by the University of Salamanca, the University of Extremadura, and the European University of Madrid in recognition of her outstanding professional achievements.

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ACHIM STEINER

UNDP Administrator

Achim Steiner became Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) on 19 June 2017. The United Nations General Assembly confirmed Mr. Steiner’s appointment following his nomination by United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres. In April 2021, the UN General Assembly confirmed his appointment to a second four-year term beginning in June 2021. He is also the Vice-Chair of the UN Sustainable Development Group, which unites 40 UN System entities that support sustainable development. 

Over nearly three decades, Achim Steiner has been a global leader on sustainable development, climate resilience and international cooperation. He has worked tirelessly to champion sustainability, economic growth, and equality for the vulnerable, and has been a vocal advocate for the Sustainable Development Goals.

Prior to joining UNDP, he was Director of the Oxford Martin School and Professorial Fellow of Balliol College, University of Oxford. Mr. Steiner has served across the United Nations system, looking at global challenges from both a humanitarian and a development perspective. He led the United Nations Environment Programme (2006-2016), supporting countries and communities to advance new efforts to protect and restore our natural world. He was also Director-General of the United Nations Office at Nairobi. Achim Steiner previously held other notable positions including Director General of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature, and Secretary General of the World Commission on Dams.

He graduated in Philosophy, Politics and Economics (MA) from Worcester College, Oxford University and holds an MA from the University of London/School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS). 

He also studied at the German Development Institute in Berlin and at Harvard Business School.

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Sabrina Dhowre Elba

Activist, CEO, Global Citizen Europe Chair and UN Goodwill Ambassador for IFAD

Sabrina Dhowre Elba is a CEO, Model and Activist. Born in Vancouver, Canada and of Somali Descent, Ms. Dhowre Elba is passionate about gender equality and was appointed UN Goodwill Ambassador for the International Fund for Agricultural Development in April 2020, dedicating her efforts to the challenges faced by rural women and girls. She also works with a variety of civil society organizations, which includes supporting Farm Africa in raising funds to help farmers across Eastern Africa and working with Conservation International on environmental issues. She chairs the European Board for Global Citizen and has been a keynote speaker at leading global events. She has also received – awards in recognition of her advocacy work, including the TIME100 Impact Award and The Crystal Award from the World Economic Forum.

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Dr. Felipe Paullier

Assistant Secretary-General for Youth Affairs
United Nations Youth Office
Dr. Felipe Paullier of Uruguay assumed his mandate as the first-ever Assistant Secretary-General for Youth Affairs in December 2023 at the age of 32. He is the youngest senior appointment in the history of the United Nations, and the youngest serving member of the Secretary-General’s senior management group. As head of the United Nations Youth Office, Mr. Paullier leads systemwide collaboration, coordination and accountability on youth affairs, overseeing the UN’s efforts to strengthen meaningful youth engagement in the areas of sustainable development, human rights, and peace and security. Prior to taking up his post, Mr. Paullier was the Director General of the National Youth Institute of Uruguay beginning in 2020, where he led efforts to engage young people in policy-making processes at national level. He previously served in various political management positions at the national level. Throughout his career, he has been a foremost advocate for young people’s rights and the inclusion of young people in decision-making spaces. Mr. Paullier is a Medical Doctor by training, specialized in pediatrics. He holds a Medical Doctor degree from the Universidad de la Republica Oriental de Uruguay and a Master in Business Administration (MBA) from Universidad Católica de Uruguay.
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Muhammed Muheisen

Canon Ambassador and two-time Pulitzer Prize winner

Muhammed Muheisen is a Canon Ambassador and world-renowned photographer. Mr. Muheisen is a two-time Pulitzer Prize-winner, National Geographic photojournalist, Founder and Chairman of the Dutch non-profit organization Everyday Refugees Foundation, and Global Ambassador for Jordan Tourism Board. He was named Best Wire Photographer in 2013 by the TIME Magazine and recently received the 2023 National Geographic Wayfinder Award. Since 2001, he has documented major events in Asia, Europe, the Middle East, Africa and the USA, and for over a decade and a half, his work has covered different refugee crises. His documentary Muhammed Muheisen: Finding the Light featuring his life and achievements is now available for streaming on Disney+ and Hulu.

