World Bank Group Youth Summit 2022: Unlocking the Power of Inclusion for Equitable Growth

2022 YOUTH SUMMIT AGENDA

DAY 1 – Thursday, May 26th 2022

The Importance of Inclusion and Diversity for an Equitable Growth

DAY 2 - Friday, May 27th 2022

The Actors of a Green, Inclusive, and Resilient Equitable Growth

David R. Malpass, 13^th President of the World Bank Group

David R. Malpass was selected as 13^th President of the World Bank Group by its Board of Executive Directors on April 5, 2019.  His five-year term began on April 9. Mr. Malpass previously served as Under Secretary of the Treasury for International Affairs for the United States.  Mr. Malpass represented the United States in international settings, including the G-7 and G-20 Deputy Finance Ministerial, World Bank–IMF Spring and Annual Meetings, and meetings of the Financial Stability Board, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, and the Overseas Private Investment Corporation. 

In 2018, Mr. Malpass advocated for the capital increase for the IBRD and IFC as part of a reform agenda featuring sustainable lending practices, more efficient use of capital, and a focus on raising living standards in poor countries.  He was also instrumental in advancing the Debt Transparency Initiative, adopted by the Bank Group and the IMF, to increase public disclosure of debt and thereby reduce the frequency and severity of debt crises.       

Before joining the U.S. Treasury, Mr. Malpass was an international economist and founder of a macroeconomics research firm based in New York City.  He served as chief economist of Bear Stearns and conducted financial analyses of countries around the world. Previously, Mr. Malpass served as the U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Treasury for Developing Nations and Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Latin American Economic Affairs.  He focused on an array of foreign policy and development issues, including U.S. involvement in multilateral institutions; the Bank Group’s 1988 capital increase, which supported the creation of the Bank’s environment division; the Enterprise for the America’s Initiative; and Brady bonds to address the Latin American debt crisis. He also served as Senior Analyst for Taxes and Trade at the U.S. Senate Budget Committee, and as Staff Director of the Joint Economic Committee of the U.S. Congress.

Mr. Malpass has served on the boards of the Council of the Americas, Economic Club of New York, National Committee on U.S.–China Relations, Manhattan Institute, and Gary Klinsky Children’s Centers, as well as various for-profit entities.  He is the author of numerous articles on economic development. Mr. Malpass earned his bachelor’s degree from Colorado College and his MBA from the University of Denver.  He was a CPA and undertook advanced graduate work in international economics at the School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University and has studied Spanish, Russian, and French. 

Mr. Malpass and wife Adele Malpass, a journalist, live in Washington, D.C. They have four children and share a strong family interest in development issues.

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O'Neall Massamba, Manager of the Youth Summit 2022

Ms. Massamba who is a dual citizen from France and the Republic of Congo, joined the World Bank Group in February 2020 and now works as a Legal Consultant in the PPP (Public Private Partnership) Group. Before being appointed Manager of the Youth Summit, she served as a Content Co-Lead and a Moderator for the World Bank Group Youth Summit 2021 and attended the Youth Summit as a Delegate in 2019. 

Ms. Massamba is an attorney admitted to practice in the State of New York. Prior to joining the World Bank Group, Ms. Massamba worked for over three years as a construction lawyer in Canada for Eurovia (VINCI Group) where she was responsible for negotiating major infrastructure project contracts in North and South America, with governments and local contractors. Ms. Massamba also worked in one of the biggest law firms in Luxembourg in their Private Equity and Real Estate Investment practice. Additionally, she did some Pro Bono work in Montréal (Canada) and Paris (France) to assist refugees seeking asylum, and in Washington D.C with Amnesty International and the Domestic Violence Unit of the DC Superior Court.  

Ms. Massamba holds a master's degree (L.L.M) in Business and Finance Law from the George Washington University Law School (USA), as well as a master's degree in Economics and Business Law from Université Paris I - Panthéon Sorbonne (France) and a master's degree in Comparative Business Law (with honors) from Université Paris V - Descartes (France). She also holds a bachelor's degree in Law and a bachelor's degree in Economics from Université Paris I - Panthéon Sorbonne (France).

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Axel van Trotsenburg (@AxelVT_WB) is the World Bank Managing Director of Operations. In this role, which he assumed on October 1, 2019, Mr van Trotsenburg oversees the Bank’s operational program and ensures that the Bank’s delivery model continues to meet the needs of client countries.  He also builds support and mobilizes financial resources across the international community for efforts to assist low and middle-income countries.

Mr van Trotsenburg brings deep experience in regional operations and finance, drawing on his experience as currently the longest serving Vice President at the Bank, with two tenures in the Finance Complex and two in Operations. A Dutch and Austrian national, he was Acting World Bank CEO from September 2 – 30, 2019 and served as World Bank Vice President for Latin America and the Caribbean from February 2019. In this latter position, he led relations with 31 countries in the region and oversaw a portfolio of ongoing projects, technical assistance and grants worth more than US$30 billion.

From 2016 to January 2019, Mr van Trotsenburg served as World Bank Vice President of Development Finance (DFi). Here, he oversaw strategic mobilization of resources, and was responsible for the replenishment and stewardship of the International Development Association (IDA), the largest source of concessional financing for the world's poorest countries. He has led the policy negotiations and process for two IDA replenishments, which together mobilized a record $125 billion—$50 billion in 2010 for IDA16 and $75 billion in 2016 for IDA18. Under his leadership, for the first time, IDA leveraged its equity by blending donor contributions with internal resources and funds raised through debt markets.

In his DFi role, Mr van Trotsenburg also oversaw the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) corporate finances. He co-led the World Bank Group's efforts to obtain a capital increase which resulted in shareholders endorsing a transformative package in April 2018, including an increase of the IBRD capital by $60 billion. He also co-chaired the replenishment negotiations for the Global Environment Facility (GEF) that were successfully concluded in April 2018 and was responsible of a multi-billion-dollar trust fund portfolio.

Apart from his experience in managing World Bank finances, Mr van Trotsenburg has had extensive experience in country operations and managing regional programs, including in Africa. Prior to his role as Vice President of DFi, he served as Vice President for the East Asia and Pacific Region from 2013 to 2016. From 2009 to 2013, he served as Vice President for Concessional Finance and Global Partnerships.

From July 2007 to July 2009, Mr van Trotsenburg was Country Director for Colombia and Mexico, and from 2002 to July 2007, Country Director for Argentina, Chile, Paraguay, and Uruguay. From 1996 to 2001, he was the Senior Manager of the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) Initiative, the largest and most comprehensive debt relief program for poor countries. In this capacity, he was responsible, with his IMF counterparts, for the design of the debt relief framework as well as the delivery of debt relief packages of about $30 billion for 20 countries. At the start of his career at the Bank, he worked as Senior Country Economist for Côte d’Ivoire and Economist for Guatemala.

Prior to joining the World Bank, Mr van Trotsenburg worked at the OECD in Paris. He holds a master’s and a doctorate degree in economics and a master’s degree in international affairs. He is married and has two children.

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Kavitha Prabhakar is a principal and serves as the Chief Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) leader for Deloitte US. She also co-leads the Black Action Council for Deloitte, focused on architecting Deloitte’s long-term strategy to advance our Black colleagues and communities by developing a culture of anti-racism for our people, firm, and our communities. Previously, Kavitha led a $1B practice with nearly 5,000 professionals as Deloitte Consulting’s Civil Government sector leader, overseeing a wide range of clients including: The Departments of State, Treasury, Commerce, Transportation, Energy, Agriculture, as well as the US Postal Service, NASA, and US Agency for International Development.

