LocationsMeet the visionaries, advocates and entrepreneurs building a better future.
Generation17 supports a group of inspiring young leaders ages 18 to 32 dedicated to innovating for humanity and mobilizing global communities.
EFE JOHNSON, NIGERIA
“Reproductive and sexual health is everybody’s business. This fight, this passion, is personal.”
Efe Johnson is dismantling social and healthcare barriers in Nigeria through Xari Africa, a female focused organization providing adolescent girls with access to sexual and reproductive health rights and resources. Efe was inspired to start Xari Africa after experiencing a lack of proper sexual health education and awareness in her home country. Through her book Just Period It, more than 1,500 girls in northern Nigeria have received access to free quality education on reproductive health and safety and learned to track their menstrual cycles for the first time. Xari Africa has recently launched XariAfricaAcademy.org, a free, online resource for reproductive and sexual health information.
MOCK YI JUN, SINGAPORE
“Every person, no matter their background or socio-economic status, deserves a chance to pursue their aspirations.”
Mock Yi Jun co-founded Advisory Singapore in 2016, a youth-led charity dedicated to empowering young people from all walks of life to make informed career and education choices. Since then, Advisory Singapore has raised over $140,000 and supported over 200,000 youth through its online repository of interviews with working professionals, learning journeys, industry panels and in-school education and career guidance programming. Advisory Singapore also runs Singapore’s largest pro bono careers-based mentorship program, delivering over 12,000 hours of one-to-one mentorship.
ZUBAIR JUNJUNIA, UNITED KINGDOM
“We can and will level the playing field of education by empowering youth and leveraging technology.”
Zubair Junjunia is an award-winning social entrepreneur dedicated to ensuring fair and equal access to education globally. Having witnessed inequalities in education firsthand as well as its potential to influence social mobility, Zubair founded ZNotes at the age of 16, an online learning platform that ensures all students have a level playing field when tackling high-stakes, school exams. This youth-led platform has reached over four million students in 190+ countries, providing them with high-quality resources and a peer support community. In recognition of his global work in education, Zubair received the Diana Legacy Award. He currently serves as the UK Youth Leader for the Global Partnership for Education and as a One Young World ambassador.
AY YOUNG, UNITED STATES
“Everyone is an outlet for change that can power sustainable solutions.”
After learning that over 1 billion people lack access to electricity, AY Young, a Kansas City-born performer was inspired to find a solution. In 2012, he founded Battery Tour, a nonprofit that has hosted over 800 concerts around the world, all powered by renewable energy. “My ultimate goal was to get the world plugged into sustainability by using music as a vehicle,” he says. Battery Tour is used to fund, build, and deploy solar boxes to those in need. In the future, AY wants to use the concert series to empower other artists to perform sustainably, while continuing to provide access to electricity for those without it.
KRISTIAN KAMPMANN, DENMARK
“Mobilizing and enabling people to become agents of change is how I want to create real impact for the Global Goals.”
Kristian Kampmann is a co-owner and partner with Dalberg Media, a mission-driven communications and experiences consultancy that mobilizes people, organizations and systems to solve global development challenges. Kristian is also the former Head of UNLEASH, a global nonprofit platform, which Dalberg was a long-term partner of. Starting in 2016, Kristian helped build the organization from an idea on a piece of paper to a global, youth-led movement for the SDGs. At UNLEASH, Kristian oversaw various projects, including the Global Innovation Lab which gathers 1,000 young people to problem-solve for the Global Goals. Today, Kristian continues to work with young entrepreneurs who are enabling social and environmental change.
NORA ALTWAIJRI, SAUDI ARABIA
“We’re living in an unprecedented digital era, and our Global Goals solutions must reflect that.”
Nora Altwaijri is passionate about inspiring youth to become changemakers and promote sustainable development. She founded 'Muatalaf,' a social development program that empowers ambitious young leaders through the creation and management of purpose-driven communities, fostering positive, lasting and sustainable impact. As a member of UNDP's Youth Leadership Programme for the Arab Region, she introduced the Sustainable University Initiative, which educates young people about the Global Goals and connects them to the resources needed to engage with these global challenges. She is also a Generation Connect Youth Envoy at the International Telecommunication Union, advocating for youth-focused digital priorities. She has a degree in software engineering from Prince Sultan University. Her ultimate goal is to empower youth to contribute to the Global Goals, driven by the belief that their potential impact knows no limits.
OĞUZ ERGEN, TÜRKIYE
“The climate crisis is everybody’s business – governments, academics, and NGOs must take action together.”