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Maureen Penjueli

Co-Lead Pacific Network on Globalisation (PANG)

Maureen Penjueli is the Co-Lead of the Pacific Network on Globalisation, a pioneering policy research and advocacy network focusing on supporting Pacific Island people’s right to political, economic and socio-cultural self-determination. Ms. Penjueli’s research and advocacy work revolves around the impacts of systemic and structural injustices on island nations in the region. She researches the climate emergency through the lens of deep-sea minerals and the just energy transition debate, debt and frontier-market-based climate financing mechanisms, customary land tenure, food sovereignty and oceans economy. Previously, she served on a number of boards including Greenpeace Australia-Pacific, Fiji Women’s Crisis Center, and Leadership Fiji. She is also currently an advisor to Nia Tero, and holds an environmental science degree from Griffith University, Brisbane, Australia.

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Lambert Wilson

Actor, Director, Singer, and Activist

Lambert Wilson is one of the best-known actors from France. Mr. Wilson has championed the work of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations for nearly a decade and has used his fame to promote World Food Day and the fight against hunger, while also actively advocating for environmental issues such as reforestation, sustainable fisheries management and the protection of biodiversity in common oceans. As an actor, he has appeared in over 100 films and worked with directors such as Fred Zinnemann, Jacques Demy, Andrez Wajda, Carlos Saura, Bertrand Tavernier, James Ivory and Alain Resnais. In theatre, he has worked with Jean-Louis Barrault, Harold Pinter and Stephen Sondheim. Internationally, he is best known for his work in Xavier Beauvois’ Of Gods and Men

and as The Merovingian in the Matrix films. His recent work includes Hélène Fillières’ Volontaire, Gabriel Le Bomin’s De Gaulle, Paul Verhoeven’s Benedetta and Anthony Fabian’s Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris.

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Jessica Smith

Paralympian and Disability Advocate

Jessica Smith OAM PLY is a leading international advocate for diversity, inclusion, and accessibility. Ms. Smith is a former Australian Paralympic swimmer, as well as a motivational and keynote speaker, writer and author. Her various platforms allow her to help facilitate honest conversations about diversity and accessibility and to highlight practical solutions that improve the lack of inclusivity within society. Combining personal experience and academic research, she formulates strategic initiatives to help people understand the complexities associated with disability and inclusion, and in doing so, delivers genuine social impact. Her outstanding advocacy work has been widely recognized and she has received many awards including the Pride of Australia Medal, and in 2019, the Medal of the Order of Australia, Australia’s highest honour.

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Prof. Dr. Jayati Ghosh

UN High-Level Advisory Board on Effective Multilateralism and Economist

Prof. Dr. Jayati Ghosh is an Economist and a member of several international boards and commissions, including the UN Secretary General’s High-Level Advisory Board on Effective Multilateralism, the UN High-Level Advisory Board on Economic and Social Affairs, and the World Health Organization Council on the Economics of Health for All. Prof. Dr. Ghosh teaches economics at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, USA and was previously a Professor at Jawaharlal Nehru University, India for nearly 35 years. She has authored and edited 20 books and more than 200 scholarly articles. She has received several prizes, including the International Labour Organization’s Decent Work Research Prize in 2011, the 2023 Galbraith Award of the Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, and the International Economics Association Fellow Award for 2023. She has also advised governments in India and other countries, and for two decades from 2002 to 2021, she was the Executive Secretary of International Development Economics Associates.

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Guy Ryder

United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Policy

Guy Ryder is the Under-Secretary-General for Policy in the Executive Office of the Secretary-General (EOSG) at the United Nations Headquarters in New York. Mr. Ryder coordinates global policy work, with a particular focus on follow-up to the Our Common Agenda report and strategic coordination within the Executive Office. He ensures coherence in the analysis provided to the Secretary-General and conducts system-wide coordination, including on the Secretary-General’s Call to Action for Human Rights. He chairs the Deputies Committee, oversees Secretariat support to the Executive Committee and the Senior Management Group, and coordinates closely on matters related to the Chief Executives Board. Prior to this role, he served as Director-General of the International Labour Organization in Geneva. He was the General Secretary of the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions and was also elected as the first General Secretary of the International Trade Union Confederation when it was created in 2006. He studied Social and Political Sciences at the University of Cambridge and Latin American Studies at the University of Liverpool.

