GenU Youth Delegation during the 81st session of the UN General Assembly
Meet the Young Leaders and Entrepreneurs Driving Change Globally
Banothile Khuboni
Founder, Imvelo Agri Solutions and BeGreen Entrepreneur
Country: South Africa
Banothile Khuboni is a South African environmental scientist, agricultural innovator, and social entrepreneur operating at the cutting edge of the green economy. She is the founder of Imvelo Agri Solutions, a green enterprise that uses sustainable farming to address food insecurity and create opportunity at community level. Banothile holds a BSc Honours in Environmental Management from the University of South Africa.
Her professional background spans ecological conservation, data driven sustainability reporting, and freshwater ecosystem restoration. A celebrated conservationist, she received the prestigious Kader Asmal Award of excellence from the Metropolitan Mayor of Cape Town recognising her excellence in leadership and driving climate change remediation projects. In 2025 she represented South Africa at Young Scientific Talents Residency in Paris, presenting her advanced work in hydroponics. To date, her enterprise has equipped over 120 community members with vital green skills. Banothile operates seamlessly at the intersection of science and enterprise, proving that environmental expertise and community impact are profoundly linked.
Bhekumusa "Eric" Ntshwenyai
SAP Educate 2 Employ (E2E) Graduate
South Africa
Bhekumusa Eric Ntshwenya is a South African Business Analyst, Software Engineer, and youth development advocate passionate about using technology to create opportunities for young people. At First National Bank/WesBank, he contributes to business transformation, systems integration, and process improvement initiatives. A four-time hackathon winner with SAP certifications and a background in Software Engineering and Information Technology, Bhekumusa is also committed to digital inclusion.
He developed the learning platform used by the South African AI Olympiad Association (SAAIO) and other organizations to provide coding and AI education, helping equip young people with future-ready skills. He is honored to participate in the Global Leadership Council Meeting as a representative of Generation Unlimited, Umuzi, and the SAP Educate to Employ programme, where he advocates for digital skills, entrepreneurship, and youth empowerment.
Bryan Youssef
MD, Founder of EduBolt
Lebanon
Dr. Bryan Youssef is a Lebanese medical doctor, entrepreneur, and technology innovator building at the intersection of education, health, artificial intelligence, and youth opportunity. He is the founder of EduBolt, an education technology venture that has supported more than 15,000 students across Lebanon and the region through AI-powered learning systems, university preparation programs, and peer-led academic support. He also founded Tabeeb, a medical platform connecting students, residents, and physicians through training, mentorship, research, and digital health innovation.
Bryan serves on UNICEF Generation Unlimited’s Global Leadership Council and on the Board of Experts of SILA, the France-Mediterranean initiative for artificial intelligence. In these roles, he contributes to conversations on education, skills, entrepreneurship, inclusive technology, and the responsible use of AI in health and youth opportunity.
Wangzhe (Jonathan) Liao
Undergraduate student in journalism
China
Jonathan Liao is an undergraduate journalism student at Huazhong University of Science and Technology in China. Through his work with a China-based international news outlet, he has produced and conducted English-language interviews with policymakers, representatives of international organizations, and scholars from different countries.
He is also an award-winning English public speaker and has organized and participated in cross-cultural activities involving international students in Central China. Together, these experiences in journalism, public speaking, and youth exchange have prepared him to serve as Master of Ceremonies for this meeting.
Joshua Opey
Commonwealth Youth Council President
Ghana
Joshua Opey is a youth development advocate. He tackles issues facing young people, including youth participation in policymaking, sustainable development, and shaping the future for children. He is the Chairperson of the Commonwealth Youth Council (CYC), the official Youth organisation of the Commonwealth, representing over 1.5 billion young people. At the CYC, Joshua works with Governments, National Youth Councils, and other stakeholders to develop and implement solutions for young people across the 56 member states of the Commonwealth. In addition, he is one of 15 external members on the UNOPS Youth Engagement platform created by the Executive Director of UNOPS.
He also served on a six-member external reference group that worked on UNICEF’s latest strategy for Africa and is supporting the team as a consultant in implementing the strategy. Joshua is a Youth Foresight Fellow with UNICEF, leveraging foresight research to contribute to UNICEF’s global work in providing sustainable futures for children. Joshua is also a member of the Global Young People Action Team of UNICEF Generation Unlimited.
