Rubbish

Grace Magny-Fokam belongs on the Future Minds Under 35 list for her groundbreaking work leveraging AI to fight food insecurity and climate challenges. She is an AI researcher, award-winning technologist, and UN ambassador pioneering the use of artificial intelligence to solve global challenges. She is the founder and executive director of Folia Technologies, a nonprofit research organization creating AI-powered solutions for agriculture, climate resilience, and equitable innovation. Grace leads the development of FoliaNet, a deep learning-driven device that detects early-stage crop diseases with high accuracy, helping farmers prevent losses from the 125 million tonnes of crops destroyed annually by fungal infections. Under her leadership, Folia Technologies has secured over $70,000 in research funding, partnered with Google Research, Microsoft, USDA, UNESCO, and UN Climate Change, and engaged 20,000+ youth in AI innovation.

Grace has been recognized globally as the youngest-ever and first American Land Hero to the UNCCD, a Top 50 Global Student Prize Finalist, and a National Computer Science Hero. She is also a UNA-USA Global Goals Ambassador and a former advisor to Girls Who Code, championing equity in STEM and mentoring diverse young technologists. An AI researcher and UN consultant, Grace has spoken at leading institutions, including the UN Science Summit, MIT, and the FAO, sharing insights on AI ethics, machine learning accessibility, and AI for good. Her mission is to build scalable AI solutions to address systemic inequities and drive meaningful global impact.

The work that is Aveer is completing in India is truly remarkable. It is not only beneficial for those in India but impacts thousands across the world. As a State Senator, addressing illiteracy across Pennsylvania is critical to our Commonwealth’s quality of life and economy. Understanding the importance of this issue, I am proud to support Aveer's efforts in addressing illiteracy in rural India, which are remarkable and are already having an impact. Specifically, Aveer has created a literacy course, called the essentials of Literacy, that is being used to teach 4,091 student literacy. In addition, his flagship programs, which include Indiafortheglobe, Empower and Serve, and others, coupled with the educational supply drives and literacy curriculum, have reached over 18,000 students. People impacted include children and adults in India who are unable to read, primarily those between the ages of 2 and 7. They were supported through the aforementioned program in many ways. Particularly, the essentials of literacy course gives a full, comprehensive guide into basic reading and writing skills along the lines of phonics, sentence structure, etc. The other program, Indiafortheglobe, installed thing such as water coolers and computers, servicing thousands of students in Mukka Maar and AK Trambadia programs. In terms of money, the organization has raised $20,631 from community fundraising. In all, Aveer are forging an innovative path in which thousands of Indian individuals will gain the education that they need to prosper- that is something worth immense recognition. As such, I fully support and believe he should be honored on the future minds 35 under 35.

In high school, Catherine lost a close friend to suicide. At 15, she did not recognize the signs of depression or suicidal ideation. She promised herself that if a similar situation ever arose, she would do everything in her power to prevent it.

So, she attended Texas Tech University on a full ride as one of 15 Terry Scholars at Texas Tech (a school of over 40,000 undergraduate students), with the hopes of eventually becoming a child and adolescent psychiatrist. After volunteering with children in the community, however, she noticed a lack of free, quality STEM programming. She reflected on her own elementary school experience, where a majority of students, including herself, received free or reduced lunch. She recalled how her after-school STEM club teachers developed her fascination with science and later medicine. In an effort to do the same for other students, she collaborated with Lubbock Independent School District to create Widening Horizons, an organization that provides free, semester-long after-school STEM programming to Title I elementary and middle schools, local libraries and museums, and community centers in Lubbock, TX. Catherine led over 30 volunteer mentors in designing STEM experiments and running after-school STEM clubs. Since its inception, it has served over 500 students in the classroom, and over 1000 in the community.

After graduating with a 4.0 and BA in Chemistry, she started medical school at The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center (UTSW) with plans of becoming the first physician in her family. She began researching the relationship between asthma and mental health conditions and published three peer-reviewed mental health-related studies. Her research explores the relationship between asthma and different mental health conditions, including depression and alcohol use disorder. She also researches how certain medications, including antidepressants, can improve asthma control.

Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs), which are a type of antidepressant, have proven efficacious in treating many medical conditions, including multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, COVID-19, and irritable bowel syndrome. Recent research suggests they may also treat asthma, a chronic inflammatory condition that affects approximately 8% of the United States population. In addition to its physical symptoms, such as shortness of breath, chest tightness and wheezing, asthma can also affect a person emotionally, socially, and occupationally. In total, asthma is estimated to cost the U.S. $80 billion every year. Her research suggests that SSRIs, which have fewer dangerous side effects to other asthma medications, like corticosteroids, improve asthma control in patients with asthma and depression. She hopes that overall, her research improves the quality of life of those with asthma and/or mental health conditions.

Catherine also serves as a peer-reviewer for a substance use journal and has won several awards after presenting her research at national conferences.

Catherine is interested in the intersection between psychiatry and technology. As an LGBTQIA+ and BIPOC-identifying woman, she understands the barriers to traditional mental health care many of her peers face, including stigma, lack of access to therapists, or financial constraints. As a result, she began developing Lotus, a gamified, AI-powered mental health symptom tracking app and suicide prevention tool targeted towards LGBTQIA+ and BIPOC- identifying adolescents.

Lotus combines features of several different mental health apps on the market to create a “one stop shop” for symptom tracking. It includes peer-reviewed mental health screening surveys that are appropriate for adolescents (e.g. PHQ-9, GAD-7, Mood Disorder Questionnaire), medication adherence tracking, the option to seek help from a trusted contact, healthcare provider, or suicide prevention hotline if suicidal ideation is detected, mini games, and a points-based system to motivate the user to utilize the app frequently. Furthermore, since mental health treatments often take weeks or months to work, it can be difficult to determine how well they have been working without longitudinal data. With the help of AI, Lotus analyzes survey responses and creates a report summarizing their symptom fluctuations for their provider. If worsening symptoms are detected (e.g. scores appear to increase over time), Lotus urges the user to seek treatment.

Knowing that many users of Lotus may not be out to their family or healthcare provider, Catherine designed Lotus to be completely anonymous; no personal information is required to create an account. She wanted to ensure that each user can feel confident that their sensitive information remains unidentifiable.

Lotus is currently in the prototype phase and has been recognized by Ashoka Changemakers and Blackstone Launchpad.

When she is not working on Lotus, studying, taking care of patients, or volunteering, Catherine is serving as a mentor. She co-founded First Gen MD at UTSW, which provides free advising to students who will also be the first in their families to pursue medicine.

The most important thing to know about Catherine, however, is that she never gives up when she believes in something. For example, during the COVID-19 pandemic, she wanted to ensure students still had access to fun, educational STEM experiments. Therefore, she led the packaging of 1,000 STEM kits to distribute across schools in Lubbock and provided virtual programming instead of in-person clubs. As a result, students were still able to participate in fun STEM experiments during a time when most after-school programs were unavailable. I believe that is what makes her such an effective leader!

Bhavana Akula is a social impact entrepreneur working across the U.S. and India to redesign how youth are supported through education, health, housing, and justice systems. Through Empathy Bridge, she has delivered inclusive, disability-informed digital tools to over 200,000 students in India and is working with U.S. cities and counties to build coordinated, youth-centered systems that bridge service gaps.

At the University of Pennsylvania, she is a Benjamin Franklin Scholar, Public Service Fellow, 2023 Millennium Campus Fellow, and 2021 Coca-Cola Foundation Scholar. She was recognized as an Emerging Technologist for her work advancing mental health through AI-powered tools built with Empathy Bridge. Through her second organization, the Maaya Movement Institute, she raised $5,000 from Penn’s South Asia Center and Perry World House to launch the Initiative on Post-Coup and Transitional Governance, convening South Asia-focused international human rights experts to address how rights can be protected during moments of political instability. The focus of her work remains firmly on designing human-centered systems in a world increasingly driven by technology.

Before college, Bhavana organized voter outreach for March for Our Lives NJ, led regional activism efforts after Parkland, and built RepresentAsian, a youth advocacy network with over 300 volunteers. In high school, she was awarded the Princeton Prize in Race Relations Central/Southern NJ Certificate for her leadership on racial equity. Her work continues to connect policy, technology, and organizing with the goal of building systems that do not just serve youth, but are shaped by them.