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Kitty van der Heijden

Deputy Executive Director for Partnerships UNICEF

Kitty van der Heijden is the Assistant Secretary-General and Deputy Executive Director for Partnerships of UNICEF. Ms. van der Heijden’s career in international development spans over 35 years – working for government, non-governmental organizations and United Nations entities. Prior to her current role, she was the Director General for International Cooperation in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands. She also served as the Vice President and Director for Europe and Africa of the World Resources Institute, the Netherlands’ Ambassador for Sustainable Development and Director for Climate, Energy, Environment and Water. Her field experience includes Mexico, India, Ethiopia and Vietnam. She also served as a non-executive member of the board at Unilever Netherlands, the Global Commission on Business and SDGs and the Global Planetary Security Conference. She was awarded the Dutch National Green Ribbon of Honor in 2013 and has a Master of Economics from Erasmus University, Rotterdam.

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Michelle Roverelli

Director of Member Relations and Communications, European Broadcasting Union

Michelle Roverelli is the Director of Member Relations and Communications at the European Broadcasting Union (EBU). As part of the EBU’s senior leadership team, Ms. Roverelli is responsible for Member and Institutional Relations, supporting EBU Members in 56 countries and championing the values and needs of public service media in Europe and beyond. She also leads marketing, communications and events for the organization. She is from Rome and joined the EBU in 2007 as a Senior Communications Officer. She was appointed Head of Communications in 2011, and took over the responsibilities for marketing, branding and events in 2018 before being appointed as Director. Prior to joining the EBU, she held senior roles in two global public affairs and communications consultancies in Brussels and Geneva. She also has extensive experience with some of the most influential lobbies in Brussels. Michelle is multi-lingual and graduated in Political Science from Luiss Guido Carli University in Rome. She also holds a Masters in EU Policy and Economics from the Université Libre de Bruxelles.

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Lucia Silva

Group Chief Sustainability Officer 
Assicurazioni Generali 
Lucia Silva is the Group Chief Sustainability Officer for Assicurazioni Generali, where she leads the definition and implementation of the Group Sustainability strategy and policies. Ms. Silva is a senior sustainability professional with 20 years of experience. She strongly believes that by aligning people, planet, and profit, companies can ensure they are successful now and in the future, while also creating shared value for their stakeholders. In her current role, she has the opportunity to work on some of the most pressing challenges of our time, such as climate change, aging population, demographic changes, and digitalization. Her focus is on integrating sustainability into business practices, looking at insurance products, and investment strategies. She also serves as Board Member for some of Generali’s companies such as: Generali Italia, Generali Deutschland, Generali Real Estate and The Human Safety Net. Prior to joining Generali, she worked for 15 years at KPMG, where she successfully supported various companies from a wide range of sectors in defining and developing their sustainability strategy. She holds a master’s degree in Governance, Business Ethics and Risk Management from Libero Istituto Universitario Carlo Cattaneo University and a degree in Philosophy from Statale di Milano University.
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Amitabh Behar

Executive Director
Oxfam International

Amitabh Behar is the Executive Director of Oxfam International, a global civil society leader with decades of experience in human rights, economic justice, and strengthening citizen participation. Before this, he was CEO of Oxfam India. He has held leadership roles in major organizations including CIVICUS, where he served as Vice Chair of the Board, and Navsarjan and Yuva, where he was Chair and President, respectively. He currently serves on the boards of the International Civil Society Centre and the Norwegian Human Rights Fund, and also holds the position of Chair at the International Civil Society Centre. Prior to Oxfam, he led the National Foundation for India and co-chaired the Global Call to Action Against Poverty, a coalition of over 11,000 civil society groups worldwide.