She was a member of the Deloitte’s Nominating Committee, Board Council and leads the Executive Women in technology initiative for Deloitte’s CIO Program. Kavitha has also led various Women’s Initiative (WIN) programs for financial services including 100 Wise Women and Women on Wall Street. She is a well-respected thought leader on the challenges and opportunities facing federal civilian agencies as they embrace digital transformation, as well as a vocal advocate for gender parity and inclusion, Kavitha has been recognized as one of Fortune’s Most Powerful Women Next Gen and as Crain’s Notable Minorities in Accounting, Consulting & Law. Kavitha has a M.S. in Computer Science and MBA with concentrations in strategy and finance from University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. She also holds a B.S. in Computer Science and Mathematics from State University of New York, Buffalo.

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Nadir Abdellatif Mohammed is the EFI Regional Director, Middle East and North Africa region of the World Bank. Prior to this, he was the Director of Strategy and Operations in the Human Development Practice Group of the Bank overseeing human capital project and the education, health nutrition and population and social safety nets, Labor and migration. During 2014-2018, Mr. Mohammed was the Country Director of the GCC Countries in the MENA region of the World Bank. 

Dr. Mohammed joined the World Bank in 1998 as country economist (Egypt and then Yemen). He joined the ECA region as Country Manager (Albania) and returned to the Middle East and North Africa (MNA) region as Operations Director in 2007. During 2010-2012, Dr. Mohammed was on external assignment from the Bank where he served as Acting Director of Strategy, Prime Minister Office, State of Kuwait. He also served as Senior Advisor in the Poverty Reduction and Economic Management (PREM) network during 2009-2010 and also from 2012-1013. 

Before joining the Bank, Mr. Mohammed worked in two multilateral development banks (African Development Bank, 1994-1996) and the Islamic Development Bank (1996-1998). Mr. Mohammed started his career in academia as lecture and research officer in universities of Khartoum (Sudan, Addis Ababa (Ethiopia), Cambridge (UK), and Oxford (UK). Mr. Mohammed is a graduate of the University of Khartoum (B Ss in Economics) and has two post-graduate degrees in Economics from the University of Cambridge (M. Phil and Ph. D). Mr. Mohammed published widely on issues of economic growth and development, public finance, human capital, conflict and civil wars, natural resource management, poverty reduction, governance and defence economics.

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Lindi von Mutius, JD is Director of the Sustainability and Global Development Practice programs at the Harvard University Division of Continuing Education. In that role, she oversees these programs’ strategic development, curriculum, roughly 70 program Instructors, nine graduate Certificates and two Masters (ALM) programs, and teaches one of the two admissions courses for the programs. In 2005, Lindi was the first graduate of what was then called the ALM in Environmental Management, and is committed to ensuring that the student and faculty experience reflect the transformative power of these programs as they continue to grow.

Lindi is also a talented educator who cares deeply about the student experience -  particularly the Harvard Extension School student experience. She created and taught a new course, ENVR 156 Environmental Justice Practice, with the goal to “teach students how to be real world environmental justice practitioners and encourage the next generation of environmental leaders to think bigger and bolder.” She also teaches ENVR 10, which introduces students to graduate-level academic writing and critical issues in Sustainability. Her students comment on her enthusiasm, integrity, deep commitment to individual student learning, and how her vast professional experience brings the required texts to life.

Previously, Lindi has held senior roles at the Environmental Defense Fund and the Trust for Public Land, and served as Chief of Staff of the Sierra Club. Her professional background has spanned working in government, lobbying, and litigation. Lindi’s positions in NGOs allowed her to pursue her passion: leading efforts towards improved sustainability, conservation and environmental justice outcomes. Her passion remains environmental justice and increasing equitable access to the outdoors. 

After graduating from Phillips Exeter Academy, Lindi attended Williams College, where she was a Mellon Fellow and earned a B.A. in History and a concentration in Environmental Studies, with honors. After working as a liaison for two World Bank Mediterranean Environmental Technology Assistance Program funded projects in Cairo, Egypt, Lindi earned her ALM in Environmental Management, magna cum laude, and then graduated from Vermont Law School where she received the Black Law Students Association Award for Distinguished Service and the award for Excellence in Appellate Advocacy.

Lindi serves on the Boards of the People for the American Way, the Environmental Leadership Program and The Summit Foundation. In her free time, Lindi enjoys kayaking, winter sports, hiking, and puttering around in the garden. She was born in Essen, Germany, and speaks German fluently.

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Abigail works in  the Ethics and Business Conduct (EBC) Department of the World Bank Group as a Program Assistant and serves as the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Advocate for the Department. Abigail has a Master’s in Legal Studies with a specialization in Business Law from the Washington College of Law where she graduated as a Dean’s Fellow. She holds a B.A. in Pre-law and Philosophy from the University of Mary Washington. She is also the Content Co-Lead (Keynotes & Plenaries) for the 2022 World Bank Group Youth Summit.

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Aerica Shimizu Banks is a tech policy expert and inclusion innovator. She is the founder of Shiso, a consultancy that applies an intersectional equity lens to business development, tech, and policy challenges. After experiencing the triumphs and trials of tech – building successful DEI programs at Google and then holding Pinterest accountable for its racism and sexism – she now creates systems and frameworks to elevate and restore equity in our institutions at her firm. Named to the 2021 Root 100, a 2018 Forbes 30 Under 30 Social Entrepreneur, and a 2017 Washingtonian Magazine Tech Titan, Aerica's career is a testament to the values she lives in her personal and professional life. In her personal capacity, she served on President Biden's innovation policy committee, helped pass the Silenced No More Act in California, and currently advises tech policy legislation. Professional highlights include founding Pinterest's DC office and leading federal affairs; leading diversity and equity initiatives on Google's legal team and serving as the Black small business liaison for the DC area; co-founding BEACON: The DC Women Founders Initiative; and serving as a political appointee in the Obama Administration. She holds an MSc in Environmental Policy from Oxford University and a BA in Environmental Studies and Public Affairs from Seattle University. To learn more about Aerica, visit aerica.co

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Samahara is a passionate International Relations professional with outstanding experience in gender studies, social projects, research, and global development.  She currently works as Junior Professional Associate at the World Bank Group working with Central American Countries and in addition, she volunteers as the Youth Voices Co-Lead Program of the WBG Youth – to – Youth Community overseeing 10 youth engagement operations around the world. She has previously collaborated with the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights for the Women’s Rights Rapporteurship, the Mexican government and Save the Children in topics related to gender inclusiveness, migration, and sexual exploitation. Samahara holds an Msc. on Innovation for Development from the Monterrey Institute of Technology and Higher Education and a minor in Social Economics from L'Ecole Supérieure de Commerce et Développement in France.

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Noëlla Coursaris Musunka, a Congolese/Cypriot philanthropist and international model, is the Founder & CEO of Malaika, a grassroots nonprofit that empowers girls and communities in the Democratic Republic of the Congo through a school, a community center, and a clean water program. A unique and fearless spokesperson, and the face of leading fashion campaigns across the globe, Noëlla is a voice for the power of girls’ education worldwide. Founded in 2007, Malaika’s programs impact thousands of lives and are all offered free of charge. Crucially, Malaika acts as a local model that can be replicated on a global level. Noëlla has shared her insight at a number of world-class forums, spanning the World Economic Forum in Davos to the university halls of Cambridge, Oxford, Harvard, and MIT. In 2017, Noëlla was named one of the BBC’s 100 Most Influential & Inspirational Women of the Year, and in 2018, she received an award at the 100 Years of Mandela celebration. She is an Advisor at Concordia and an Ambassador for the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. She sits on the United Nations Conscious Fashion and Lifestyle Network and the L'Oréal Fund for Women Endowment Fund Advisory Committee.