Mary Nyambura Njeri
CEO of Eco Charge Limited and BeGreen Entrepreneur
Kenya
Mary Nyambura Njeri is a Kenyan entrepreneur, clean-energy innovator, and climate advocate dedicated to advancing sustainable energy solutions and creating inclusive economic opportunities. She is the Founder and CEO of Eco Charge Limited, a clean-energy company transforming agricultural waste into sustainable biomass briquettes for institutions and industries, contributing to cleaner energy access while addressing waste management and climate challenges. Through Eco Charge, Mary has championed a circular economy approach that turns agricultural waste into a valuable energy resource, while creating jobs and supporting women’s participation in the green economy.
Her work reflects her commitment to demonstrating that climate action can go hand in hand with entrepreneurship, job creation, and community impact. In February 2026, Mary was selected as a grant recipient under the SheWins Africa programme, an initiative supported by the World Bank and the International Finance Corporation, recognizing and supporting women entrepreneurs with high-impact businesses and growth potential.
Muskan Bhatia
Green Rising Champion
India
Muskan Bhatia is a deaf queer feminist researcher, youth leader, climate justice advocate, and Founder & Executive Director of Waves Beyond Walls, a queer- and disabled-led organisation advancing disability justice, gender equity, SRHR, mental health, climate justice, and youth-led change in India. With over six years of experience in disability rights advocacy and three years in community-based feminist research, youth leadership, and inclusive policy.She has served as a Committee Advisory Member to the Supreme Court of India on ICT accessibility and disability inclusion.
Through World YWCA’s Global Young Women’s Youth Empowerment Fund, she also leads EyeStories, supporting 30 Deaf and DeafPlus young women to use storytelling and advocacy to advance SRHR and mental health visibility. Through her National Youth Climate Consortium (NYCC) Climate Champions project, “Before Climate Disaster, Include Us,” Muskan is leading participatory research with Deaf and disabled youth in Delhi on climate vulnerability and accessible emergency preparedness.
Naranzaya Batsaikhan
Co-founder of Urimor and GenU AIVA Entrepreneur
Mongolia
Naranzaya Batsaikhan is a Software Development student at the National University of Mongolia, passionate about the twin transitions, green and digital, and their role in shaping a more sustainable and inclusive future. She is also the co-founder of Urimor, an AI climate venture positioning for utility-scale renewable energy infrastructure on depleted mining sites. Her role as a coordinator at the UN Youth Advisory Panel (UNYAP) in Mongolia involves supporting the design and implementation of youth-oriented programs.
Naranzaya is an active member of the Young People’s Action Team (YPAT) by UNICEF Generation Unlimited. Trained as a youth negotiator, she represented Mongolian youth at COP28. She is a member of the National Environmental Youth Council in Mongolia, working on climate policy. She co-founded the Junior Climate Leaders Program, educating over 1,000 students and leading a campaign with 100,000 engagements. As a creative director and Co-Founder of BolGoy NGO, she leads a sustainable lifestyle campaign reaching 70,000 young people, collaborating with influencers to promote actionable climate solutions.
Ravi Kiran
Founder of Alien Innovations
India
Ravi Kiran is an entrepreneur, innovator, and global youth leader from Telangana, India. As the Founder & CEO of Alien Innovations, he leads on AI-powered assistive technologies that empower persons with disabilities to live with greater independence, dignity, and confidence. Ravi is the creator of BLIND EYE, an AI-powered wearable assistive device that helps people with visual impairments better understand and navigate their surroundings, and NAVINAUT, India's first compact smart mobility companion designed to enhance safe, independent navigation for the visually impaired community.
In 2024, Ravi became the first and only Indian to be recognized as an imaGen Ventures Global Winner (2023-2024 cohort) by UNICEF Generation Unlimited, placing him among the Top 10 Youth Innovators globally. He is also a 16-time national innovation award recipient, recognized by leading Indian institutions, including the IITs and IIMs, for his contributions to technology, innovation, and social entrepreneurship. He is also a Youth Representative on the Generation Unlimited Global Leadership Council.
Selin Nur Gül
Co-Founder of Hempact and GenU AIVA Entrepreneur
Türkiye
Selin Nur Gül is an Industrial Engineer and Co-Founder of Hempact, a social impact startup developing sustainable menstrual products from industrial hemp while integrating AI-driven solutions to improve women’s health. She leads product development, business strategy, market research, and partnership development, combining engineering with entrepreneurship to address menstrual health, sustainability, and gender equality.