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Madam Mayor, Mrs. Geraldine Lendor-Gabriel

Mayor, City of Castries

Geraldine Lendor-Gabriel has been serving as the Mayor of the City of Castries in Saint Lucia since 2021. Mrs. Lendor-Gabriel is also a Chartered Accountant and an Accredited Director with the Institute of Chartered Secretary. In addition, she works as a Business and Environmental Consultant. She is a member of the Board of the 1st National Bank Saint Lucia and the Immediate Past President of the Association of Management Consultants of Saint Lucia. Previously, she held several positions at the national level in Saint Lucia, including on the board of the Cultural Development Foundation, Folk Research Centre, Public Health Board, Saint Lucia Civil Service Cooperative Credit Union, and the Saint Lucia Cooperative League. She also served as Chairperson of the Internal Audit Committee of the Caribbean Confederation of Credit Unions and as the CEO of the Saint Lucia Solid Waste Management Authority. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Economics and Management and a Master of Science in Environmental Management.

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Farhoud Meybodi

award-winning film director and producer

Farhoud Meybodi is a filmmaker and an entrepreneur focused on storytelling that inspires cultural change. Mr. Meybodi is the Founder of Ritual Arts and over the past fourteen years, has collaborated on a variety of award-winning projects at the forefront of brand purpose and social impact. He has been involved in projects that have cumulatively been seen over two billion times and raised millions of dollars for terminal illness research. He also serves as a member of the Television Academy and the Directors Guild of America. Additionally, he teaches an upper-division business course on storytelling for social impact at Loyola Marymount University. At his core, he believes in the transformative power of art to help heal the political and social divide of the present day.

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Alicia Pepe Vides

SignPost Senior Manager International Rescue Committee

Alicia Pepe Vides is a marketing strategist and journalist with 4 years of experience in the humanitarian sector and 12 years in charge of information projects in Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, and Canada. Ms. Pepe Vides is working as a Senior Manager of SignPost, an International Rescue Committee (IRC)-led consortium project that creates community-led information platforms to empower people in times of crisis and is being implemented in 20+ countries and 25 languages. Last year, the SignPost project was awarded the 2023 UN SDG Action Award in the Connect Category. She holds a Master’s degree in International Cooperation Project Management and currently works as a Field Manager in IRC’s response in Venezuela.

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Stefano Boeri

Architect and Urban Planner

Stefano Boeri is an architect, urban planner, and Professor of Urban Planning at the Politecnico di Milano and serves as the President of Triennale Milano. He is one of the main protagonists of the debate on climate change in international architecture and the architect of the Bosco Verticale in Milan. His work ranges from architectural planning and urban visions to design, with a constant focus on the geopolitical and environmental implications of urban phenomena. He is also known for his research, visions and masterplans on the evolving global urban condition. He has been involved in designing regeneration and development plans for metropolises such as São Paulo, Geneva, Tirana, Cancun, Riyadh, Cairo, and various cities in Italy. In 2023, his architecture studio Stefano Boeri Architetti won the UN SDG Action Award in the Inspire Category for Green Obsession, its vision for a greener urban future.

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Heidi Solba

President and Head of the Global Network Let’s Do It World and World Cleanup Day

Heidi Solba is the President and Head of the Global Network at Let’s Do It World, an environmental action network headquartered in the Republic of Estonia that is active in 164 countries. Ms. Solba has extensive experience in change management and communication, and her work focuses on empowering people, organizations, and governments to create positive change in societies. Over the past nine years, in her role at Let’s Do It World, she has led flagship global campaigns such as the World Cleanup Day, Digital Cleanup Day, and various green projects. The World Cleanup Day programme has been awarded the 2023 UN SDG Action Award in the Mobilize Category and the UN Habitat Scroll Award in 2021. Her past experience includes implementing corporate social responsibility projects with 46 Estonian organizations, working as a strategic human resources professional for Enterprise Estonia, and serving in client management for private banking at Swedbank.