After facing gender discrimination inside and outside of school, Aadya was inspired to champion for women empowerment, particularly in career fields. As one of three girls in a computer science class of thirty students, she stuck out like a sore thumb. Though she tried hard to blend in and contribute in class, her male peers constantly spoke over her, tossed away her ideas, and laughed at her coding presentations. These experiences slowly began to diminish her love for Computer Science, a subject she had been passionate about since eighth grade.

Feeling isolated, Aadya confided in her computer science teacher, who shared stories of facing the same judgment while majoring in computer science. With her teacher’s constant mentorship through numerous lunch periods and after-school talks, Aadya began leading projects and regaining her voice. She also began speaking with girls in other advanced classes and realized the same patterns of gender-based exclusion existed in physics, calculus, and robotics. That was when the idea took root. She didn’t just want to heal from what she had experienced—she wanted to build a platform to ensure others had support long before they ever considered giving up.

In 2022, Aadya co-founded Empowerfly (Previously known as uEmpower), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit designed to bring mentorship and skill-building opportunities to girls across the world. Its mission: help young women grow into confident leaders in the career fields they dream of, and foster a culture of inclusivity and support from the start.

In just two years, Empowerfly grew from a single classroom initiative to a global movement with 900+ volunteers in 35 countries and 36 U.S. States. Since its launch, Empowerfly has positively impacted over 4,000 youth across six continents. Aadya’s leadership has brought a wide range of programming to life:

• ~40 global events connecting youth to 20+ women leaders in STEM, STEAM, business, and more. Speakers have included the Amoeba Sisters, Elise Pham, and Amy Wang. Attendees have gained internships, mentorship, and access to real career pathways.
• Created "Butterfly Blog," a platform to uplift the voices of girls, guiding ten writers to share their stories, like Yashvi in China.
• Launch of Research-Front, guiding 14 girls to publish 3 research papers on gender equity and representation.
• Donation of 1,000+ handwritten encouragement letters to girls in hospitals and schools globally.
• A pen-pal program with Kikaso Secondary School in Kenya, building connection and community across continents.
• Expansion to 30 chapters globally across India, Argentina, Morocco, and more, with events including letter drives, research projects, and speaker sessions.
• Partnerships with national and international organizations like Lean In Girls, Scleroderma United, Miss USA (Alma), Miss Teen USA (UmaSofia), and Miss Remaja Jawa (Naya)—together reaching 200,000+ individuals.
• Creation of Empowerfly’s ambassador network, which now includes 44 ambassadors working on youth-led campaigns like “Change The Mindset.”
• $1,500 raised in partnership with Her Future Coalition toward girls’ education in rural India.
• Pad Donation Drives, held by chapters, have supported over 200 individuals, addressing health and dignity needs alongside educational access.
  

In addition to Empowerfly, Aadya leads as the CEO of Dream Start Hub, a youth-focused accelerator supporting student leaders in building their own ventures. She has mentored over 50 students across four countries, helping them launch social impact initiatives and businesses that have reached 5,000+ individuals. To support their growth, she authored a series of workbooks on marketing, management, and partnerships, equipping young founders with practical tools to build, manage, and scale their ideas.

She has also used writing as a tool for advocacy. Invited to contribute to the She’s The First Girl Talk blog, Aadya authored two articles on gender equity and youth-driven change, reaching an audience of over 50,000 readers. Her passion for economic empowerment led her to conduct gender lens investing research under Citizens Bank, where she examined how financial institutions can better support women entrepreneurs. She used her findings to generate policy suggestions for banks, bridging research and real-world action. In her local community, she also co-leads Girls Who Code, creating a trusted, encouraging circle for younger students to explore coding alongside mentorship.

Headed to Stanford University, Aadya plans to continue advocating for equity in education, entrepreneurship, and tech, bringing the mission of Empowerfly and Dream Start Hub to new communities and scaling her impact further.

Aadya’s work is not limited to girls. She actively includes boys and male leaders in her programming, inviting them to participate in sessions and speak on building inclusive workplaces. Her goal is to raise a generation of leaders, regardless of gender, who lead with empathy, equity, and courage.

And the results are tangible. At her high school, enrollment in computer science classes by girls has increased by 300%. During her presidency in the Computer Science Honor Society, female membership rose by 250%. She continues to mentor girls one-on-one and guides many to start their own initiatives and chapters.