Throughout her entrepreneurial journey, Selin has received several national recognitions, including first place at the İbrahim Bodur Social Entrepreneurship Awards (Youth Category), the TOBB Gaziantep New Dreams, New Ideas Entrepreneurship Competition, and the BIGE Entrepreneurship Competition. Hempact has also been accepted into ITU Seed in Türkiye, selected for the AI Ventures Accelerator of UNICEF Generation Unlimited, and recognized as a finalist in the She’s Mercedes Sustainability Program and the Social Impact Award.
Sekelo Shude
Founder of Kuluhlaza Trading and BeGreen Entrepreneur
South Africa
Based in Durban, South Africa, Sekelo Shude is an entrepreneur and founder of Kuluhlaza Trading, a recycling and manufacturing company that transforms plastic waste into durable, ecofriendly paving bricks. He studied Diploma in Business Administration and Information Management at the Durban University of Technology, where support and mentorship helped shape his venture into a scalable, patented solution. In 2024, Sekelo won first place at the Falling Walls Lab in Cape Town beating 83 other candidates.
He represented Cape Town at the prestigious Falling Walls Science Summit in Berlin, Germany. He also received an Intellectual Property Award at the Companies and Intellectual Property Commission (CIPC) Awards 2024.
In 2025, he won the provincial title in the Mr Price Foundation BINDZU Youth Employability Programme. Most recently, he was crowned the provincial winner of the Township Pitching Challenge, further demonstrating his innovation, entrepreneurship, and leadership potential.
Vicky Aridi
Programme Lead, Learning for Well-Being Foundation, and GenU Board youth representative
Country: Kenya
Vicky is a lawyer, youth programming and partnerships specialist. Currently, Vicky serves as the Programme Lead for the Learning for Well-Being Foundation. She has previously served as a Director and Programme Manager at Making Cents International, where she led a global multi-stakeholder initiative to accelerate SDG 8 on decent employment and entrepreneurship. She is also an Advisor for the Green Jobs for Youth Pact governed by UNICEF, ILO, and UNEP and previously served as a member of Generation Unlimited’s YPAT (Young People’s Action Team).
She has supported over 80 countries in Africa, Asia, Latin America, Europe, and the Middle East to accelerate their efforts towards education, skills development, youth employment and entrepreneurship, including within the green, digital and creative economies. She has previously served as the Africa and Middle East Regional Manager – Youth for Fairtrade Africa and the Global Youth Engagement Lead with the UN Joint SDG Fund. She has been awarded the Top 35 under 35 Award by the Government of Kenya, the She Can Award, and the Top 30 under 30 Africans Award.
Victory Ashaka
Spoken Word Artist, GenU 9JA Young People's Action Team (YPAT) Member
Nigeria
Victory Ashaka is a multi-award-winning spoken word poet, youth advisor to the European Union, poetry slam champion, global youth ambassador of Theirworld and an erstwhile member of the Young People’s Action Team of UNICEF Generation Unlimited (YPAT).
Victory is a graduate of English Literature from Lagos State University and a certified leadership fellow from the Management Institute of Finland in Helsinki. He is a 2024 Diana Award Recipient, 2025 recipient of the Lord’s Achievers Award for Literature, Future Awards Africa Prize for Young Person of the Year and a poet laureate featured at the United Nations, UNICEF, FAO, TEDx, Italian Consulate, British Deputy High Commission and such others.
Fatimah Zannah Mustapha
Co-Director, Future Prowess Foundation
Nigeria
Fatimah Zannah Mustapha is a Nigerian Software Engineer, EdTech innovator, and youth advocateworking at the intersection of technology, education, gender equality, and social impact.
She is the Co-Director of Future Prowess Foundation, where she leads initiatives focused on digital inclusion and women's participation in technology. Through the Foundation, she has contributed totraining more than 1,000 women across Nigeria in digital literacy, software development, data analytics,and artificial intelligence, helping women and girls from underserved and conflict-affected communitiesaccess opportunities in the digital economy.
Her work also extends to AI education, climate-smart innovation, girls' education, youth leadership, and inclusive technology policy. She is particularly passionate about ensuring that young people, especially women and girls from marginalized communities, are not left behind in Africa's digital transformation.