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The Forum of Young Global Leaders is a community of innovators from diverse backgrounds and experiences. Search current members and alumni by year awarded, sector or region.

Daniel Arrigg Koh
Daniel Arrigg Koh is a public servant dedicated to positive social change.
He currently serves as the White House Deputy Cabinet Secretary, where he helps guide the affairs related to the Cabinet of United States President Joseph R. Biden. Immediately prior, Dan served as the Chief of Staff of the United States Department of Labor, a $14 billion, 17,000 employee organization dedicated to improving the lives of America's 150 million workers. He helped lead the development of the Healthcare Emergency Temporary Standard that protects millions of healthcare workers around the country from COVID-19.
Before his service in the Biden-Harris administration, Dan served as Chief Operating Officer of HqO, a technology company focused on changing the way we interact with physical space. In this capacity, he helped grow the company from 30 employees to over 150 across multiple financing rounds, leading to a $500 million valuation.
In 2019, Dan was elected to the Town of Andover Select Board where he served as Vice Chair. Previously, he was a candidate for the Massachusetts Third District of the United States Congress, where he ran a true grassroots campaign with thousands of volunteers knocking hundreds of thousands of doors, coming within 0.2% of the Democratic primary nomination after a district-wide recount.
From 2014-2017, Dan served as Chief of Staff to Boston Mayor Martin J. Walsh, guiding his agenda for the city, its 18,000 employees, $3 billion budget, and 700,000 residents. In this role, he pioneered “CityScore,” an award-winning performance management system for improving city services.
Dan previously worked as Chief of Staff to Arianna Huffington at The Huffington Post and Advisor to Mayor Thomas M. Menino of Boston. He has served additional roles at Booz Allen Hamilton, Spencer Stuart, Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, Major League Baseball, and the New England Patriots. He began his career as an intern for the late Massachusetts Senator Edward M. Kennedy.
He has been named to the “30 under 30” list by Forbes Magazine and the “40 under 40” list by the Boston Business Journal. In 2016, he received an honorable mention from The Boston Globe for “Bostonian of the Year.” A native of Andover, Massachusetts, Dan holds a B.A from Harvard College and an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School, where he was President of his section. Dan is an avid runner, having completed 62 marathons across the U.S. and Canada.

Priyanka Bakaya
Priyanka Bakaya is a climate technology commercialization advisor who has been recognized on the Forbes 30 under 30 List, the Fortune 40 Under 40: Ones to Watch List, Conscious Company's Top 30 Social Entrepreneurs List, is a Cartier Women's Initiative Award Laureate, and is a World Economic Forum Young Global Leader. She is a graduate of MIT Sloan and Stanford University with Honors and has completed Executive Education at Harvard's Kennedy School and Princeton's Andlinger Center for Energy and the Environment.
Bakaya currently serves as an advisor on Technology to Market Commercialization to the U.S. Department of Energy's Advanced Research Projects Agency–Energy (ARPA-E). She began her career in finance and venture capital, and currently serves on the Impact Committee of the Circular Innovation Fund. She brings extensive experience as a climate tech entrepeneur and coaches founders on the topics of entrepreneurship and sustainability through MIT Bootcamps. She has been invited as a keynote speaker and panelist at dozens of global conferences across six continents; presenting at events such as Fortune Brainstorm Green, Sustainable Brands, Global Entrepreneurship Summit, TEDx, and more.

