Class: 2023
Binbin Wang
Binbin Wang is a climate activist and social scientist. A stubborn optimist, she has tracked the UNFCCC process since 2009 as a trusted witness, passionate advocate, creative expert, and multi-talented practitioner. She offers extensive expertise on global climate governance and policy, nature-based solutions, strategic communication, and multi-stakeholder cooperation between actors from different sectors and institutions. Binbin co-founded a local think tank to conduct national surveys investigating the public’s perception of the climate, the key findings of which were picked up by China’s National White Paper and the UNFCCC. Her monograph about China’s green transition was published by Springer Nature and received a nomination at the China New Development Awards in…
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Shamil Ibragimov
Shamil Ibragimov is a highly experienced professional with over 17 years of expertise in the fields of social development, local governance, and media development. He previously served as the Executive Director of Soros Foundation Kyrgyzstan, an affiliated part of the Open Society Foundation, where he established himself as a prominent figure in civil society development, anti-corruption initiatives, community mobilization, and social accountability. In addition to his professional work, he is a co-founder of Ilim Educational Complex, the oldest private school in Kyrgyzstan, where he holds position of Director for International Programs and Development and founder of Ilim College, an innovative professional education institution that prepares students for the challenges of the…
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Hussain Nadim
Hussain Nadim is a renowned policy expert, innovator, and a published author. He pioneered the use of data analytics and digital technologies to transform the policy sector and assist policy leaders in Pakistan with evidence-based decisions that serve public good. Hussain has held key policy positions, including serving as Executive Director of the Islamabad Policy Research Institute at the Prime Minister’s Office of Pakistan and as Special Assistant to the Federal Minister for Planning & Development & Reforms. He was also a member of the Prime Minister’s Special Committee on Digital Media and Forensics and Chief Minister’s Committee on Web 3.0. Additionally, Hussain has served as a Senior Policy Expert…
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Abdouramane Diallo
Abdouramane Diallo is Head of Targeted Interventions at the International Islamic Trade Finance Corporation (ITFC), an affiliate of the Islamic Development Bank Group. He oversees ITFC’s efforts to strengthen intra-African exchanges, allowing 27 countries to expand trade with one another while affording vulnerable communities access to basic goods. In his role, he leads program delivery, manages cross-institutional expert teams, and forges alliances with key development partners. Devoted to reducing economic inequalities, he believes that entrepreneurial freedom allows for the greatest social impact. To this end, he co-founded Agrobiotech in 2016 and Paygas in 2017. Agrobiotech specializes in plant cloning in Mali and exports low-cost plantlets in Africa. Paygas utilizes proprietary technology…
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Bam Aquino
Bam Aquino started in public service as a youth leader, television host and multi-awarded social entrepreneur. In 2013, he was elected Senator of the Republic of the Philippines and was the youngest at that time. When Bam ended his term in 2019, he was the Philippine Senate’s Deputy Minority Leader. He has chaired various Senate committees such as Trade and Commerce, Youth, Science and Technology, and Education. He authored and sponsored several landmark laws including the Philippine Competition Act, the Innovative Start Up Act, and the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act, which made college in all state universities free for millions of Filipino students. In May 2022, he…
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Ala Qasem
Ala Qasem is a public policy maker and member of the Economic Team advising the Presidential Leadership Council and senior cabinet members in the Republic of Yemen. Ala is also CEO of DeepRoot Consulting, a prominent social enterprise that is focused on Yemen’s development. He previously served as Managing Director of Yemen’s delivery bureau where he led government negotiation efforts to develop a rapid stabilization program for the interim capital Aden, secure debt relief from the IMF, and participate in the G20 Debt Service Suspension Initiative. In 2013, Yemen went through its largest ever political dialogue exercise which included 556 delegates from all political parties and factions. Ala served as…
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Raphaela Schweiger
Raphaela Schweiger is the Director of the Migration Program at the Robert Bosch Stiftung, one of Europe’s largest philanthropies, where she spearheads initiatives related to global migration governance, climate mobility, the future of refugee and migrant protection, and the impact of technology on governance, particularly in the context of migration. She is also the Chair of the European Programme for Integration and Migration (EPIM), the largest philanthropic collaborative in Europe dedicated to migration. Raphaela serves as the chair and board member of the Doris Wuppermann Foundation, a philanthropy dedicated to supporting youth-led initiatives that promote democracy and civic participation in Germany. She continues to advise national governments, local policymakers, civil…
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Naasu Genevieve Fofanah
Naasu Genevieve Fofanah is an entrepreneur and author with extensive gender and global public policy experience. An award-winning women's and girls' rights activist, she has championed controversial issues globally. She launched Susue Women's Finance during the COVID-19 pandemic to influence government policy on women's business and access to finance. Susue Women's Finance and Sierra Leone Commercial Bank formed the Women's Bank Initiative to offer low-interest loans to female entrepreneurs. The Bank of Sierra Leone Financial Literacy Working Group elected Naasu Co-Chair in 2022. Naasu previously served as Sierra Leone's first Special Gender Adviser to ex-President Ernest Bai Koroma. She made gender equality and women's (GEWE) a priority in the National…
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Krzysztof F. Bocian
Krzysztof F. Bocian is a renewable energy entrepreneur, an energy transition advocate, and a former international energy executive. He builds a change-driven green energy projects across Eastern Europe. His primary interests include solar, onshore wind, battery storage, and green hydrogen. Among other ventures, he has founded several large-scale renewable energy platforms. Previously, he spent 10 years with Chevron, where he held executive roles in San Francisco, Houston, London, and Warsaw offices and covered multibillion-dollar energy projects across 6 continents. Earlier in his career, he led strategy and development for Orlen, the largest energy company in Eastern Europe. He is an active social entrepreneur focused on education, civic engagement, and leadership development. Over…
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Smita Rakesh
Smita Rakesh is a Partner at Social Alpha, an initiative to drive economic growth, social justice, and climate action through the power of entrepreneurship and market-creating innovations. As the head of Climate and Sustainability practice, she is also responsible for building and deploying a portfolio of science and technology innovations across sectors in climate change mitigation, adaptation, and ecosystem restoration for a socially and ecologically just transition. Smita has been deeply engaged with the global climate and clean energy ecosystem for the last 15 years, designing and implementing institutional programs in public, private, and development sectors. Smita is passionate about catalyzing large-scale and inclusive social change through responsible investments and…
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