Youth Jury 2024

Meet the Youth Jury

Andressa dos Reis Ferreira

Staff for Campaigns & Social Media, Latin American Leadership Academy (LALA), Brazil

Andressa is a dynamic and passionate individual with a deep commitment to sustainable urban planning, green city themes, disaster resilience, and recovery. Her journey into sustainable urban development commenced in 2019, marked by her participation in the Young Ambassadors Program of the United States Embassy in Brazil. During this transformative program, she initiated the “Sã&Salva” project, which earned recognition and secured total funding through the English Immersion Program. This project centered on empowering women in urban environments, showcasing Andressa’s unwavering dedication to gender inclusivity and sustainable development.

Presently, Andressa is fully immersed in two significant academic projects. The first, “READURBAN,” is a visionary endeavor focused on Resilience and Urban Adaptation. It seeks innovative solutions for cities grappling with the impacts of climate disasters. The second project, “ACESSÁVEIS,” explores Urban Planning along Brazil and Uruguay’s borders. This research initiative is explicitly geared towards understanding and promoting green health in these border areas.

Blaise Binama

PhD candidate, University of Bielefeld, Germany

Blaise is a dedicated researcher deeply committed to the fields of chemical ecology, biodiversity preservation, and nature conservation. Blaise’s academic journey commenced with a bachelor’s degree in biology, botany, and conservation at the University of Rwanda. Here, he cultivated a profound passion for the natural world and set the stage for his future pursuits. Building on this foundation, he earned a Master’s degree in Biodiversity and Collection Management from Technische Universität Dresden/IHI Zittau, Germany. Currently, he is on an academic quest, pursuing a Ph.D. in natural sciences at the prestigious University of Bielefeld in Germany. Blaise’s research is both fascinating and critical, as it delves into the intricate world of invasive plant species and their interactions with antagonistic forces, illuminating the mechanisms behind plant defence strategies.

Bruna Pacheco de Campos

Sustainability Consultant for Real Estate Developments, Petinelli, Brazil

Bruna work building connections between real estate developments and the best practices in efficiency, resilience, and well-being, all aimed at creating more sustainable cities. Whether at the scale of individual buildings or urban development as a whole, Bruna firmly believes in the technical and economic feasibility of this approach as the key to transforming the market and implementing innovative solutions that enhance safety, health, and the overall quality of life in constructed spaces.

Bruna’s educational background includes a degree from the Federal University of Santa Catarina and specialization in Urban Space Rehabilitation at the University of Brasília (UnB). Bruna is also a certified professional in LEED for Cities and Communities Advisory and hold the LEED AP BD+C certification. Bruna approaches sustainability with a structured and comprehensive methodology, applying validated techniques to assist projects in achieving superior results with reduced resource consumption.

Colin Fernandes

Trial Site Coordinator, Marginpar, Kenya

Colin is the Trial Site Coordinator for Marginpar, a role that focuses on introducing new and improved product varieties into the commercial market. He manages a team of 25 people across sites in Kenya and Ethiopia. In 2024, he was awarded the Young International Grower of the Year prize by AIPH at the IGOTY Awards.

Dominique Bird

Student, Antigua State College, Antigua

Dominique Bird is an 18-year-old from the beautiful island nation of Antigua and Barbuda, Dominique Bird is a young woman with a passion for the natural world.
Currently, Dominique is a second-year A-level student at the Antigua State College. She has her sights set on pursuing her Bachelor’s degree in Marine Biology at the University of the West Indies, Mona, with plans to further delve into Environmental Studies and Sustainable Energy in her future endeavors. Her academic pursuits reflect her commitment to understanding and preserving the world around us.

Dominique is not just an avid learner but also an enthusiastic volunteer. She often finds herself volunteering with various environmental initiatives. She is determined to make a positive change and be an involved youth. Her aspirations extend beyond the classroom; she dreams of becoming an Oceanographer and an influential activist and advocate.

Dominique strongly believes in the concept of green cities, which she sees as the key to environmental preservation, reduced climate risk, increased economic health, better adaptability, and improved social and physical wellness. She invites everyone to work together to achieve this vision.”