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Nery Santaella

Founder Voices of Venezuela

Nery Santaella is the Founder of Voices of Venezuela. After fleeing Venezuela for Colombia, Ms. Santaella founded Voices of Venezuela to provide educational resources and support Venezuelan refugees in Colombia. Her organization uses social media, chatbots and artificial intelligence to provide millions of refugees with critical safety information and educational resources. In addition, her team collects and analyzes data to allow faster and more accurate early detection of gender-based violence, discrimination, human trafficking, and many other challenges within the Venezuelan diaspora. She was recognized as a Changemaker in the 2023 UN SDG Action Awards and won the USA for UNHCR’s Gene Dewey Refugee Award in 2022 for her dedication to helping people forcibly displaced from their homes.

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Rupen Desai

CMO & Venture Partner, Una Terra
Co-Founder, The Shed 28
Rupen Desai is the Co-Founder of The Shed 28 (TS/28) and was named one of the world’s most influential chief marketing officers (CMOs) by Forbes. Mr. Desai co-founded TS/28 to build and partner with responsible and purposeful businesses that work towards the prosperity of people and planet. He is also the CMO and Venture Partner at Una Terra, where he is responsible for scaling the impact of the fund and the broader movement addressing climate change and the loss of biodiversity. Prior to this, he served as the outside-in Global CMO at Dole Sunshine Co. In addition to being recognized by Forbes, he has been inducted into the World Federation of Advertisers’ Marketers Hall of Fame. He has also been recognized as a CMO to watch by Business Insider and was named a Sustainability Star by Adweek.
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Sadya Touré

Generation17 Young Leader UNDP

Sadya Touré is a women’s rights activist from Mali. Ms. Touré is the Founder of Woye – a women-led and women’s rights organization, and Youth Empowerment – an NGO that provides education opportunities and career training to girls from rural Mali. She is also a writer, blogger, and author of the book Being an Ambitious Woman in Mali, which contributes to the debates surrounding the empowerment of women and gender equality. In addition, she was nominated by the Confederation of West African Youth as one of the 100 Most Influential Young People in West Africa. As part of her education, she spent six weeks at Kansas State University through the Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders. She graduated in Journalism and Communication and holds a Master Degree in International Relations and Diplomacy.

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Foodmasku

Artist

Foodmasku is a multimedia artist based in New York City. The New York Times selected his Instagram account as “one of five art accounts to follow”. He is a sustainable artist who fuses creativity, sustainability, and culinary artistry. Through his extraordinary food masks, which he first wears and then eats, he provides a captivating take on the intersection of food waste, responsible consumption, and sustainable food systems. He represented “Zero Hunger” – one of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals set to achieve a more sustainable future by 2030 – at the 2024 UN Food Systems Summit and the 2024 UN Sustainable Development Goals Summit.

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Casey Camp-Horinek

Environmental Ambassador & Hereditary Drumkeeper, Women’s Scalp Dance Society of the Ponca Nation of Oklahoma

Casey Camp-Horinek is a community leader, long-time Native rights activist, environmentalist, actress, and the Environmental Ambassador for the Southern Ponca Tribe of what is now called Oklahoma. Ms. Camp-Horinek has been an outspoken protector and defender of her people and Mother Earth and a global leader in the Rights of Nature movement. She is a board member of the Women’s Earth and Climate Action Network (WECAN), founding chairwoman of Movement Rights’ Board, and also serves as the chair of the Indigenous Council for the Global Alliance for the Rights of Nature (GARN). As traditional Drumkeeper for the Ponca Pa-tha-ta, Woman’s Scalp Dance Society, she helps maintain the cultural identity of the Ponca Nation of Oklahoma for herself, her family and her community. She is known for her roles in the television series Avatar: The Last Airbender and Reservation Dogs.

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Leyla Hasanova

Youth Climate Champion for COP29

Leyla Hasanova is the Youth Climate Champion for COP29 in Azerbaijan. Ms. Hasanova serves as the Chairperson of the Non-Aligned Movement Youth Organization, and has previously worked as the Head of the Secretariat of the Non-Aligned Movement Youth Organization and Program Coordinator at the Institute for Development and Diplomacy at ADA University. She holds a Master’s Degree in Public Administration and is also a United National System Staff College and UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction programme graduate. In her role as a Youth Climate Champion, she will amplify the voices of youth-led and youth-focused organizations to ensure that they are mainstreamed into climate diplomacy and the COP process. She will also work with YOUNGO, the official children and youth constituency of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), to empower children and youth and promote youth participation in climate action.

