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Khushi deserves to be on the Future Minds Under 35 list for her visionary work in cultural heritage conservation and youth empowerment in India and beyond.  Khushtar Heritage Collective is a youth-led initiative founded by Khushi to bridge traditional knowledge with contemporary conservation practices. The collective works at the intersection of cultural heritage, community engagement, and capacity building—empowering young professionals and local communities to become active custodians of their heritage. Under her leadership, Khushtar Heritage Collective has received its first award in the field of heritage-led sustainable development! At the Indian Responsible Tourism Summit & Awards 2025, hosted by Outlook in association with Gujarat Tourism, the collective was honoured with the ‘One to Look Out For’ award in the Gujarat Chapter under the category of ‘Sustainable Leadership – Heritage Conservation’.Through her organization, Khushtar Heritage Collective, she has directly impacted over 2,500 young people across India, particularly students, emerging professionals, and community youth from underserved backgrounds. These individuals were engaged in heritage walks, hands-on training in conservation technologies, and community-led documentation projects that encouraged ownership of local culture. Khushi provided them with a unique blend of capacity building, exposure to international standards, and hands-on learning experiences. She led the UNESCO World Heritage Volunteers (WHV) Ahmedabad 2023 and 2024, which brought together young participants from 6 countries for a 10-day residential program that included Lidar scanning, photogrammetry, BIM training, and intangible heritage workshops. These programs did not just offer skills—they instilled pride, purpose, and a sense of belonging in participants.Her ability to secure support from international networks such as UNESCO, ICOMOS, and the Global Shapers community, an initiative of  World Economic Forum showcases her credibility and leadership.Khushi’s model is scalable, rooted in community, and driven by purpose. Her work is a blueprint for how culture and youth can shape a more inclusive, sustainable future—making her an ideal candidate for the Future Minds Under 35 list.

Life here in Uzbekistan's barren Navoi, dominated by conservative communities, has immense beauty—and poverty. My high school lacked funding to provide enough computers for students in computer science classes. Educational and career opportunities are limited. Yet, I developed a passion for a field for which there're no opportunities to pursue there—computer science. After discovering websites when I first got access to the Internet at 13 and becoming very curious about how they're created, my passion led me to chase it: I spent my summers reading computer science books borrowed from high schoolers and waited for hours outside to use my school's old PCs.

As a teenager, I saw kids in my Navoi community struggling to pursue their studies in tech-related fields. There was not a single learning center where one could learn, and no free online courses in Uzbek were available. I didn't want them to face the same hurdles I did, so I felt inspired to fight for them. After winning the One Million Uzbek Coders Competition among 12000+ contestants nationwide, I decided to use programming—"the language of innovation"—as a gateway to a new future.

Yearning to share the beauty and power I'd discovered through the languages of programming, I launched ProjectE&E, teaching coding to low-income teenagers in Navoi. To motivate new students, I wrote the curriculum, organized classes, and produced videos. During our first couple of classes, students had a hard time grasping coding concepts since they had never had hands-on experience with computers before. But as we progressed through the course, they became more comfortable using computers. Later on, they started writing code for their final projects. "Hearing your words helped me find the strength to keep pushing," says 16-year-old Dilxush, who studies diligently and challenges himself with advanced CS concepts.

The joy in my students' eyes when they create their first webpage, the pride in their voices when they present their projects—these moments continually inspire me. Each empowered student becomes a beacon of hope, inspiring others in their communities. The inspiration for E&E comes from the students, their progress, and their faith in achieving digital equality in the world if they are provided with the right tools.

E&E is a youth-led nonprofit organization I founded to provide digital literacy tutoring to low-income teenagers in Central Asia. Born from my struggles with no access to pursue my studies in tech-related fields in my small town, E&E aims to bridge the digital divide in under-resourced communities and provide them with free, accessible resources to thrive. We offer free, modern, and flexible programming education, making kids who have no access to tools aware of the opportunities in the tech world.

Our impact has been meaningful so far: 1000+ students reached, 50+ events (mentorship sessions, lectures, workshops, etc.) organized, and partnerships with 15+ local and international NGOs. We've also established the E&E Ambassador Program in 10+ local schools, extending our reach and giving opportunities to kids who want to give back to their communities.

What sets E&E apart from other such initiatives is its roots in personal experience and its holistic approach. We don't just teach digital skills; we ignite genuine passion, build confidence, and open doors to future opportunities. When 16-year-old Asadbek, who once saw thieves and traffickers as his only future, now dreams of creating his own mobile games, I see what we've overcome and what we're becoming. "You've shown us a world we never knew existed," he tells me, his voice thick with emotion.

E&E isn't just about programming; it's a revolution of hope along the Great Silk Road, moving closer and closer to digital equality. We're creating an inclusive future where aspiring young computer scientists in disadvantaged regions can thrive regardless of location, socioeconomic status, or language barriers. By empowering youth with necessary tech skills and resources, we're not just programming apps—we're reprogramming destinies, filling the blue skies of my magnificent Central Asia and beyond, with our shared hope.