H.R.H. Princess Reema Bandar Al-Saud
Her Royal Highness Princess Reema bint Bandar Al Saud was appointed Ambassador to the
United States on February 23, 2019, by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman
bin Abdulaziz. She is the first woman in the country’s history to serve in the role of Ambassador.
She presented her credentials to President Donald Trump on July 8, 2019.
In Saudi Arabia, Princess Reema focused on private sector initiatives and the empowerment of
women in the Kingdom. From 2007 until 2015, Princess Reema was the Chief Executive Officer
of Alfa International Company Limited - Harvey Nichols Riyadh, a multi-brand luxury retail
company, during which she commissioned a study on Obstacles for Women in the Workplace,
which set the tone for female inclusion in retail and resulted in opening the first workplace
nursery. In 2013, she founded Alf Khair, a social enterprise aimed at elevating the professional
capital of Saudi women through a curriculum developed to enable financial self-sufficiency.
In 2016, Princess Reema left the private sector to begin a career of public service as Vice
President of Women’s Affairs at the Saudi General Sports Authority where she developed
policies and programs that benefited women and children throughout Saudi Arabia. After a
successful year, she was promoted to Deputy of Development and Planning in January 2018. In
October 2018, she was also appointed President of the Mass Participation Federation, making
her the first woman to lead a multi-sports federation in the Kingdom, a role that she occupied
until her appointment as Saudi Ambassador to the United States.
As part of her philanthropic work, Princess Reema became a founding member of the Zahra
Breast Cancer Awareness Association in 2007, which set a Guinness World Record by forming
the World’s Largest Human Awareness Ribbon at Princess Noura University in Riyadh in 2015.
She received a Bachelor of Arts in Museum Studies from George Washington University and an
honorary doctorate from Marymount University.
Princess Reema has served as a member of the World Bank’s advisory council for the Women
Entrepreneurs Finance Initiative since 2017. She has been a member of the Saudi Arabian
Olympic Committee since 2017-2019 and a member of the International Olympic Committee
(IOC) Women in Sports Commission since 2018. She is also a member of the IOC Brisbane
2032 Coordination Commission.
Princess Reema also serves as the Head of the Executive Committee for the Fashion
Commission at the Ministry of Culture, and as an Honorary Chairman of the Saudi Special
Olympics. Princess Reema is a member of the Voting Council for the RBG Awards. She also
serves as a Board Member for Panthera’s Conservation Council and the Future Investment
Initiative.

Christoph Baumann
Christoph Baumann is Envoy for Sustainable Finance at the State Secretariat for International Finance (SIF). In this role, he leads the Swiss government's sustainable finance activities, ranging from negotiations in multilateral bodies (such as the G20) to domestic initiatives. Christoph is a Policy Fellow at the University of Cambridge. He holds an LLM in international law from the University of London, a master's degree in economics from the University of Zurich, and is a CFA charterholder.
Christoph is focused on making global financial flows consistent with a pathway to net-zero carbon emissions and a nature-positive state in his multinational roles as head of delegation of the G20 Sustainable Finance Working Group, Co-Chair of the Working Group on Transition Finance of the International Platform on Sustainable Finance, Member of the Stewardship Council of the Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures, as well as Swiss Sherpa of the Coalition of Finance Ministers for Climate Action. Domestically, Christoph led the mandatory implementation of climate-related reporting standards - based on the TCFD recommendations. Before joining SIF, he worked in executive positions in the private sector, being instrumental in establishing a securities dealer, a digital bank, and a fintech focused on foundations.

Pete Buttigieg
One of the most visible political figures from the Millennial generation, Pete Buttigieg is mayor of the once-struggling industrial midwestern city of South Bend, Indiana. A winner of the JFK Library Foundation New Frontier Award, he has guided the comeback of his city and works to help peer cities prepare for the future as chair of the US Conference of Mayors Task Force on Automation. An emerging leader in the US Democratic Party and a veteran of the war in Afghanistan.

François-Philippe Champagne
The Honourable François-Philippe Champagne was first elected in 2015 as the Member of Parliament for Saint-Maurice—Champlain.
Minister Champagne is a businessman, lawyer, and international trade specialist with over 20 years’ experience at large international companies in Europe, particularly in the fields of energy, engineering, and innovation.
Before entering politics, Minister Champagne was Vice-President and Senior Counsel of ABB Group, a leader in cutting-edge technology that operates in more than 100 countries. He also served as Strategic Development Director, acting General Counsel, and Chief Ethics Officer and Member of the Group Management Committee of AMEC Foster Wheeler, a world leader in the energy sector.
In 2009, Minister Champagne was named Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum. He has served on several boards over the years, and was notably President of the Canadian-Swiss Chamber of Commerce and the Banff Forum.
After his election in 2015, Minister Champagne served as a parliamentary secretary to the Minister of Finance until 2017, when he was appointed Minister of International Trade. During his time as Minister of International Trade, the Canada–European Union Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement entered into force, and Canada signed the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership. In 2018, he was named Minister of Infrastructure and Communities, and oversaw the federal government’s ambitious $187 billion infrastructure investment plan. He was appointed Minister of Foreign Affairs in 2019.
Minister Champagne holds a Bachelor of Laws from the Université de Montréal and a Master of Laws in American law from Case Western Reserve University. Minister Champagne also studied public and private international law at The Hague Academy of International Law, in the Netherlands.