Emmanuel Baffoe Bonney

Coordinator and Project Manager, Green Land Nkyirimma Organization, Ghana

Emmanuel is an urban enthusiast with a background in environmental science and urban planning. Over the past five years, he has actively contributed to the development of green spaces and sustainable initiatives within my community. His passion lies in creating cities that are not only environmentally friendly but also vibrant and inclusive for all generations, especially the youth. He believes that by fostering a strong connection between urban environments and nature, we can inspire future generations to become stewards of our planet. As a Youth Jury member, he hopes to leverage his experience and enthusiasm to help identify the most inspiring green city projects that resonate with the aspirations of today’s youth.

Ferdinand Combary

Urban planner and PhD candidate in sustainable urban development, Regional center of excellence on sustainable cities in Africa, Burkina Faso

Ferdinand is a young urban planner and doctoral student in sustainable urban development. His study focuses on green cities, i.e. the integration of nature and biodiversity into the planning strategies of African urban greenways. He has over five years’ experience of working with youth organisations on climate and biodiversity. He is also programme manager for the Global Youth Biodiversity Network in Burkina Faso. He has taken part in several capacity-building programmes on ecological concerns with other young people.

Hanieh Moghani

Senior legal counsel and advocate, Centre for Sustainable Development and Environment (CENESTA), Iran

Hanieh is an indigenous advocate, legal counsel, community facilitator, educator, and activist, working at the interface of science, policy, and society, with expertise in developing political, economic, and systems analysis models for complex problems involving water, energy, food, climate, and environment to derive policy, law and governance insights. She has a Ph.D. in international law, an M.A. in environmental psychology, and another M.A. in regional studies, Middle East and North Africa. She has over a decade of field experience and has been actively involved in more than 20 national and international projects with city and village dwellers, Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities, academies, UN agencies, governments, and industries to advocate for community-based and endogenous solutions, sustainable development goals, and the right to live with human dignity.

Justin Ho Guo Shun

National Consultant, Cooperative Development Authority, Philippines

Justin is a dedicated advocate for sustainability and positive change. With a strong educational background and a passion for fostering innovation, Justin has held roles as a professor, mentor, and leader in various international organizations.

Justin’s commitment to driving positive change led him to become a National Consultant at the Philippine Government’s Cooperative Development Authority, where he contributed to the development of cooperative enterprises promoting equitable growth.

Justin has also served as a Board Member at the Rotary Fellowship for Global Development, an Ambassador at the Institute for Economics & Peace, and a Delegate for Innovation & Investment at the ASEAN Australia Strategic Youth Partnership. These roles have given him a global perspective and a deep understanding of innovative solutions for sustainability.

Justin’s mentorship roles at organizations like WWF Singapore’s Youth Sustainability Incubator Programme and his representation at the Climate Reality Project have showcased his dedication to nurturing young talents and advocating for climate action.

Karunarathnalage Lilan Udayanga Dayananda

Managing Director, Elzian Agro (Private) Limited, Sri Lanka

Karunarathnalage is an international award-winning young social tech entrepreneur. Karunarathnalage is among the latest top ten Social Entrepreneurs of the Global-South according to the United Nations Youth Envoy’s Office, United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), International Telecommunication Union (ITU), and UNDP Youth Co: Lab.

He is a successful graduate of the Silicon-Valley based Founder Institute’s accelerator program and a Business Management (Special) Degree holder from the University of Kelaniya. He has more than 500-course completion certificates (including 300+ Coursera certificates). He is an ALS fellow of the Harris School of Public Policy from the University of Chicago.

Karunarathnalage is the leading technology partner for the International Analog Forestry Network. He works closely with marginalized communities in 22 countries (including Costa Rica, Cameroon, Peru, Ecuador, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Paraguay, and Bolivia) reaching more than 100,000 marginalized farmers representing various geographical locations, cultures, religions, income classes, races, and genders.