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Charlotte McClain-Nhlapo is the Global Disability Advisor for the World Bank Group. Her work at the Bank focuses on disability-inclusive development under its twin goals to end poverty and promote shared prosperity. As Disability Advisor, she supports operational teams across the institution to ensure that Bank policies, programs, and projects are disability-inclusive. Her responsibilities include; leading the production of analytical products; analyzing and articulating Bank policy on disability and development. In 2011, as a well-respected human rights lawyer in disability and child rights, she was appointed by President Obama to lead USAID’s work on disability-inclusive development, including developing policies and country strategies to technical assistance for program implementation. Before this, she worked as a Senior Operations Officer at the World Bank in the East Asia Pacific and Africa regions. Earlier in her career, she was appointed by President Nelson Mandela as a Commissioner to the South African Human Rights Commission. She focused on social and economic rights, disability rights, and child rights. Charlotte also represented the National Human Rights Institutions during the negotiations of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and was a member of the working group that drafted the Treaty. From 1996 to 1998, she worked for UNICEF as a Child Protection Officer. Charlotte holds multiple Law Degrees in International Law and Administration from the University of Warsaw, Poland, and Cornell Law School, Ithaca, New York. She has published various articles and works on a range of topics related to disability-inclusive development, human rights, including the right to food, disability rights, and children’s rights. Charlotte is also a TEDx speaker; please see the link: https://youtu.be/cQg-jnOfHPQ.

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Innanoshe Richard Akuson is a lawyer, New York Times and Washington Post-published writer, and the founder and former editor-in-chief of A Nasty Boy magazine, West Africa’s first queer fashion publication. Innanoshe’s advocacy for affirmative LGBTQ media visibility and inclusion began in 2015 during the course of a career-defining stint as a fashion journalist at BellaNaija, Nigeria’s foremost lifestyle publication. There, he wrote stories that affirmed the diverse and richly textured sartorial expressions of genderqueer Nigerians — a complete departure from the all-pervading bigoted stereotyping of LGTBQ people across mainstream Nigerian media. 

A year later, Innanoshe published Human Rights and the Anti-Gay Laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, a long-form critical analysis of Nigeria’s Same Sex Marriage Prohibition Act, in partial fulfillment of the requirements for his first professional degree in Law (LL.B.). The research paper articulated the stark civil and human rights violations sanctioned by the draconian anti-gay law in contravention of Nigeria’s Constitution, which manifestly guarantees the freedom of expression, assembly, and association with other persons as well as the right to human dignity and personal liberty of all Nigerians. 

Inspired to more activism, Innanoshe launched A Nasty Boy magazine in 2017 to offer an accurate and positive representation of queer Nigerians by documenting their beautiful lives and radical existence through unflinching personal and visual essays that brought to light the costly and, often, irreparable personal toll of Nigeria’s widespread culture of homophobia. In the years since its inception, the publication has been credited for springboarding a new era of cultural activism in Nigeria and challenging socio-cultural perceptions and expectations around gender and sexuality. Unfortunately, and likely as a consequence of creating the magazine, Innanoshe was forced to move from Nigeria to the US after suffering a homophobic attack in 2018. Even so, he continues to leverage his voice and writing to condemn Nigeria’s unceasing persecution and ostracization of its LGBTQ population.

Innanoshe’s pioneering advocacy for the affirmative depiction of LBGTQ people in mainstream Nigerian media and defense of the fundamental rights of all Nigerians have been recognized by preeminent prizes, organizations, and honor lists. He is a two-time Future Awards Africa nominee — the World Bank-dubbed “Nobel Prize for young Africans.” He earned a nomination for the Future Awards Africa Prize for New Media in 2017, following his creation of A Nasty Boy, and another in 2020 for the Future Awards Africa Prize for Activism. In 2019, at the age of 26, Innanoshe was named one of Forbes Africa’s 30 Under 30 changemakers, and later that year, he was named one of Forbes Japan’s “30 Under 30 from the World of Forbes.” In July 2020 (as in 2017), YNaija, Nigeria’s foremost cultural intelligence publication, named him one of their “100 Most Powerful Young Nigerians Under 40.” Most recently, in 2021, Innanoshe was named one of Global Citizen’s “10 African LGBTQ Activists to Know.”

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Dominique Tchimbakala was born in 1977 in the Paris region and was educated in France until primary school.  In 1987, she moved with her family to the Republic of Congo and was educated at the French high school Saint-Exupéry (Brazzaville), where she passed her baccalaureate. After returning to France in 1994, she integrated preparatory class letters in preparation for the competition courses Ecole Normale Supérieure (ENS). After a bachelor's degree in History and a master's degree in Political Science at the University of Paris X-Nanterre, she finished her academic studies with a postgraduate Management Media to Com-Sciences Audencia (Nantes). She became an Alumni of the famous French business school HEC PARIS after completing an Executive MBA between 2019 and 2021.

Dominique made her debut in journalism by collaborating with local Nantes media before moving to the Center for Training and Development of Journalists in Paris (CFPJ). After several collaborations, she joined the editorial staff of France 2, where she produced reports for the channel's newspapers (1 p.m., 8 p.m., Télématin and Edition de la Nuit). 

Since 2000, Dominique has worked for several editorial staff in France (France 2, Le Magazine de la santé sur France 5, BFMTV, Jeune Afrique). In 2017, she became one of the titular presenters of the Journal Afrique on the francophone channel TV5Monde. In 2018, she became the President of the Board of Directors of the Association des Anciens des Lycées Francais du Monde (Union-ALFM). Dominique grew up in an international environment with French and Congolese cultures, fueled by numerous travels. French is her native language, she is also fluent in English, Spanish and can understand and speak several Congolese languages. Dominique is the eldest of a family of 5 children and the mother of 2.

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Kasia leads the ITU International Centre of Digital Innovation (I-CoDI) at the ITU’s International Centre for Digital Innovation. She is a strategic public policy advisor and entrepreneur, guiding global policies and programs on technology, innovation and entrepreneurship. Prior to joining ITU, worked at the World Bank Headquarters (Solutions for Youth Employment) and at the European Commission, DG CNECT, Digital Innovation and Blockchain Unit. Previously, she supported the VP of the European Commission, Andrus Ansip, at the Working Group on Digital Entrepreneurship at the UN Broadband Commission for Sustainable Development. Harvard Kennedy School graduate and Harvard Ash Centre for Democratic Governance and Innovation Fellow’21, she was a visiting mentor/research scientist at the MIT Media Lab Global Ventures (Data and AI for the post-COVID world) and AI for Impact. Currently, she mentors startups at MIT Martin Trust Centre eForum, EBRD Star Ventures, and across hackathons all over the globe (Women in AI USA, Disruptive Innovation for Arab World, Innovation Hackathon in Zambia, Better Together Challenge for Venezuela or Global She Trades Hackhaton). She is also a member of the IEEE Council on Extended Intelligence (Global Initiative on AI Ethics). She is a public speaker and a co/author of numerous publications on innovation and technology focusing on   exploring how technology can solve global challenges.

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Samia Melhem is a Lead Policy Specialist on Digital Development at the World Bank Group. Her responsibilities include investment operations in digital platforms & services as well as thought leadership. She currently leads several digital government operations, leveraging disruptive technologies to improve delivery of public services, in education, health, and social protection. She is also currently leading research on digital resilience and digital responses to COVID-19 for public service delivery.  During her career at the WBG, Samia led projects in East and Central Europe, Asia, Middle East and Africa. She led research on Telecoms Policy and Regulation, Digital government, electronic procurement, cloud computing, Innovation & Entrepreneurship, Open data, Private Public Partnerships, and gender inclusion. She holds degrees in Electrical Engineering (BS), Computer Sciences (MS), and Finance (MBA), as well as various accreditations in project management, leadership, and disruptive technologies.