Frustrated by the shrinking fish population in his region, Oğuz Ergen has dedicated the last few years to protecting the coastal Aegean region from the negative impacts of climate change. In 2014, he founded the Social Climate Association, a non-governmental organization that spurs dialogue between young people on the Global Goals and mobilizes their active participation in civil society. In 2020, Oğuz played an active role in founding the Coastal Aegean Climate Network, a hub focused on advocacy campaigns that push for protecting wetlands, cleaning the Aegean Sea, and developing policy. He also leads trainings on the climate crisis in both national and international communities and is a member of the Executive Committee of the National Youth Parliament.
TAMARA DEWI GONDO SOERIJO, INDONESIA
“Start where you are, with what you have and who you are with.”
Tamara Wu is CEO of Liberty Society, a social enterprise that manufactures and sells eco-friendly B2B merchandise to fund the upskilling of 1,000 marginalized women in Indonesia. Liberty Society empowers women affected by poverty and violence with vocational skills and market access. Since its launch, Liberty Society has provided 300 women with opportunities through its tailoring and entrepreneurship training. Since its founding, Liberty Society has also worked with over 200 companies, including Samsung, Ikea and H&M. In 2021, Liberty Society received UN Women Indonesia’s Women Empowerment Principles Award and placed in the top four for the World’s Youth Ecopreneur Award. Tamara is also an active community development and social entrepreneurship mentor to various organizations in across South-East Asia.
THUY ANH NGO, VIETNAM
“Technology is a window to the world for the elderly. It improves their quality of life.”
At the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, Thuy Anh Ngo witnessed the disproportionate effects of the virus on the elderly population. Determined to ensure that no one was left behind, she developed HASU, a mobile app that equips the elderly with physical, emotional, and social health resources. In 2020, more than 12,000 elderly people in Vietnam used the app to access health guidance as well as exercise and meditation instructions and to connect with their family and friends. “In the context of the pandemic, technology is the best solution,” she said. Thuy Anh hopes HASU, the first app of its kind in Vietnam, will become an essential tool for the elderly around the world.
DANIEL CALARCO, BRAZIL
“I cannot do everything, but I can do things that can mobilize, that can reach, that can lead people to work with me.”
Growing up in the favelas in Rio de Janeiro, Daniel Calarco saw firsthand how marginalization and exclusion prohibited communities like his from breaking the cycle of poverty and violence. At 18, he founded Observatório Internacional da Juventude (International Youth Watch), a youth-led organization that provides capacity building in employment, technology and human rights advocacy for 10,000 young people. The organization’s Favela.LAB program also trains young people on climate action in line with the United Nations’ 2030 Agenda, and its women’s economic empowerment program has helped 200 mothers across 15 favelas. Previously, Daniel was appointed as a Youth Counselor for the United Nations Global Compact Brazil and was recognized as a Young Peacebuilder by the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations. In 2023, Daniel was selected for the Obama Scholars Program. “The world is always changing,” he says. “What cannot change is our commitment to improve, our commitment to do better.”
NADINE KHAOULI, LEBANON
“Technology enables me to raise my voice, transmit my message globally, shed light on real needs and build an international community of innovators.”
On August 4, 2020, Nadine Khaouli was driving from her village to Beirut City when an explosion—one-twentieth the power of an atomic bomb—rocked the 5,000-year-old city. The blast killed more than 200 people and displaced 300,000, making Nadine's lifelong mission to end poverty and bring “essential dignity” to every person in Lebanon even more urgent. The next day, she and her team from her co-founded initiative Kafe be Kafak (Hand in Hand) were on the scene, providing crisis triage, supplies and shelter for displaced families. Nadine is passionate about the well-being of the Lebanese people. She uses social media to connect with others about her humanitarian efforts and petition for more transparency from government agencies. As the former UNDP Lebanon Youth Development Delegate, Nadine led virtual workshops and trainings for young people around the world aligned to the Global Goals. Now, she serves as Youth Engagement Coordinator at UNDP, directly working with the other Young Leaders to help grow and strengthen the Generation17 initiative.
YEJIN CHOI, SOUTH KOREA
“Everyone can use their own ability to help other people just next to them. Making amazing change in one human's life can change the world.”
Two months before beginning her studies at Seoul National University, Yejin Choi initiated tutoring sessions for children in a neighboring impoverished community. Promptly, she observed a lack of educational resources, particularly for children with disabilities. Over time, she assembled a team of professional therapists to develop a yearlong curriculum aimed at assisting hundreds of families. However, within just one month, usage dwindled to a mere five percent of parents. Recognizing the need for a more accessible solution, Yejin turned to technology, crafting Dubu, an AI-based learning program for children, alongside home-based remote therapy accessible via smartphone or PC. Presently, Dubu is expanding internationally and has positively impacted over 800,000 children worldwide.