Vilas Dhar
Vilas Dhar is a leading global voice on equity in a tech-enabled world and serves as President and Trustee of the Patrick J. McGovern Foundation, a 21st century $1.5 billion philanthropy advancing AI and data solutions to create a thriving, equitable, and sustainable future for all.
As a prominent scholar and civil society advocate on artificial intelligence policy and human outcomes, Vilas serves as the US Government Nominated Expert to the Global Partnership on AI, as a member of the OECD Expert Working Group on AI Futures, on the Global Future Council on AI at the World Economic Forum, on the Advisory Council at the Stanford Institute for Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence (HAI), as Expert Contributor to OECD.AI, and as Co-Chair of the Global AI Action Alliance at the World Economic Forum.
Beyond matters of AI policy, Vilas serves as an active civic contributor, serving on the Board of Directors at AccessLex, as Advisor to MIT SOLVE, Director of the Network of Engaged International Donors, on the Board of Directors at the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce, and as a Trustee of the Christensen Fund. He has been named a Young Global Leader and Global Shaper by the World Economic Forum, and has previously served as a Senior Fellow of the Berggruen Institute, the Gleitsman Fellow on Social Change at Harvard University, Practitioner Resident on Artificial Intelligence at the Rockefeller Foundation’s Bellagio Center, and Entrepreneur-in-Residence at the University of Illinois.
Vilas holds a J.D. from NYU School of Law, a Master’s in Public Administration from the Harvard Kennedy School of Government, and dual Bachelor's degrees in Biomedical Engineering and Computer Science from the University of Illinois. His doctoral dissertation at the University of Birmingham (in progress) drives novel approaches to economic and policy infrastructure for a data enabled society to support and empower vulnerable populations.

Suzanne Ehlers
Suzanne Ehlers is the Executive Director and CEO of USA for UNHCR (effective 1/17/2023) where she is working toward a world where refugee crises would cease and people fleeing are welcomed into new communities with dignity and security.
Prior to this appointment, Suzanne served as CEO of Malala Fund and, in this role, she provided leadership to a global staff of experts and advocates who are breaking down barriers that prevent girls from going to school. Suzanne worked closely with co-founders Malala and Ziauddin Yousafzai and a highly regarded board of directors and professional team to advance progress toward girls’ education around the world.
Previously, Suzanne served as President & CEO of PAI, a global leader in the effort to protect and promote the reproductive rights of women and girls. Suzanne led the organization for 10 years, and was at PAI for 16 years. Under Suzanne’s leadership, PAI’s budget almost quadrupled and the organization dramatically expanded its work to more countries, spreading more shared wealth, technical assistance and capacity building.
Suzanne repeatedly served on the U.S. government delegation to the United Nations’ Commission on Population and Development under President Obama. She currently serves as a board member for Ibis Reproductive Health in Boston and the Latin American Montessori Bilingual Public Charter School in Washington, DC; she was named a World Economic Forum Young Global Leader in 2012; and she has served on the boards of the U.S. Global Leadership Campaign, the Global Health Council, the Janelia Family Foundation, The Biodiversity Project, and the Asia Pacific Alliance.
Earlier in her career, Ms. Ehlers was a grantmaker at the Wallace Global Fund. At WGF, she supported a grants portfolio that broke new ground in the fields of sustainable forestry and laid the early foundation for philanthropic engagement on climate change.
Ms. Ehlers served as a Peace Corps volunteer in the Central African Republic following her graduation from Cornell University with a degree in Government. Suzanne speaks French, Spanish and Sango at various levels of proficiency. She lives in Washington, DC, with her husband and two daughters.