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Shino is an Operations Officer with the Inclusive Business team. Housed in the Gender and Economic Inclusion Group at IFC, the Inclusive Business team is leading efforts to advancing opportunities for people living at the base of the economic pyramid and/or lack access to basic goods and services and economic opportunities. At IFC, Shino’s current work focuses on delivering market-based solutions by helping clients strengthen inclusive supply chains and develop new solutions for low-income populations in last mile markets through results-based financing and advising project teams and clients on how to improve inclusion in the company’ supply chains in the infrastructure and disruptive technology sector. 

Shino has 15 years of international experience in providing advisory services, managing projects, and implementing projects in the private and public sector. Shino started her career as a financial analyst at Goldman Sachs, and expanded her field into the operation of and research into microfinance and small and medium-sized enterprises including a grassroots non-profit microfinance ProMujer in Bolivia, Centre for Microfinance at Institute for Financial Management and Research in India, and International Labour Organization. Shino holds a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from the University of Washington, and a Master’s Degree in Public Policy from Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.

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Gordon Swaby is the CEO and Co-Founder of multi-award winning and publicly traded company, EduFocal Limited (TICKER: Learn), an innovative online social learning service for students preparing for their Primary Exit Profile (PEP) examination. The 10-year-old service has been used by thousands of students to successfully prepare for their exams. Swaby’s work has been acknowledged by many organizations including the World Bank, The Private Sector Organization of Jamaica, The University of Technology and the Inter- American Development Bank. He is a recipient of the Governor General’s Youth Award, the Commonwealth Youth Award and many others.

He is a former Director at the Jamaica Library Service, A former Director of The NCB Foundation; the philanthropic arm of Jamaica's largest Commercial Bank, National Commercial Bank Jamaica Limited, E-Learning Jamaica Ltd, Nationwide News Network, One of Jamaica's largest media entities and the National ICT Council; an independent body tasked with giving the Science, Technology, Energy and Mining Minister advice on ICT policy and strategy. He is also a member of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB)’s Civil Society Working Group, CONSOC. In 2016 the BBC named him and his company “Digital Disruptors” and was the subject of a short documentary that was aired internationally on BBC radio, BBC World News and BBC online

Gordon is married to Kemesha, with whom he shares a son, Alexander. Gordon is a lover of drones, productivity, skeet, books and cooking!

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Faher Elfayez is an external affairs officer for the World Bank’s Identification for Development (ID4D) and Digitizing Government to Person Payments (G2Px) initiatives. Prior to that, Elfayez was an online producer at the World Bank’s Corporate Communications Team. Before joining the bank, Elfayez worked at the Media Bureau of the Jordanian Embassy in Washington, D.C. Elfayez holds a bachelor’s in Government and Women Studies and a master’s in PR and Corporate Communications, both from Georgetown University.

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Hadil is the Founder & Managing Director of MENA AGE, an organization that advocates for gender equality in the MENA region. She also is an M&E Consultant at the World Bank and Socialsuite. Hadil has experience in leading advocacy initiatives on gender equality, delivering capacity-building trainings on gender mainstreaming, women’s empowerment, and projects M&E. Hadil holds an MBA from Cardiff Metropolitan University where she was selected as a representative, exemplary woman at Cardiff Metropolitan University to inspire others.

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Angham is a strategic communications expert with about a decade of experience at the IMF. Prior to joining the Fund, she was a communications advisor at the Saudi Cultural Mission and worked at the economic office of the Yemen Embassy in Washington, D.C. She holds a master’s degree in international commerce and policy and an undergraduate degree in global affairs from George Mason University.

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Bashar Hlayhel is on the Research Assistant Program at the Middle-East and Central Asia’s Regional Studies Division. He works on financial markets, portfolio flows and labor market issues. Prior to joining the Fund, he was an intern at the UNDP Regional Bureau for Arab States’ Knowledge Project where he gained experience working on topics related to digitalization and the knowledge economy. Bashar has a dual degree in Economics and Engineering from the American University of Beirut.

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Tara Sophia Mühlschlegel currently is a Research Analyst in the IMF’s Africa Department where she works on macroeconomics in West Africa and the effects of climate issues, food security, and digitalization. She serves as president of RACA, the IMF’s analyst association. Prior to joining the Fund she was a public sector consultant in Luxembourg, advising both European and international organizations on climate adaptation and mitigation projects. During her studies, she gained experience at the European Investment Bank, Germany’s development bank (KfW), and with Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus. Tara holds a BSc in International Business and a MSc in Development Economics.

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Greta Polo is currently a Research Analyst in the IMF’s African Department where she works on macro-financial analysis and country surveillance issues. Prior to joining the Fund, Greta worked as an Analyst at the World Bank, providing policy reform advice on private sector development and aspects of business regulation, such as public procurement and tax regulation. She also worked as a consultant at UNDP and UNFPA. She has Master’s Degree in International Affairs from Columbia University and holds a Bachelor’s of Science in Applied Mathematics.

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Vilma Aguilar is the current Program Manager for the World Bank Group’s Young Professionals Program (WBG YPP), now recruiting on behalf of the World Bank, IFC and MIGA. She is a Human Resources Management professional with over 20 years of experience in international development organizations.

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Cristina Serban is a Young Professional Programme (YPP) Associate Officer in the Staffing Diversity and Outreach Section (SDOS) at the United Nations Secretariat. She comes from Romania and completed her studies at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Cristina has robust client-facing experience with the private sector in digital marketing and branding, and with the nonprofit sector in immigration law. When she’s not at the Secretariat building, you'll find her dancing salsa, spending quality time with family in Romania, or snacking her way across the countries on her bucket list.

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Mahmoud Almasri is an associate Human Resources Officer who contributes to promoting diversity and inclusion in the United Nations to reflect the multiple perspectives and characteristics of the people it serves. Mahmoud’s work aims to achieve greater geographical representation and improve gender parity throughout engaging in talent outreach activities. He is for a Lebanese mother, Syrian father, and Egyptian grandparents. Until now Mahmoud has three turning points in his life. First was in 2012 when he was forced to leave Syria and became a refugee in Lebanon. The second was in 2014 when he received the “Tomorrow’s leaders” full scholarship at the American University of Beirut granted by U.S. department of state. He has a bachelor’s degree in Economics with double minors in Public Administration and Civil Society, Citizenship, and the Nonprofit Sector. Upon graduation, his scholarship program awarded him the “excellence in Civic Engagement” award in recognition to his initiatives in education in rural areas in Lebanon. The third turning point in his life was in 2022 when he joined the United Nations in New York throughout the Young Professional Program, 2.5 years after he submitted the application. Mahmoud’s current vision is to contribute making the world less unequal mainly throughout education.

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Ms. Sojeong Jeong is the Associate Human Resources Officer of United Nations Department of Management Strategy, Policy, and Compliance. Prior to her appointment, Ms. Jeong obtained two Master’s Degrees in Republic of Korea and in France in International Development Policy and Business Management and built her professional expertise in Human Resources Management and Organizational Development in the private sector for 3.5 years in Paris and Shanghai. She also worked for a non-profit organization and government research institutes for 1.5 years in Korea. Ms. Jeong joined the UN through Junior Professional Officer (JPO) Programme in Feb 2022. Since then, she is working for Talent Outreach activities in the Staffing Diversity and Outreach Section within Strategic Talent Management Service, for the organizational mandate to achieve greater geographical diversity and improved gender parity.

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Iman Kedir is a Communications & Outreach Specialist for the World Bank Group’s Youth Programs focusing on employer branding and outreach for early career recruitment programs, including the Young Professionals Program. She has close to 15 years of experience working for international brands and organizations.

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Jescinta joined the World Bank Social Sustainability and Inclusion Team in September 2021 as a Young Professional. She is a gender and social inclusion expert with deep expertise in gender equality and social impact, driven by an entrepreneurial spirit to re-invent and scale innovative global impact strategies. Her nine years of experience has refined her strategic and analytical lens, as well as deepened her knowledge of gender equality, social impact and economic inclusion, and programmatic operations across emerging markets in the Caribbean, sub-Saharan Africa, and south Asia. 

