Issue Area: Education and Opportunity
Gerald Chertavian is the Founder and CEO of Year Up, a U.S.-focused nonprofit whose tuition-free job training program helps young people of all backgrounds access economic opportunity and education to achieve their potential. Year Up partners with more than 250 leading employers and has served over 40,000 young people to date.
Gerald serves on the Board of Advisors for Harvard Business School’s Social Enterprise Initiative and is a former member of the World Economic Forum’s Youth Unemployment Council. His 2012 book, A Year Up, is a New York Times bestseller. Gerald holds degrees from Harvard Business School and Bowdoin College.
Issue Area: Humanitarian
Suzanne Ehlers is the Executive Director and CEO of USA for UNHCR, the national partner of the UN Refugee Agency in the U.S. that raises awareness and critical funds to support refugees and other forcibly displaced people around the world. USA for UNHCR donors and partners help protect and empower the more than 110 million refugees and forcibly displaced people globally.
Suzanne previously served as CEO of the Malala Fund and President and CEO of PAI, a global leader in reproductive health and rights advocacy, and has held numerous board and advisory positions throughout her career. She holds a degree from Cornell University.
Issue Area: Infrastructure and Access
Rob Johnson is the Co-Founder and CEO of Acceso, a Latin America- and Caribbean-focused social enterprise that empowers farmers with long-term opportunities and market access so they can lead healthier and more dignified and prosperous lives. Acceso serves over 30,000 farmers, who have experienced an average income increase of 250%.
Rob is an adjunct professor at the Columbia University School of International and Public Affairs and NYU’s Wagner School of Public Service. He previously managed strategy development and programs at TechnoServe in Haiti. Rob holds degrees from HEC Paris.
Issue Area: Health
Matthew Kwok is the Co-Founder and Executive Director of JUST FEEL, a Hong Kong-focused charitable organization whose holistic curricula transforms the communication culture of schools and families to nurture the emotional well-being of children. JUST FEEL’s programming has reached more than 26,500 students, 29,500 parents, and 5,000 teachers to date.
Matthew is a Center on Nonviolent Communication trainer candidate and a part-time lecturer at the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK). He previously served as a teaching fellow and class president for Teach for Hong Kong. Matthew holds a degree from and is currently completing a master’s at CUHK.
Issue Area: Environment
Dr. Gnanli Landrou is the Co-Founder of Oxara, a global organization that enables a circular economy and healthier construction by transforming excavation materials and demolition waste into sustainable, affordable building materials. Oxara’s technology-enabled processes recycle and reuse nearly half of construction waste and excavation materials, reducing material-based greenhouse gas emissions by up to 90%.
Gnanli is a recipient of the ETH Silver Medal and has been featured on Forbes’s “30 Under 30.” Gnali holds degrees from Université de Limoges and ETH Zurich.
Issue Area: Health
Dr. Scott O’Neill is the Founder and CEO of World Mosquito Program, a global nonprofit that uses naturally occurring bacteria to protect communities from dangerous mosquito-borne diseases. World Mosquito Program’s services have reached more than 10 million people in 12 countries to date, preventing roughly 480,000 dengue cases.
Scott is a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science, the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and the American Academy of Microbiology, and has received the Centenary Medal and Mackerras Medal. He has worked at the University of Illinois, Yale University, the University of Queensland, and Monash University. Scott holds a degree from the University of Queensland.
Issue Area: Infrastructure and Access
Achint Sanghi is the Co-Founder and CTO of Gramhal, an India-focused nonprofit that empowers smallholder farmers with tech and data to make better decisions and build generational wealth and well-being. Gramhal supports more than 265,000 farmers across four Indian states.
Achint has been a Borlaug Fellow and Rockefeller Foundation-Acumen Food Systems Fellow. He holds degrees from Purdue University and the National Institute of Technology Karnataka.
Issue Area: Health
Varsha Venugopal is the Co-Founder of Suvita, an India-focused nonprofit that leverages technology and community ambassadors to create a world in which every child has access to immunizations. Suvita’s services reach more than 650,000 caregivers across several Indian states.
Varsha has more than 20 years of experience executing development projects and programs in global institutions, including the World Bank and the Open Society Foundation. She holds degrees from the London School of Economics and the School of Planning and Architecture in India.