Jonathan Fantini Porter
Jonathan Fantini Porter is a government official and executive in the private and social sectors. He currently serves as CEO of the public-private Partnership for Central America and previously held leadership positions at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, The White House, U.S. Congress, and McKinsey & Company.
Under his tenure, the Partnership raised $4.2 billion in foreign direct investment, procurement, and lending in 18 months for projects in the region and delivered programs to 5 million individuals across environmental, social, and governance programs to address the economic roots of migration in frontier and emerging markets. The Partnership has been cited by the President of Microsoft, Administrator of USAID Samantha Power, and the President of the World Bank as a case study on how to mobilize private sector investments for public-private economic development partnerships.
Jonathan previously served as an Associate Partner at McKinsey & Company; advisor on national security and private sector engagement to the Presidential transition of Joe Biden; a White House advisor on transnational security during the Presidency of Barack Obama; as a senior congressional aide in the U.S. Congress; and Chief of Staff in the U.S. Department of Homeland Security where he oversaw management operations of a $6 billion homeland security budget supporting 22,000 personnel in 48 countries.
He was named a Young Global Leader of the World Economic Forum and has served on advisory bodies to the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees, World Economic Forum, Amnesty International, and as a consulting fellow at the International Institute for Strategic Studies.
Jonathan is a graduate of the Harvard Kennedy School of Government and Georgetown University and was awarded an Eisenhower Fellowship. He speaks Spanish, French, and German.

Tara Iyer
Tara Iyer is a PhD economist and former professional athlete. Tara is currently a macroeconomist at the International Monetary Fund and has worked in technical and advisory capacities in the economic policy spaces at the White House Council of Economic Advisers, the Federal Reserve Board of Governors and the Asian Development Bank. She has advised senior policymakers in the United States, India, Africa, and Europe. Her publications range from the design of monetary policies, to financial sector policies, crypto assets, and fiscal policies across countries.
As a professional tennis player, Tara represented her country globally at the Asian Games and the Federation Cup, which is the premier world team competition in professional women's tennis. She was the top ranked junior tennis player in her country and among the top-ranked junior tennis players in the world. As a professional athlete, she competed in tournaments in over thirty countries and won several women's professional tennis tournaments around the world.
Tara holds a BSc from Duke University and an MPhil and DPhil in economics from the University of Oxford.

Wyclef Jean
Grammy Award-winning songwriter/musician/producer, humanitarian, and Goodwill Ambassador to Haiti. Founding Member, Fugees (formerly Tranzlator Crew). Solo Artist. Started singing at age of three in his father's church. At age 10, moved to the United States. 1997, embarked on solo career. Has recorded with Bono (New Day). 2005, Founder, Yéle Haiti (Yéle means "a cry for freedom"), a grassroots movement inspiring change in Haiti through programmes in education, sports, the arts and environment; community service programmes include food distribution and mobilizing emergency relief. 2008, participated in the Clinton Global Initiative to discuss Haiti. Recipient of Grammy awards for: Killing Me Softly With His Song, Best R&B Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocals; The Score, Best Rap Album; Writing and Producing Supernatural (Carlos Santana), Album of the Year.

Elsie S. Kanza
Elsie S. Kanza is a Tanzanian economist who is Special Adviser to the President of the World Economic Forum (WEF). As the head of the WEF’s regional agenda on Africa and member of the Executive Committee, since 2011 she has led numerous public-private collaboration initiatives to solve complex systemic challenges related to the UN Sustainable Development Goals and African Union Agenda 2063. From 2006 to 2011, Kanza served as economic advisor to the President of Tanzania. Between 1997 and 2006, she worked in Tanzania’s finance ministry and its central bank.
Currently a Richard von Weizsacker Fellow, Kanza has been recognized for her achievements in advancing economic development. In 2008, she became an Archbishop Tutu Leadership Fellow, and in 2011 a WEF Young Global Leader. In 2020, the magazine Forbes Africa listed her as one of Africa’s 50 most powerful women. She has served on various boards, including those of the African Leadership Institute - South Africa, Mercy Corps Europe, The Nature Conservancy Africa Council, and the Uongozi Institute.
In 2015, Kanza was awarded a Doctorate of Business Administration (honors causa) from the University of Strathclyde for her role in driving transformative impact in Africa. She also holds a MA in Development Economics from the Center for Development Economics – Williams College; a MSc in Finance from the University of Strathclyde; and a BSc (cum laude) in International Business Administration from the United States International University - Africa.