Most recently, Jescinta worked at the United Nations Foundation as the Gender Lead for an initiative focused on scaling household renewable energy in emerging markets. In this capacity, she provided direct gender technical assistance to social enterprises, SMEs, and impact investors on gender-informed business approaches, as well as supported early-stage women entrepreneurs and women-owned business on business development support across sub-Saharan Africa. In addition, she also served as a social impact consultant for Unilever, supporting the brand, "SheaMoisture," on their ethical impact investing strategies, as well as the company's economic development and fair trade programming within its global supply chain. From collaborating with social enterprises in emerging markets to develop gender-inclusive business plans in Haiti to working with female cocoa and shea butter cooperatives in Northern Ghana to grow and scale, Jescinta remains highly motivated to promote inclusive global systems change around gender equality and social inclusion.

Jescinta has a Bachelor of Science in Culture and Politics, with an African Studies certificate from Georgetown University School of Foreign Service and a Master of Science in Gender, Development, and Globalization from the London School of Economics and Political Science.

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Kelly Widelska is currently an Economic Inclusion Advisor for the Gender and Economic Inclusion Group at the International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of the World Bank Group and the largest global development institution focused on the private sector in emerging markets. She has been an Inclusion Advocate and Network Leader for 15+ years. She has advised leadership and lead resource groups to identify gaps in policy & procedures and has delivered programs that have improved workplace inclusion. Kelly is also a member of the World Bank Groups Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity (SOGI) Task Force and the World Bank Task Force on Disability.  These are multi-sectoral groups set up to advance specific inclusion issues and to scale-up research, programs, and staff training.

Kelly was previously the Global Head of Knowledge & Learning for IFC, providing knowledge and learning solutions across the Corporation. Before joining IFC, she worked with EY’s Transaction Advisory Services practice, where she led the Global Knowledge & Innovation Team. Kelly holds a Masters degree in Information Management from Sheffield University in the UK.

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Adil Mohommad is an economist in the International Monetary Fund. He has been with the IMF’s Research Department since 2018. In his current position he has worked on a variety of topics including trade; intergenerational mobility; and various aspects of climate policy including impact on labor markets; sequencing and diffusion of climate policies; and the impact of the pandemic on climate policy preferences. He previously worked in the IMF’s Asia and Pacific Department, with experience over a wide range of countries including Australia, Bhutan, India, Nepal, New Zealand, and Tuvalu. He holds an MA in Economics from Delhi School of Economics (Delhi University), and a PhD in Economics from the University of Maryland.

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Mr.  Hem’s  career spans across private sector, the United Nations system, multilateral development bank, and government. As  Secretary of State, he looks afterdevelopment  financing, coordination and management of ODA (both  strategy and operation), public debt  management  and supports key policy agenda. He coordinates a number of inter-ministerial mechanisms that tackle major infrastructures and urbanization challenges facing Cambodia. He is also a member of the  Supreme  National  Economic  Council, and incumbent Chair of the Country Coordinating Committee for the Global Fund program to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria in Cambodia. Mr. Hem obtained his  Mid-Career Master  of  Public  Administration (Mason  Fellow) from  Harvard Kennedy  School of Government in 2014 and Master of Arts  in International Development from International University of Japan in 2002. He received his undergraduate diploma of Bachelor of Business Administration  from then National Institute of Management (Cambodia) in 1999.

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Hamid is an Artist who focuses on creative leadership and innovation. He is the co-Founder and Creative Director at Kugali Media a visual entertainment company that focuses on African storytelling. Kugali became the first company to close a deal with Disney animation. Kugali is also the official Snapchat creator in the augmented reality field, with its experiences that has so far been used by over 75 million people. Augmented reality projects were in collaboration with Snapchat and Nelson Mandela’s granddaughter, Tuwikini Mandela with a goal to encourage education on Black British History. Hamid has also worked in the highest levels of visual entertainment in Hollywood blockbusters like Lion King(2019), Dumbo(2019), The Predator (2018) and Dolittle (2020) . He has also been featured on BBC News, CNN, Reuters and several other media houses. With all his achievements, Hamid was able to win the award of Aluminus of the year Award from University of Hertfordshire in 2021.

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Bukola Ogunyemi is a digital communications professional with a decade of experience working with global nonprofits and international organizations on social media management and content strategy. Bukola is currently a social media specialist at the International Finance Corporation, the private sector arm of the World Bank Group. He is also the communications co-lead for the 2022 World Bank Group Youth Summit.

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Mike Bellot is a native of Cap-Haitien, Haiti. He holds a bachelor’s degree in international politics and Economics, a Master of Business and Management (international trade) at Tamkang University, Taiwan, a graduate certificate in SME Management at Ritsumeikan University of Japan and a graduate certificate in community leadership at Kyunghee University in south Korea. Entrepreneur, he is the inventor of the first solar-powered lighting backpack (SoloBag) helping students who do not have access to electricity to study at night. He was named by the world's largest business newspaper Forbes Magazine as one of the 10 most prolific Haitian entrepreneurs who are rewriting the narrative of Haiti.

Mike received the Meaningful Business 100 award for the year 2020. This award recognizes 100 business leaders from around the world each year who combine profit and social impact as factors contributing to the achievement of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. He was named "The Most Remarkable Young Person of the Year 2019" by the Young International Chamber (JCI-Haiti), and twice received the Innovation Award from the Haitian Ministry of Commerce. In 2021 Mike Bellot became the first Haitian in the USA with a pending utility patent for an invention. He recently created Skytefi, a cost-effective solution to the difficult challenge of bringing internet access to people in underserved remote areas. Mike is Professor at the two largest private Universities in Haiti, teaching innovation, entrepreneurship, and business-related courses.

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Hayat Aljowaily is an Egyptian filmmaker based in Paris. Having grown up between Washington D.C, Cairo, Geneva, and New York, Hayat has always been interested in issues related to global politics, cultural exchange, and identity. Hayat completed a BA in Social Sciences at Sciences Po, Paris, and a BA in Film and Media Studies at Columbia University.  Throughout her time in university, Hayat continued to pursue her passion for social issues, interning with UN Women and the Lebanese NGO March Lebanon. She also began pursuing her passion for film, interning with the film agency Mad Solutions in Cairo, film production company Maven Pictures in New York & J’aime ce Garçon in Paris. Additionally, she gained experience in media & communications interning with Nineteen84 Management in Cairo and working with the School of General Studies’ communications team. 

After graduating in May 2020, Hayat joined Mediawan’s documentary international sales team as an intern. Shortly thereafter, she was hired by Marvel Studios as a director’s assistant to Mohamed Diab on one of their Disney + series Moon Knight.  Aside from her work as a film professional, Hayat is also a filmmaker. She has been developing a series of independent projects, including a short film, a documentary series, and a short musical film. She is currently producing most of these projects under the Le Hangar label. Currently, she is also the founder of the Kalam Aflam initiative, which aims to create a space to celebrate Arab art & film in Paris. Hayat strives to use films as a means to promote social cohesion and cultural understanding.

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Ken Chua is the Founder & Director of (these)abilities -  an inclusive design & technology agency that works with companies & organizations to build inclusive policies, products, services, environments & campaigns that serves not only persons with disabilities, but as a delightful lived experience for all. Ken spends his time exploring sustainable & scalable ways to prove the value of disability towards mainstream society as contributors of societal value and not just as beneficiaries - through an inclusive & participatory design process.