In addition to leading E&E, I developed Yulent, an AI-powered learning app that offers personalized STEM education in Central Asian languages. I later entered Yulent into the global startup program Microsoft for Startups Founders Hub, gaining resources to expand our reach.

In recognition of my efforts, I've received several prestigious awards, including Top 50 Global Student Prize (0.4% of 11000+ nominations from 176 countries; only 2 ppl from UZB), The Diana Award, Digital4Good Changemakers, and Top 30 BeChangeMaker (4% of 700+ teams from 83 countries by HP & UNESCO; 1st people from UZB). These honors reflect my commitment to making a meaningful impact in the field of education.

I'm committed to using technology to create educational opportunities for underserved communities and to inspire the next generation of innovators. My mission is to foster digital equality and ensure that young people, regardless of their background, have the tools and confidence to build a brighter future.

Being nominated for a place on this year's Future Minds Under 35 list for work in promoting visionary leadership and social impact in my community by launching and scaling the Tiwia Honey Initiative, which uses a climate-smart livelihood approach by increasing resilience in bee populations through the implementation of Bang's Circular. This community-driven initiative has trained over 400 local beekeepers and engaged over 1,000 community members across eight Tiwai Island indigenous Mende communities in the eastern-southern part of Sierra Leone, including Boma, Sahun, Kamabam, and others. As a result, the Tiwia Honey Initiative is empowering rural youth, women, and smallholder farmers by equipping them with sustainable knowledge on beekeeping and a tool to generate income while protecting their environment against the impact of climate change.

Over the past six months of implementation, our work has started to pay off through an increase in bees and honey harvesting, which is bottled in 500g and 1 kg portions and sold at affordable prices of $1.20 and $2.50. Since the inception of the Tiwai Honey Initiative, we’ve generated over $156 per person in collective income for each community from multiple harvests, with some individuals earning up to $25 per day, significantly above our country's average monthly income of $40. However, the economic boost has enabled families to pay for their children's school fees, improved their diets, and reduced their reliance on unsustainable means of livelihood, such as illegal logging, deforestation for charcoal, and poaching for forest exploitation opportunities.

Moreover, beginning with fewer than 20 beehives, it has grown into a network of over 300, each capable of hosting more than 60,000 bees. This initiative has provided income and contributed to pollinator services conservation, and ecosystem restoration while addressing the decline in bee populations. The Tiwai Honey Initiative uses environmentally friendly materials to build beehives and actively engages the community in afforestation and biodiversity awareness through environmental education. However, a powerful case study is Masa Koroma, a young Boma community mother who joined the initiative at the start of 2023. She previously relied on charcoal burning and farming to support her family, but now she can earn enough through the sale of honey to sustain her household income and has trained more women in her village, creating a ripple effect of empowerment and promoting sustainability.

I created an organization called Between The Roots (BTR) which has become a community that has brought together many young people to create change. BTR is unique as it works with environmental innovations that may be unfamiliar to many, and increases access to them. I was inspired to establish BTR after researching renewable energy for my IB Primary Years Programme exhibition, which led me to discover a renewable energy source called biogas balloons. These balloons provide a substitute for cooking gas by breaking down food waste with bacteria from animal dung inside a latex balloon. The result is biogas that can be used for cooking and the byproduct is fertilizer, creating a zero-waste system that saves the environment from greenhouse gas emissions from food waste and saves money due to not needing to buy cooking gas.

Thus, BTR’s first project was related to biogas balloons. I knew that biogas balloons were so valuable in that they provided sustainability for both the environment and people’s lives, but many rural villages could not afford them. So my goal was to increase access to the balloons by decreasing the financial burden for rural villagers. I came up with a model where BTR would fundraise to shoulder the initial cost of the balloon and allow villagers to make repayments in small installments for up to two years.

This steamrolled into BTR’s second project, which focuses on a different environmental innovation called biochar. It is made from carbonizing organic matter, giving it a high carbon content and porosity, which increases soil water retention, benefitting crops in the face of droughts, which is extremely relevant to the current heatwave in Thailand. Through BTR, I educate youth on biochar and its positive effects on rice growth and increase access to biochar by distributing my patented biochar carbonization chamber to farming communities.

BTR is thus something that I am extremely proud of because it truly came from me and my discoveries from a young age. BTR allows me to help people by doing what I love, and being able to bring people in my community together to help other people who need it is something really valuable to me. I believe that through increasing access to environmental innovations such as biogas balloons and biochar, BTR and I will be able to produce positive impacts for communities and the environment in the long run.

After pitching my idea to my school, I created a BTR club there, which became a community of over 30 young people in less than a month. I led various fundraisers to raise 200 USD to shoulder the initial cost of a biogas balloon as promised. I planned and led a trip through a national park area to Pa Deng Village in Phetchaburi, Thailand. I met with the village chief whom I had contacted previously and the 30 of us got to work in helping a family get access to a biogas balloon. After an hour of intense digging and building under the scorching Thai heat, BTR put together a biogas balloon for the household. I was extremely pleased at the impact this had on the BTR volunteers. Despite the sweat and fatigue, they were all smiling because they knew that they had accomplished something for someone in need, meaning BTR managed to encourage youth to assist those in need. Moreover, the village chief thanked me and said that one hour of our labor today provided this family with ten years' worth of energy. With 200 USD, this family would have cooking gas for a decade, instead of having to spend money buying tanks of cooking gas every month. In these ten years, they can save way more than the 200 USD cost of the balloon, elevating their lives to become more sustainable, through BTR’s advocacy of biogas balloons. This project has gained the attention of many, getting published in the Bangkok Post and receiving a grant after I applied for the IB Global Youth Action Fund.