For every girl impacted by Empowerfly, the organization represents possibility. One especially powerful case is Kashish, a chapter leader in Bathinda, India. When Kashish expressed interest in joining a Technovation group, her parents discouraged her, believing her education should end soon and be followed by marriage. After Kashish shared her story with Aadya, she took action, personally speaking with Kashish’s parents to explain the purpose and impact of Empowerfly. While they didn’t initially agree, they allowed her to participate in the Research-Front cohort. That decision transformed Kashish’s path. She gained confidence, produced her first research paper, secured internships, and now prepares to attend college, all steps that once felt impossible.

This is what Aadya’s work means for those she serves. It’s not just about giving girls tools, it’s about giving them belief, voice, and a community that stands behind them. It’s about showing girls that they already are the leaders they’ve been waiting for, and building the space where they can begin leading, right now. And with every letter written, every startup launched, and every story shared, Aadya is proving that when girls are empowered early, they don’t just follow change, they lead it.

Eunice Adewusi, also known as Climiradi, is a gender equity and climate justice activist who has empowered 57,000+ youth (primarily girls and young women) in Nigeria, Rwanda, Kenya, and beyond. Through her nonprofit, the Climiradi Roberts Foundation, and its flagship initiative Nexo Girls, she equips underserved youth with STEAM education, digital skills, and mentorship, addressing both poverty and gender inequality.

She launched this foundation during her gap year after secondary school, without initial funding, yet has gone on to secure partnerships and support from Mastercard Foundation, STAND (Ireland), The Survivor Project (US), WeTech Nigeria, African Leadership University (Rwanda), etc.

Her journey into climate advocacy began after witnessing firsthand the devastating impacts of rising sea levels, extreme weather events, and environmental degradation in her home city, Lagos, and throughout Nigeria. The last straw that broke the camel's back was the 2023 Bayelsa floods that caused immense loss and displacement for its inhabitants. Flood-induced deaths, destruction of properties, and washing up of corpses in the cemetery were recorded. This experience fueled her determination to advocate for climate-resilient solutions and empower others to take action.

Her climate advocacy focuses on urban climate resilience through green infrastructure and integrating gender justice in climate action, ensuring that the voices and needs of women are integral to sustainable solutions. In this regard, she launched Project Ayika, the climate-tech arm of the Climiradi Roberts Foundation, creating pathways for young African women to develop climate technologies rooted in local knowledge. Since January 2023 when she started advocating for climate change, Eunice has served as a delegate at the Conference of Youth on Environment and Climate (COYEC) 2023, spoke on gender inequalities and the need for gender-sensitive climate policies, volunteered as a polyglot session recorder at Global Youth Coalition in collaboration with the University of Oxford for the 13-week Global Youth Climate Training program, contributing to knowledge sharing and capacity building among 4,500 participants, garnering 56k+ YouTube views, volunteered as an observer at GLF Nairobi 2023 Hybrid Conference on landscape restoration and sustainable land management and participated in a Green Digital Skills program by INCO Academy in collaboration with LinkedIn & Microsoft.

As the Student Lead of the ALU Rwanda Gender Forum, Eunice pioneered and scaled the #16DaysLoudItQuotes campaign during the UN 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence, which reached 74,283 people across 18+ countries over two years. She also launched and led the 2024 Women’s History Month Campaign, reaching 7,500 participants through hybrid advocacy, creative events, and inclusive programming. With the support of 14 volunteers and student-led NGOs, the campaign reshaped narratives around women in history and innovation and recognised amazing women on the campus (staff and students). She has now transitioned from a campaign manager to mentor for the 2025 edition which engaged 332 students on campus and reached 12,674 people globally.

As a UN Foundation Engine Room Changemaker in 2024, Eunice advanced climate ambitions by contributing to the Road to 2100 initiative, shaping gender-responsive climate policies. She also moderated a session with a UN Foundation senior advisor, amplifying African perspectives on the disproportionate impact of climate change on communities that contribute the least to global emissions.

Eunice's work means young women from local communities now see themselves as technologists, activists, and problem-solvers. Eunice isn’t just raising awareness, she is building replicable, youth-led systems that transform lives and make gender equity and climate action accessible, tech-powered, and community-driven.