Ken has held such talks & workshops as well as launched collaborative inclusive design projects with organizations such as Google, Adobe, Grab, Embraer, ComfortDelGro Bus, Frasers Property as well as several governmental ministries & agencies in Singapore. Ken is honored to be recognized and contribute ably to multiple communities of practice including Forbes Asia 30 Under 30 2019 (Social Entrepreneurs), Obama Foundation Leader 2019: Asia Pacific, Young Societal Leaders @ Singapore Summit 2019, Sandbox, World Economic Forum's Global Shapers, Ashoka Foundation's ChangemakerXChange & the Center for Social Impact Strategy at the University of Pennsylvania.

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Rym Badran is the founder of Girl Up Lebanon and Girl Up Arab World Coalition, girl-led movements with the mission of representing Girl Up's vision as to advance girls’ rights, skills and opportunities, in Lebanon and the Arab region as a whole. She previously served as a Girl Up Teen Advisor for the 2019-2020 class and as Girl Up's MENA Regional Leader. Currently, she is a member of Girl Up's MENA region youth advisory group and a member of the SheDecides Youth Accountability Panel. She is completing her Bachelors of Laws (LLB) at Paris 2 Panthéon-Assas and her Bachelors of Arts (BA) in Political Science and International Affairs at the Lebanese American University.

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Timothy Dziedzom Amaglo-Mensah is a Ghanaian studying an International Masters in Education Policies for Global Development as an Erasmus+ Scholar at the Autonomous University of Barcelona, University of Glasgow and the University of Cyprus. He won the 2021 World Bank Blog4Dev Competition in Ghana, representing on the Youth Transforming Africa platform. He also leads the Stay In School Initiative in Ghana and is a HundrED Ambassador and Their World Global Youth Ambassador as part of an eclectic group of education changemakers worldwide. Timothy was also awarded the prestigious Chevening Scholarship in 2021.

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Ezgi Canpolat is a Cultural Anthropologist (Ph.D.) and Social Development Specialist at the Climate Investment Funds (CIF), World Bank Group with a decade of experience working in international development, particularly focusing on climate change, social inclusion and cohesion, and gender equality in different regions. During the last three years, Ezgi successfully led the dialogue with climate experts and advanced social dimensions of climate change in climate strategy, operations, and analytical and advisory work. She has been co-leading programs just energy transitions in Africa and East Asia and Pacific regions. Before joining the CIF, Ezgi worked in the World Bank’s Energy and Extractives Global Practice for around five years and strengthened the integration of social development issues in the Bank’s energy sector operations, policy, and programming. Since joining the World Bank in 2013, she has led multidisciplinary teams and cutting-edge research programs focusing on social inclusion, gender equality, locally led climate action, and indigenous peoples. Previously, Ezgi taught courses on anthropological topics and ethnographic methods at Baruch, Lehman, and Queens Colleges in New York. 

Ezgi received her Ph.D. in Cultural Anthropology from the City University of New York, Graduate Center in 2021. Drawing on ethnographic field research with local citizens and Syrian refugees in different cities and regions in Turkey, her dissertation focuses on discussions about the integration of Syrian refugees and how these discussions relate to the questions of inclusion and diversity in Turkey. She is currently working on a book project tentatively titled “Governing Diversity: Syrian Refugees and Belonging in the New Turkey.”

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Saiurys Bonnet, is the founder and current manager of @UnaVainaVerde, a disruptive and innovative social enterprise dedicated to educating, advising, organizing events and offering alternatives to empower the migration to a more sustainable life-style or company.

Ms. Bonnet  has more than 9 years of experience creating strategies with triple impact (economic, social and environmental). She has a degree in International Business, a masters in Sustainable Development and Corporate Responsibility, and is also an auditor in Integrated Management Systems under the international standards: ISO 9001, 14001, 45001 and performance standards of the International Finance Corporation (IFC).

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Raised in Oakland but residing in Brooklyn, Dominique Drakeford is a mother and thought-leader harnessing her Leo energy to disrupt un-sustainable systems while simultaneously celebrating her Blackness. With a BA in Business Environmental Management and a Master’s Degree from NYU in Sustainable Entrepreneurship and Fashion, she has been a non-traditional environmental justice and sustainability educator for the past 10+ years. Additionally, as an impact influencer, she stylishly works at the intersection of sustainability and lifestyle to bring a fresh perspective to indie and global brands to heal our relationship with Earth and spark equitable change. By building workshops, creating youth based curriculums and and sharing through creative story-telling outlets, Dominique creates an accessible framework, specifically for how the Black diaspora absorbs information, gains clarity and becomes more sustainability liberated. Most importantly, as a mother, Dominique has has intentionally become a lifelong student and teacher for building a mosaic of local sustainable eco-systems.

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Yasmin Poole seeks to challenge policymakers to think differently. Her vision is for Australia to become a global leader in intersectional policymaking, with a Parliament that truly reflects the diversity of our communities.

Yasmin is Plan International Australia's National Ambassador, advocating for young women to be heard in Australian politics. She regularly provides commentary on Australian TV and radio, such as Q+A, The Drum, and ABC News. Yasmin is the Non-Executive Board Director of OzHarvest, Australia’s leading food waste charity, and works on communications campaigns for the World Bank in the Pacific region.

In 2021, Yasmin was recognised as the Martin Luther King Jr Center’s Youth Influencer of the Year. She was recently awarded the Rhodes Scholarship and will study intersectional policymaking at the University of Oxford later this year.

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Mamta started as Vice President for Human Development at the World Bank on July 1, 2020. In this role she oversees the Global Practices for Education; Health, Nutrition, and Population; Gender; Social Protection and Jobs – as well as the Human Capital Project.

Mamta has held many leadership positions at the World Bank, including as Director of Operations Policy (2019), Director of Strategy and Operations in Infrastructure (2018), Director of Strategy and Operations in the Africa Region (2015-2018), and Regional Country Director for the EU, based in Brussels (2012-15).

An economist by training, she has had technical roles in Social Protection and Labor (1996-2004) and Education (2006-10). She was Deputy Director of the World Development Report on Development and the Next Generation in 2006. During 1998-2000, Mamta was MacArthur Fellow for Poverty and Inequality at King’s College, Cambridge.

Mamta joined the World Bank as a Young Professional in 1995. She has a Bachelors’ Degree in Economics from St. Stephen’s College, University of Delhi and a D.Phil in Economics from the University of Oxford. Mamta has written extensively on poverty, demography, education, pensions, and skills and is well-known for her econometric studies on fertility in India.

The Youth Summit is an affiliate of the Youth-to-Youth (Y2Y) network, the largest volunteer organization at the World Bank Group, which aims to inspire and empower youth within and outside the institution.

2022 Youth Summit Partners

TV5 Monde

TV5 Monde is a francophone international channel created in 1984. It is one of the three largest global television networks along with MTV and CNN and is available to 403 million households across 198 countries and territories.

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UN Office of the Secretary-General Envoy’s on Youth

The Secretary-General’s Envoy on Youth advocates for the empowerment and meaningful participation of young people, especially the most marginalized and vulnerable youth, and recognizes the positive contributions made by young people to advance sustainable development, peace building and upholding human rights.

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GW Innovation Entrepreneurship Office

The George Washington University Office of Innovation & Entrepreneurship provides programming around innovation, education, venture creation, and making connections to support GW entrepreneurs and the Mid-Atlantic startup community. In 2020, the George Washington University was placed among the Princeton Review's top 25 universities with the best graduate entrepreneurship programs in the nation.

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YouthLead 

YouthLead is designed for young changemakers making a positive impact in their community through service, activism, advocacy, education, and entrepreneurship. Its network members are focused on finding solutions by connecting people, ideas, and resources to tackle critical issues affecting young people at home and around the world.