But the positive change continues beyond there. BTR has made strides to assist agricultural communities through its second project, using biochar. I educated my own community on the importance of agriculture in our lives, and on the scientific properties of biochar by organizing a trip to a rice paddy in Suphanburi, Thailand. We tried our hands at being farmers and quantified the effects of biochar by growing rice in regular soil in one half of the paddy, and in soil with biochar in the other half, both not watered for 18 days to stimulate drought conditions. The backbreaking labor had a profound impact by communicating the significance of working together to maintain the livelihoods of those who are supplying us with food. I then explained the benefits of biochar to my team, explaining its highly porous nature and increasing water retention.

We were delighted to see the impacts of biochar on the rice. The rice grown in regular soil wilted due to the lack of water, compared to the rice grown in biochar which flourished despite the harsh conditions. Following this, I performed financial calculations and learned that droughts cause farmers to lose about 50% of their profits due to planting fewer crops or buying additional groundwater to supply their crops, however, with the help of biochar, they only lose around 25% of their profits as the biochar retains water content in the soil and aids in crop survival. This helps farmers maintain economic stability even in the face of the climate crisis, and this use of environmental innovations was recognized by the National Science and Technology Development Agency of Thailand as I was named finalist of the 27th Junior Science Talent Project.

More recently, I was also one of the recipients of the 2024 Diana Award, which is "the most prestigious accolade a young person aged 9-25 years can receive for their social action or humanitarian work".

Prince Kevin Ogoo has introduced an innovative initiative known as Kev Connect, which has significantly alleviated the logistical challenges faced by farmers, particularly smallholder farmers. This groundbreaking approach has positively impacted approximately 80% of these farmers as well as market sellers, transforming the way they conduct their business.

With Kev Connect, the need for middlemen has been eliminated, allowing farmers and market sellers to engage directly. This direct interaction not only enhances communication but also enables farmers to reap the full benefits of their hard work and dedication. By connecting them directly with buyers, the platform fosters fairer pricing and increased profits for the producers.

The implementation of a USSD platform has been instrumental in the success of Kev Connect. In a remarkably short period, Prince Ogoo and his team have successfully raised $25,000, demonstrating strong interest and support for the initiative. This user-friendly platform is particularly appealing as it offers a straightforward and flexible approach to business, making it accessible for all participants in the marketplace. Overall, Kev Connect is paving the way for a more equitable and efficient agricultural trading system, benefiting both farmers and consumers alike.

Emma is a driver for  greater equity through her participation in numerous projects that support social mobility, diversity and widening participation as a youth panellist, advisor and mentor. Emma is passionate about directly supporting young people to make confident and informed decisions about their futures. She mentors through Brightside and Zero Gravity, supporting year 13 students with their UCAS applications, transition to university and degree apprenticeships. In addition, she has been a student voice on the uniguide podcast where she shares her experience and insights on university, including student finance and  summer schools. To date, she has supported 4 students on Zero Gravity, with one of the students she tutored French, achieving a C, which meant she could go to her dream university. On Brightside, Emma has mentored 3 students and through Tutor the Nation, Emma's tutee went on to achieve a B in A level French.

As soon as Emma became cognizant of the opportunities and programmes available to support young people in their careers and education, she quickly noticed that awareness of such initiatives was often low. A rather simple, but effective way, Emma has been collating opportunities in a weekly, sometimes twice-weekly post. These opportunities are often re-shared and reposted by careers leaders, young people or those working in the related field. By corollary, this has amplified the reach and awareness of programme, particularly for first-generation students, those from a lower socio-economic background and students from a racialised or minoritized ethnic background. These posts have amassed 330,000 impressions in the last year.

Emma’s ambition is exemplified through the opportunities she takes to drive her professional development. As the former chair of the Brightside youth advisory board, Emma led the digital takeover during national mentoring month. From not being a chair before, Emma has taken remarkable initiative to continue to seek feedback and further her understanding of the charity sector by contributing to the youth voice committee. In October, Emma took the plunge to speak in front of trustees, staff and award nominees at the Brightside 20th anniversary event. Her second time doing public speaking  pushed her out of her comfort zone but has only made her more eager to find other opportunities so she can keep learning. Currently, she is a founding member of Form the Future - a Cambridge-based CIC aiming to equip young people with the skills and knowledge they need to embark on their next steps. In addition, Emma is also part of the YHA youth voice panel, where she has recently shaped the strategy for 2030 as well as directly inputting into the recruitment and selection process for staff at YHA.

Since completing the Circl future leaders programme, she is putting the coaching into action through being a volunteer coach with the Access Project. This entails supporting a young person from a disadvantaged background with their soft skills like communication, leadership and organisation.