Laura Barron

Senior Manager, Climate Resilience & Sustainability, Clinton Global Initiative, USA

Laura is Senior Manager, Climate Resilience & Sustainability for the Clinton Global Initiative. Her background includes both research and practice at the University of Pennsylvania, in their Sustainability Office and at the Penn Institute for Urban Research, where she worked while she also completed her dual Master’s in Environmental Studies and Public Health. She has also led various community development programs addressing urban environmental and health issues with non-profits in Philadelphia and New York, including the Reinvestment Fund, Greener Partners, and Mobile Kitchen Classroom. She also completed a Post-Baccalaureate degree in Urban Studies at Columbia University in the City of New York where she worked with the Cypress Hills Local Development Corporation on a community garden and health education project in Brooklyn. Her work there addressed how environmental programs, like urban agriculture, can increase safety, community involvement, and health in disadvantaged areas. She received her Bachelors of Art in Anthropology, Spanish, and International Studies at Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas.

Leena Joshi

Founder and Executive Director, Ethereal Inc., India

Leena is a social entrepreneur, climate advocate and author. She’s the founder and executive director of Ethereal, a youth-led nonprofit, with 9000 volunteers in 40+ countries. She has sat on boards and advisory councils for several organisations. She has been a member at Harvard Business Review Ascend Select and has provided insights to editorial, marketing and product teams of HBR and has contributed to research projects by HBR Ascend.

Leena’s work has been featured by World Bank Group, Girl Up, United Nations Foundation, International Universities Climate Alliance, Climate Reality Project, Her Campus Media, Next Generation Fellows, Medium, GrasshoppHer. She was previously a Member at Global Leadership Challenge at Oxford University. She has been an Ambassador for organisations including World Bank Group, GreenPeace USA, 4ocean, Beni and the Climate Initiative.

Leena is a prolific public speaker who has spoken at events across the world including Conferences of Youth, RCOY, Girl Up Global Leadership Summit, GatherVerse Summit, YOUNGO at UNFCCC and even at the High Commission of Canada. She has authored books including ‘The Climate Awakening’ and ‘Ethereal’ and writes poetry about social impact.

Muntasyir Alwafi

Student/Research Assistant, Bahcesehir University, Canada

Muntasyir is an Indonesian who currently lives in Canada and Turkey. He received his bachelor’s degree in urban and regional planning from Yildiz Technical University in Istanbul, Turkey and he is pursuing a master’s degree in architecture at Bahcesehir University. Currently, he is in the process of writing his thesis. He has developed an understanding of the urban planning and architecture impact on communities.

Raluca Mihai

Landscape Architect, National Body of Standardization of Romania, Romania

Raluca is a landscape architect from Romania, currently doing her Master’s program in Environmental Governance in Germany. Her professional interests revolve around quality standardization of urban spaces, in particular urban vegetation and how can we achieve a better governance on environmental matters.

Vathanak Soeun

Founder, Sustainable Design and Climate Change Advisor, SD11 (Youth Community – Non Profit Entities), Cambodia

Vathanak has eight years of professional experience in the construction and urban development sectors in Cambodia, Australia, and the US. He received a master’s degree in urban and regional planning from the University of Queensland in Australia, and he was also given a professional fellowship in environmental sustainability by the Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative (YSEALI). Building sustainable cities and communities in Southeast Asia, especially in Cambodia, is a subject he interested in. As a founder of SD11 (Sustainable Design for the Global Goal 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities), he is in charge of organising the project, overseeing it, and educating the community’s youth and residents about issues like climate change, sustainable cities and communities, affordable housing, energy and water efficiency, biodiversity preservation, environmental sustainability, and youth empowerment.

Moreover, he has experience working as an educator at the Institute of Technology of Cambodia, where he supported academic student involvement and taught students about topics including conceptual architecture, research methodology, thesis writing, interior design, and land-use planning. He served in two roles in 2023: as an MTE Climate Ambassador for the Global Youth Climate Network and as a Youth Biodiversity Leader for the ASEAN Youth Biodiversity Programme.

Widson Ambaisi

Landscape Designer, Kenya School of Monetary Studies and Botanical Landscaping, Kenya

Widson is a passionate advocate for environmental sustainability and urban greenery. He has made significant strides in the field of environmental conservation and urban development. With a diploma in horticulture from Egerton University and ongoing bachelors degree in geography and environmental studies at the University of Nairobi, he has cultivated a strong academic foundation in these critical areas.

In 2018, he founded Botanical Landscaping, a company specialising in landscaping services. This venture has allowed me to actively contribute to the practical implementation of landscaping projects, including design, installation, and ongoing maintenance, further solidifying a commitment to fostering green and sustainable urban spaces.