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Y20 Indonesia 

Youth 20 is a forum for future young leaders from all G20 member countries to discuss, argue, and exchange ideas, to reach a joint agreement regarding the agenda of the G20 Presidency. The Y20 Summit result is the Y20 Communiqué. Since the first Y20 conference was held in 2010, the host of the organizers changed every year based on where the G20 Presidency takes place. With theme "From Recovery to Resilience: Rebuilding the Youth Agenda Beyond COVID-19", this year's Y20 Summit will be held in Jakarta and Bandung (Indonesia) in July 2022

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InnovatorsBox

Founded by Monica H. Kang, InnovatorsBox® specializes in the science and strategy of workplace creativity to help you reskill for the future of work. InnovatorsBox’s research-based and interactive programs drive culture transformation, leadership development, and team building in a way that is fun, relatable, and actionable. The benefits of InnovatorsBox are not limited to a specific personal or organizational challenge because they target the root of every problem—the habits and mindsets of people. In order to see fundamental changes at your organization, people need the opportunity to change the way they think through creativity. As individuals incorporate creative thinking into their everyday lives, they’ll be equipped to solve organizational challenges now and any that may arise in the future.

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Network Capital 

Network Capital is a career experimentation and advancement platform trusted by 100,000+ millennials and GenZs who are on a mission to build their category of one by learning with and from some of the smartest professionals on the planet.

EUROPE & CENTRAL ASIA

• Title: Youth Voices: Greater Inclusion for People with Disabilities in Europe and Central Asia

• Date: Thursday, May 19, 2022

• Time: 8am (Washington DC) | 2pm (Central Europe & Western Balkans) | 3pm (Eastern Europe) | 4pm (South Caucasus) | 5/6 pm (Central Asia)

EVENT OVERVIEW

An estimated one billion people, or 15% of the world’s population, experience some form of disability, with disability prevalence higher for developing countries. In the Europe and Central Asia region, an roughly 135 million people live with a disability.

Persons with disabilities are more likely to experience adverse socioeconomic outcomes such as less education, poorer health, lower levels of employment, and higher poverty rates. Countries across Europe and Central Asia need to do more to remove barriers and biases to full economic and social inclusion, which have a severe impact on economic growth. 

Join us for a one-hour interactive event to hear from youth activists from Croatia, Kazakhstan, and Romania working on projects related to disability inclusion and how they are helping to create a more inclusive future for all in their countries. Register here.

SPEAKERS

• Beibit Abdikenov – Assistant Professor at Astana IT University, CEO and Cofounder of ReLive
• Iris Popescu – Architect, Activist, and Founder of the NGO AMAis
• Ivona Šeparović – Disability Rights and Inclusive Education Activist, Host of the Radio Program “Walker”
• Vara Vemuru – World Bank Practice Manager for the Social Sustainability and Inclusion Global Practice, Europe and Central Asia

Moderated by Zarina Nurmukhambetova, World Bank External Affairs Officer

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EAST ASIA

• Title: Driving Resilient Recovery and Inclusive Economic Growth: The Role of Youth in East Asia

• Date: Tuesday, May 24, 2022

• Time: 10:00am (GMT +8)

EVENT OVERVIEW

Covid-19 is reversing gains in the fight against poverty. About 97 million more people are living in poverty because of the pandemic, and the loss in human capital wealth globally due to gender inequality is estimated at US$160.2 trillion. How can young people tackle the problems caused by inequality? What are youth leaders in East Asia doing to create a more inclusive world?

The 2022 Youth Summit Regional Event for East Asia aims to: (i) provide a space for regional youth to tell their story in driving social inclusion; and (ii) create a pathway for ongoing, productive engagement between the WBG and regional youth to combat inequalities. Register here to attend.

AGENDA

• Welcome remarks
• Introduction of the 2022 WBG Youth Summit 
• Keynote Presentation
• Trivia on presentation/EAP facts
• Panel Discussion on Social Inclusion – Q&A Session
• Trivia on presentation/EAP facts
• Closing remarks & winner of trivia

SPEAKERS

• Hester Marie DeCasper – Regional Head of Operations & Head of Office, International Finance Corporation
• Ros Rotanak (CHEF NAK) – #1 female chef in Cambodia
• O’Neall Massamba – Manager of WBG Youth Summit 2022

Moderated by Alyssa Farha Binti Jasmin, World Bank Research Consultant

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LATIN AMERICA & THE CARIBBEAN

• Title: The Future is Now: Time for Youth Action

• Date: Thursday, May 26, 2022

• Time: 1:00pm (EDT)

SPEAKERS

• Youth Representative from the Caribbean
• Youth Leader from Andean Countries
• Youth Leader from Central America
• Youth Leader from South Cone

Moderated by Seynabou Sakho, Director of Strategy and Operations for LAC

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SOUTH ASIA

• Title: South Asia Voices – Economic Inclusion for SA Youth

• Date: Monday, June 13, 2022

• Time: 10:00am (IST)

EVENT OVERVIEW

The 2022 World Bank Group Youth Summit took place at the end of May, drawing youth from around the globe to engage in dialogue and action centered around the theme of ‘Unlocking the power of inclusion for an equitable growth’.

The youth summit regional events were created to bring the global summit to the local level and are happening globally (East Asia/ECA/LAC/MENA/Pacific/SSA) in both the weeks leading up to the Summit, and as follow-on discussions such as June 13 event in South Asia.

Covid-19 is reversing gains in the fight against poverty. About 97 million more people are living in poverty because of the pandemic, and the loss in human capital wealth globally due to gender inequality is estimated at US$160.2 trillion. How can young people tackle the problems caused by inequality? What are youth leaders in South Asia doing to create a more inclusive world?

The 2022 Youth Summit Regional Event for South Asia aims to address exactly this by: (i) providing a space for regional youth to discuss the importance digital technology as a way to drive economic and social inclusion, especially for women and young people; and (ii) creating a pathway for ongoing, productive engagement between the WBG and regional youth to combat inequalities.

REMARKS

• Hartwig Schafer - Vice President, South Asia Region, World Bank
• Hector Gomez Ang - Director, South Asia Region, International Finance Corporation
• O’Neall Massamba - Manager, 2022 World Bank Group Youth Summit Steering Committee

PANELISTS

• Siddartha Raja - Senior Specialist, World Bank Group’s Digital Development global practice
• Nayantara Sarma - Economist for the World Bank's Poverty and Equity team
• Aiesha Adnan - Co-founder, Women in Tech Maldives

Moderated by Nayantara Saikia, Program Assistant IFC VP Asia Pacific

2022 Youth Summit Final Winner Teams

Strengthening Social Protection for Informal Economy in East Asia and the Pacific (EAP): Summary of the Winning Case by Angelo Wijaya, Keziah Theresee Gerosano, and Linhan Jiang

2022 YOUTH SUMMIT CASE CHALLENGE

Once again, this year, the World Bank Group (WBG) Youth Summit will feature an action-based learning component themed Inclusion for Equitable Growth Solutions Case Challenge (the “Case Challenge”). The Case Challenge is an integrated part of the WBG Youth Summit taking place on May 26-27, 2022.

The Case Challenge’s collaborative element is an essential part of the 2022 WBG Youth Summit on Unlocking the Power of Inclusion for Equitable Growth, with a vision for fostering an environment of belonging and increasing engagement between participants, the WBG and the facilitators. 

Over the course of the Summit, selected participants will gain real time experience in a team-based, simulated scenario identifying key challenges and opportunities in the development of solutions for an equitable growth. Through facilitated working sessions led by leading development practitioners, the participants will work with their peers to develop and present their solutions. The Case Challenge will provide a unique opportunity to demonstrate their knowledge, problem-solving skills, and creativity while co-creating and networking with peers and experts in the field.

Participants are divided into groups to form high-performing case teams. Teams are tasked with devising a proposed solution to the given case prompt within an allotted time and present their solutions to a panel comprised of WBG senior leads and partners. With such an eclectic array of experiences and skills within every group, individuals will enhance their own communication and teamwork skills. 