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Shomy Hasan Chowdhury

Co-Founder Awareness 360

Shomy Hasan Chowdhury is an award-winning Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) activist from Bangladesh, and the Co-Founder of the global non-profit Awareness 360. Ms. Chowdhury is a development professional with over 10 years of experience in community development. Her notable recognitions include Forbes 30 Under 30, President Barack Obama’s Volunteer Service Gold Award, Putra Icon Award, and the Diana Legacy Award. She is also the first Bangladeshi to sit on the 2021 Diana Legacy Award Judging Panel, a McCain Global Leader, Global Citizen Advocate, Asia Pacific’s first Samsung Global-UNDP Generation17 Young Leader, Specialist for the CEE initiative of the US State Department, and International Election Observer. She also holds leadership and advisory positions at multiple international organizations. She has a Master’s in Global Affairs from Tsinghua University in Beijing, China, as a Schwarzman Scholar. She is currently based in London, UK, working as a Project Manager at The Diana Award.

Amina J. Mohammed

Deputy Secretary-General
Executive Office of the Secretary-General (EOSG)
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Ms. Amina J. Mohammed is the Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations and Chair of the United Nations Sustainable Development Group.

Prior to her appointment, Ms. Mohammed served as Minister of Environment of the Federal Republic of Nigeria where she steered the country’s efforts on climate action and efforts to protect the natural environment.

Ms. Mohammed first joined the United Nations in 2012 as Special Adviser to former Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon with the responsibility for post-2015 development planning. She led the process that resulted in global agreement around the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the creation of the Sustainable Development Goals.

Ms. Mohammed began her career working on the design of schools and clinics in Nigeria. She served as an advocate focused on increasing access to education and other social services, before moving into the public sector, where she rose to the position of adviser to four successive Presidents on poverty, public sector reform, and sustainable development.

Ms. Mohammed has been conferred several honorary doctorates and has served as an adjunct professor, lecturing on international development. The recipient of various global awards, Ms. Mohammed has served on numerous international advisory boards and panels. She is the mother of six children and has two grandchildren.

MAME BALLA

ARTIST, SINGER, SONGWRITER, MUSIC ENTERTAINER, PRODUCER
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Mame Balla is a Senegalese singer, songwriter, and music producer based in Europe who sings about peace, environmental issues, the experiences of growing up in West Africa and more.

Mame Balla has worked with Bouba Ndour, producer and brother of the famous singer Youssou Ndour, with whom he released two internationally successful albums. Between his solo career and the former music groups Dancehall Masters and Darou Salam, Mame Balla has partnered with international artists of different music genres such as Senegalese pop singer Viviane, dancer Ndeye Geye, hip hop group Gokh-Bi System, and Dutch-Albanese rapper Jon Tarifa. He has also partnered with Polish and German artists for a jazz project, and performed with Congolese afrobeat singers in the Netherlands. Between 1999 and 2004, Mame Balla and his former group Dancehall Masters received awards as Best New Group and Best Group in The Gambia; and also received the prize Prix de l’intégration at a Senegalese hip-hop awards. Mame Balla took a course in music production at the State of Mic Studio in The Gambia. Performing with Pape Samory and Issa Ndiaye. 

Katlego Kai Kolanyane-Kesupile

CULTURAL ARCHITECT, COMMUNICATIONS SPECIALIST AND PERFORMANCE ARTIST
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Katlego Kai Kolanyane-Kesupile is an international award-winning cultural architect, communications specialist, performance artist, development practitioner and human rights advocate. OkayAfrica named her one of the 100 Most Influential Women of African Descent in 2018. Her accolades include being nominated for the US State Department’s International Women of Courage Award, a TED Fellow, Queen’s Young Leader, Chevening Scholar, Mandela Washington Fellow, and OutRight’s UN Religion Fellow. She holds a Sociology Masters in Human Rights, Culture, and Social Justice, with a focus on Disability Rights and Public Space Design, from Goldsmiths University of London, UK. Her published writing spans theatre, academic texts and policy analyses. 

