Youth-Led Innovation: Insights from Lead2030's SDG 3 Changemakers
This session will feature two Lead2030 SDG 3 Challenge winners supported by AstraZeneca. The panel will delve into how companies can genuinely embrace a youth-led approach by investing in and collaborating with innovative changemakers. Through their personal stories, we’ll explore the challenges they've encountered and gather their advice for other youth-led initiatives.
Speakers
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Ajay MittalConvenor, Bengal Clean Air NetworkAjay Mittal
Convenor, Bengal Clean Air Network
Ajay is a young changemaker from India. In 2017 he initiated the campaign called Kolkata Clean Air (KCA). Kolkata Clean Air started as a campaign that has slowly taken shape into a strong network called Bengal Clean Air Network under SwitchON Foundation. Ajay is the convenor of the network and drives the overall strategy and operation for the network. He is also a consultant with EARTHDAY.ORG. Growing out of the first Earth Day, Earth Day Network is the world’s largest recruiter of the environmental movement, working with more than 75,000 partners in nearly 192 countries to build environmental democracy. Ajay leads EDO's Climate Change, and Canopy Project initiatives. He has managed projects to plant millions of trees and help restore 160 hectares of degraded mangrove sites in the fragile Sunderbans. Ajay is a member of the Global Shapers Community, an initiative of the World Economic Forum and part of the Stakeholder Council for the forum's 1t.org project in India. 1t.org is a multi-stakeholder platform that aims to accelerate ambition to conserve, restore and grow a trillion trees by 2030. He was trained to be a Climate Reality Leader in Brisbane, Australia, in June 2019 and has also been recognised as one of the EE 30 Under 30 leaders 2019 cohort by North American Association for Environmental Education (NAAEE). The award recognises young leaders using environmental education to build sustainable communities. He has also been recognised as a "Water Hero" by the Ministry of Jal Shakti, Government of India, for his efforts in water conservation. He is also on board of several city-based NGOs that include HIVE India, Y-East, SwitchON, MCKS-FFH-CHI, to name a few. He is passionate about scaling social solutions using technology, innovations and simplicity.
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Eliezer Lappots-AbreuCEO & President, Health Horizons InternationalEliezer Lappots-Abreu
CEO & President, Health Horizons International
Dr. Eliezer Lappots-Abreu or Eli is a renowned health advocate and leader in global health initiatives, with a focus on improving healthcare access in underserved communities. As the founder of the first Community Mental Health Program in Northern Dominican Republic, Dr. Lappots-Abreu has been a passionate advocate for mental health awareness, driven by personal experiences with overcoming depression and self-harm.
After surviving cancer, he pioneered the first women-led women’s health program in his country, which addresses cervical cancer prevention and expands vaccination access, including for HPV. His expertise spans over 15 years in the industry, encompassing efforts in the fight against cervical and breast cancer, diabetes support, and public health education.
At just 30 years old, He serves as the President and CEO of Health Horizons International Foundation in the Dominican Republic, working on innovative programs that bridge health gaps for marginalized populations including immigrants, children and women. -
Roos BrugginkGlobal Community Investment Senior Manager, AstraZenecaRoos Bruggink
Global Community Investment Senior Manager, AstraZeneca
As AstraZeneca’s Global Community Investment Senior Manager, Roos focuses on AstraZeneca’s Young Health Programme (YHP), a global disease prevention programme with a unique focus on young people aged 10 to 24, living in vulnerable environments and under-resourced settings around the world. Operating in 40 countries in partnership with more than 60 not-for-profit organisations, the YHP aims to prevent the most common non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as cancer, diabetes, heart disease, and respiratory disease, by supporting the development of protective environments and empowering young people to manage their health. The YHP is part of AstraZeneca’s sustainability commitment to accelerate the delivery of sustainable healthcare and use their capabilities to strengthen health systems and improve equitable access.