Read through the FAQ below to get more information on the Inclusion for Equitable Growth Solutions Case Challenge or apply here.

FAQ

What is the Inclusion for Equitable Growth Solutions Case Challenge?

The Case Challenge is an opportunity for selected delegates to assess some of the challenges faced with equitable growth and to think of innovative ways to tackle these issues and implement their solutions. During the Case Challenge, participants will have the opportunity to explore each of the three dimensions of inclusive growth discussed during the plenary sessions on social, economic, and environmental inclusion.

What is the difference between the Case Challenge and the WBG Youth Summit Competition?

The Case Challenge is a foundational action-based learning component of this year’s Youth Summit, fully integrated into the two-day summit. Delegates who applied to the Youth Summit can apply to participate in the Case Challenge. No prior experience is required.

The WBG Youth Summit Competition is an annual competition that runs concurrent to the Youth Summit and will capstone the Summit this year. Ahead of the Summit, young professionals from all over the world are invited to propose innovative, action-oriented business-level or policy-level solutions that illustrate how the youth can play a part in promoting inclusive growth and ensure a more equitable growth. A jury of experts will pre-select the most compelling proposals based on three-pillars and invite their authors (individuals or teams) to pitch them during the live competition. Winners will be designated by votes from the jury and members of the audience. For more information on the WBG Youth Summit Competition, please consult the Competition section of our website.

What kind of work is done on the cases?

The cases are designed to encourage teams to provide solutions to challenges faced in the process of achieving inclusive growth in social, economic, and environmental sectors. They are meant to analyze the case using guidance from the facilitators and frameworks, to address the problem at hand.

Who will take part in the Case Challenge?

Participants who have submitted their applications for the Case Challenge and have been selected to be part of the 250-300 Youth Summit Delegates, on a rolling basis. The Youth Summit Delegates will be split into 7 regional groups and will work in teams of 6-8 people to solve a challenge.

Is any previous case experience required?

No prior business or case experience is necessary. This is meant to be a fun and learning experience. Facilitators will guide delegates through the steps of the case.

Who designs/gives the case?

The cases are provided by the WBG Youth Summit organizers and have been designed with the help of experts within and outside the WBG.

Who is facilitating the Case Challenge?

Facilitators are young and experienced professionals with credible knowledge on economic, social, and environmental inclusion and/or engagement of the youth. They will guide the participants through the different steps of the Case Challenge.

When and where is the Case Challenge going to be held?

The Case Challenge is fully integrated into the Youth Summit so that participants can be inspired by the discussions they attend during the panel sessions on environmental social and economic inclusion and apply their learnings to the Case Challenge. This year’s Case Challenge section will be fully virtual.

Is there a participation fee?

No.

Do participants have to apply individually or as a part of a team?

Participants MUST have applied individually for the Case Challenge. Applications will be reviewed in a rolling basis. All teams are formed randomly. One of the goals of this competition is to test the effectiveness of the delegates’ communication and team–work skills when teamed up with people they have not known previously.

What do participants get out of this?

• Participants will have the opportunity to experience the challenges of tackling a development case under the mentorship of professionals in this area.
• Participants will have the opportunity to apply knowledge gained during the plenary sessions and apply them directly, to learn in a more interactive way on economic, social and environmental inclusion.
• Participants will have the opportunity to network with professionals and team members and to learn more about opportunities for future collaboration.

·         Following deliberations of the panel of experts, one team will be offered the opportunity to write an article that will be published on a WBG Blog and the WBG Youth Summit 2022 website. 

The winners of the 2022 World Bank Group Youth Summit pitch competition are:  

• First Place: Stanley Anigbogu - Light-Ed (Nigeria)
• Second Place: Priyal Agrawal - StandWeSpeak (India)
• Audience's Choice Award: Emmanuel Uwandu - Gas360 (Nigeria)

FINALISTS ANNOUNCED FOR 2022 YOUTH SUMMIT PITCH COMPETITION

The six finalists are:

• Kitio Tsamo Arielle - TechWoman Factory (Cameroon)
• Emmanuel Uwandu - Gas360 (Nigeria)
• Dimitria Ferreira - Soror (Brazil)
• Zinan Yue - Voibook (China)
• Priyal Agrawal - StandWeSpeak (India)
• Stanley Anigbogu - Light-Ed (Nigeria)

Register here to watch the final presentation and award ceremony live.

BACKGROUND

The idea of inclusive growth has emerged as a central theme animating discussions on recovery and growth in the post-COVID world. Globally, the loss in human capital wealth due to gender inequality is estimated at $160.2 trillion. The outcome of COP26 has only highlighted the need for ambitious plan and action. Furthermore, the pandemic’s economic impact is estimated to increase extreme poverty by between 73 and 117 million people globally. Given the multifold challenges faced by global community along the social, environmental, and economic dimensions, the need for innovative ideas and solutions has never been more critical.

THE CHALLENGE

The 2022 WBG Youth Summit Competition seeks proposals from youth who have innovative and action-oriented solutions and projects to contribute to "Unlocking the Power of Inclusion for Equitable Growth" based on three pillars of development: social, environmental, and economic. The competition rewards the most innovating idea that fosters one of the following:

SOCIAL INCLUSION as the driver for equitable growth

(Education, Health, Gender, Social Safety Nets)

– OR –

ENVIRONMENTAL INCLUSION as the driver for equitable growth

(Climate Change Mitigation, Adaptation, Climate Smart Technologies)

– OR –

ECONOMIC INCLUSION as the driver for equitable growth

(Access to Financial Services, Financial Decision-Making, Sustainable Livelihoods & Employment, Private Capital Mobilization)

WHO CAN PARTICIPATE?

The competition is open to individuals or teams not exceeding four (4) people, aged 18 – 35. Participants can be students, as well as people in the work force or any other occupation. No prior experience in any particular field or topic is necessary. Diverse, gender-balanced team compositions are strongly encouraged.

HOW TO PARTICIPATE

Participants shall provide innovative and concrete solutions that showcase the role of the youth in fostering equitable growth through social, environmental and/or economic inclusion. 

• NEW THIS YEAR: Proposals can be submitted in Arabic, English, French, and Spanish.

WHY PARTICIPATE?

Finalists will have the chance to connect with experts engaged in global solution-solving in the impact space, including both public and private sector leaders across the social, environmental, and economic inclusion landscapes. They will also be offered an opportunity to pitch to potential investors, get tailored mentoring, and receive admission into the inaugural Youth Summit Competition Alumni Network, as well as other virtual and in-person initiatives to elevate the finalists’ story and solution throughout the World Bank network.

PROCEDURES AND DEADLINES

STEP 1 – Information Session on February 11, 2022: Watch a replay of the information webinar for all the information you need to submit a solid application and pitch deck.

STEP 2 - Submit Your Proposal (Deadline: March 11, 2022, 11:59pm EST): Applicants and pitch decks will be evaluated by an expert committee. Shortlisted individuals/teams will be announced by early April and will proceed to the next stage.

STEP 3 – Refine your Idea & Prepare your Pitch (April): Individuals/teams shortlisted in Stage 2 will receive feedback on their pitch deck and may be asked to submit further information or refine their pitch deck.

STEP 4 – Pitch your Idea at the Youth Summit (May): Finalists will join the 2022 WBG Youth Summit at the World Bank Headquarters in Washington D.C. Travel expenses will be covered including lodging for up to three nights for one representative from each team. Other team members will be able to participate through the virtual platform. Given the ongoing developments associated with the COVID-19 pandemic, the World Bank Youth Summit team will adhere to CDC travel guidelines and confirm travel feasibility in advance of the Youth Summit.

Questions & Enquiries

For questions, comments, and enquiries, please reach out to us at youthsummit@worldbank.org

2022 WBG Youth Summit Steering Committee