YURII ROMASHKO, UKRAINE
“We believe in digital. We believe in technologists who can think globally, act locally and totally change our world in near future.”
Yurii Romashko applies his passion for data analytics to address public corruption and advance policy transparency for health care and social issues in Ukraine. In 2013, he co-founded the Institute of Analysis and Advocacy (IAA), now ranked as one of the top 100 think tanks in Central and Eastern Europe. Additionally, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, IAA created a public dashboard that gave people transparency into pricing for medical and consumer goods. Yurii, a law school graduate, sees analytics and technology as fundamental components of his mission: To create an ecosystem for responsible governance aligned to the Global Goals, ultimately empowering people to make more informed, data-based decisions.
MÁXIMO MAZZOCCO, ARGENTINA
“I told myself I was going to lead my own life to make the lives of others better. It’s the only way I know.”
As a teenager in Buenos Aires, Máximo Mazzocco wondered what he could do about his city's garbage problem. One day, he stopped wondering and started working on it. He visited more than 400 houses to teach them about sustainability. In 2016, he created the nonprofit Eco House, inspired by the idea that small actions can add up to big changes. Now, the group operates 40 programs at a local and global level – advocating for the environment and teaching companies about how to make a positive impact. It’s also mobilizing youth and educating more than 100,000 children per year in Argentina alone. In the last couple of years, Máximo advocated for the approval of more than 40 socio-environmental laws in Argentina, actively intervened to generate more than 20 Youth Councils and organized digital communication campaigns that reached more than 150 million users. Today, Máximo focuses on policy, working with government agencies, political parties, grassroots movements and companies.
SHOMY CHOWDHURY, BANGLADESH
“We’re empowering young activists, giving them the skills to follow their passion and take action in their communities.”
Tragedy struck Shomy Chowdhury at age 19, when her mother died just a day after contracting diarrhea. The experience leveled Shomy. So did learning that 1.5 million people die from diarrhea annually. Shomy gave her first presentation four days later on practicing hygiene to prevent deadly disease. “I thought if I waited one more day, maybe someone else would die,” she says. “Doing something right helped turn my pain into strength.” More presentations followed, many to sex workers, sanitation workers and others who are often marginalized and live in extreme poverty. Today, Shomy funnels her strength through Awareness 360, an organization she cofounded that now trains over 20,000 young activists across 40+ countries and has already reached over 2.1 million people. Because of her work, Shomy was named to the Forbes 30-under-30 Asia list and as a McCain Global Leader. She currently works as a Project Manager at The Diana Award.
TAFARA MAKAZA, ZIMBABWE
“Technology plays a pivotal role in scaling my work. Now, when I think about helping people find jobs, I’m not thinking of 800 people—I’m thinking of 800,000.”
When Tafara Makaza sees a problem, he can’t resist. He works relentlessly to solve it. Born in Zimbabwe, Tafara saw that most of the population across Africa lacked access to formal job opportunities. This challenge even drove his highly educated mother to work abroad for a month at a time. It was in 2016 at Williams College when Tafara discovered the power of technology and knew instantly how to drive change himself. Tafara collaborated with his college peers to co-found Fixa, a tech startup dedicated to helping businesses find, manage and pay frontline workers. Today, Fixa has connected over 8,000 workers to more than 300,000 job opportunities and disbursed more than $2 million in salaries. Tafara is on a mission to create digital career identities for workers, providing them access to essential financial and social benefits traditionally beyond their reach.
SADYA TOURÉ, MALI
“The Sustainable Development Goals are very personal for me. I think they should be personal for everyone. And I think we can achieve them before 2030.”
Sadya Touré is a women’s rights activist in Mali. At 13, she joined Mali’s National Parliament of Children, where she skipped school lunch to save money to travel to events promoting girls’ education and fight against female genital mutilation (FGM). Later, Sadya educated older, all-male village councils about FGM’s disastrous effects on women’s health, and founded an organization, Mali Women and Youth Empowerment, that provides full university scholarships, housing assistance and career training to girls from rural Mali. She has also written two books and her next goal: to win a seat in Mali’s parliament. She is an alumna of the Mandela Washington Fellowship, graduating with a degree in journalism & communications and holds a master’s degree in international relations and diplomacy.