MARINA PONTI

DIRECTOR OF THE UN SDG ACTION CAMPAIGN
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Ms. Ponti is the Director of the UN SDG Action Campaign since July 2018.
 
Prior, Ms. Ponti served as Global Deputy Director and Regional Director for Europe for over a decade and was at the vanguard of innovative campaign initiatives, building multi-stakeholder coalitions, mobilizing resources and forging long-term partnerships between civil society organizations, local government, parliamentarians, media, the private sector and the UN.
Ms. Ponti served as an advocacy and resource mobilization specialist with UNICEF and the UN Secretariat. She also was Chief Operating Officer of Catapult -a girls and women’s right crowdfunding platform and as Special Advisor on post-2015 during the final negotiations of the Agenda 2030 for the global network Social Watch.
 
Ms. Ponti holds an MA in Political Science from the University of Milan and has completed an executive education programme from INSEAD in Global Management, Finance and Partnerships.

Ulrika Modéer

Assistant Secretary-General, Assistant Administrator and Director of the Bureau of External Relations and Advocacy (BERA) United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
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Ms. Ulrika Modéer officially began her role on 20 August 2018 as UNDP’s Assistant Administrator and Director of the Bureau of External Relations and Advocacy. In this role she leads the organization in nurturing and growing key relationships with Member States, and new and emerging partners, as well as lead UNDP’s communications and advocacy, as it works to realize the vision of the Sustainable Development Goals. Ms. Modéer previously served as Sweden’s State Secretary for International Development Cooperation and Climate and has been instrumental in reshaping the country’s international development cooperation to support the achievement of the 2030 Agenda. She combines a strong policy background with parliamentary and civil society experience and has had several assignments in Latin America (Bolivia, Guatemala) and Africa (Mozambique/South Africa). Ms. Modéer holds a BA in International Relations from the University of Gothenburg, Sweden.

TOLU OLUBUNMI

FOUNDER AND CEO, LIONS WRITE
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Tolu Olubunmi is a Nigerian-born, American-raised chemical engineer turned political strategist, social entrepreneur and public speaker. She is the founder and CEO of the social impact venture, Lions Write. In 2018, Tolu was tapped by the Director-General of the UN Migration Agency (IOM) for a special appointment as Advisor to the UN Department of Global Communications and Manager of the Climate Action Campaign ActNow.  Tolu has established and led numerous NGOs and campaigns focused on education, migration, economic inclusion, sustainability, and climate change. She has worked closely with leaders in government, the private sector, and civil society to shift culture, influence public policy and build strategic and mutually beneficial partnerships – she served on the World Economic Forum’s Migration Council, co-founded Immigrant Heritage Month, and has helped draft and implement U.S. immigration policies.  

Tolu sits on the Board of Directors of the Anti-Defamation League, Board of Directors of USA for IOM. In 2015, the World Economic Forum named her one of 15 Women Changing the World and an Outstanding Woman Entrepreneur. Her inspiring personal story and work have been profiled by several media outlets, including BBC, MSNBC, TIME, CBS, US News and World Report. Tolu is an inaugural Leadership Institute Fellow at the Center for American Progress and holds a chemistry-engineering degree from Washington and Lee University. 

His Excellency Mr. Khalifa Jassim Al-Kuwari

Director General

Qatar Fund for Development

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Since 2014, Khalifa Jassim Al-Kuwari has led the establishment, strategy-setting, partnerships, and funding programs of the Qatar Fund for Development in developing countries. Previously, Mr. Al-Kuwari was the Chief Operating Officer and Executive Director – Joint Venture and International Business of the Qatar Investment Authority (QIA). He has been appointed to the boards of leading organisations, including: Harrods, Volkswagen Group, Fairmont Raffles Group, Songbird Real Estate, Qatar Exchange, Katara Hospitality, and Mowasalat. He holds an Executive MBA in Business Administration from the London Business School, an MBA in Accounting from Cleveland State University and a Bachelor of Business Administration from Qatar University. He graduated from the Leadership Development Program at Harvard Business School and Qatar Leadership Center.