Global Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award winners announced! Learn more Generation for change
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Awards and Judges

We will be holding the Global Young Entrepreneur of the Year Awards ceremony during this year’s Summit. Find out more about our expert judges and the excellent youth businesses that are this year’s finalists.

Global Young Entrepreneur of the Year Awards

Youth Business International’s Global Young Entrepreneur of the Year Awards celebrates innovative and inspiring young entrepreneurs who are leading the way in impact business.

Nine finalists have been selected by a judging panel at a pitch day at the Youth Business International Bootcamp for the following categories:

  • Climate Entrepreneurship Award. Entrepreneurs leading a business with the primary goal of combating climate change and its associated challenges, working in areas such as energy efficiency, carbon capture, waste management, sustainable agriculture, water resource management, climate adaptation, etc.
  • Social Entrepreneurship Award. Entrepreneurs leading a business with the primary goal of addressing and solving societal challenges, e.g. poverty, inequality, education, and healthcare.
  • Sustainable Entrepreneurship Award. Entrepreneurs leading a business which integrates economic, social and environmental considerations into its core operations and decision-making.

The three category winners have been decided by a public vote. It’s now over to a final panel of judges, below, to choose one overall winner to be crowned YBI’s Global Young Entrepreneur of the Year.

The winners will be announced at the awards ceremony at the Summit.

View the Awards finalists

Meet the judges

The prizes:

  • 9 finalists – three per category will be invited to join YBI at the Global Youth Entrepreneurship Summit free of charge.
  • 3 winning businesses – of the nine finalists there will be a winner from each category who will receive a trophy and a $2,000 award.
  • 1 Global Young Entrepreneur of the Year – only one overall winner selected from the three category winners will secure a total $10,000 prize grant for their business.
View the Awards finalists

Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)https://www.oecd.org/

Follow David:

Follow Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD):

David is a project co-ordinator in the OECD Centre for Entrepreneurship, SMEs, Regions and Cities. He is currently working on several projects related to entrepreneurship policy, including a multi-year project on inclusive entrepreneurship and is the main author of the Missing Entrepreneurs reports. He is also leading the new OECD-EU Youth Entrepreneurship Policy Academy.

 

“It is always really exciting to see the ideas that young entrepreneurs come up with!”

Solutions for Youth Employment (S4YE)Solutions for Youth Employment (S4YE)https://www.s4ye.org/

Follow Namita:

Follow Solutions for Youth Employment (S4YE):

Namita is the Program Head of Solutions for Youth Employment (S4YE) at the World Bank. S4YE is the World Bank’s multistakeholder global program that brings together the private sector, CSOs, think tanks and youth to curate and learn from innovative solutions to youth employment.

“Almost a billion young people are going to join the workforce in the next decade. If we continue at this rate less than half will have a job. Business as usual will not work. Innovative approaches are needed, and one organization cannot do it alone. We need to join hands to help address systemic and persistent unemployment and lack of quality jobs for youth across the world, and employment through entrepreneurship is one of the key pathways forward. The Solutions for Youth Employment (S4YE) is proud to be a partner in this endeavour.”

Kenya Broadcasting CorporationKenya Broadcasting Corporation

Follow Stephanie:

Follow Kenya Broadcasting Corporation:

Stephanie is an award-winning multimedia journalist currently working at Kenya Broadcasting Corporation, where she hosts the popular technology program “Take on Tech” and a vibrant morning show on Y254, Kenya’s youth station. With a keen interest in business and technology, Stephanie is dedicated to keeping her audience informed with timely tech updates that highlight crucial issues impacting today’s youth.

“I am both excited and greatly honoured to be a judge for the Global Young Entrepreneur of the Year, as it allows me to celebrate the innovative and passionate individuals who are shaping the future through their entrepreneurial spirit.”

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