The International Youth to Youth Summit’s Team is working hard to bring the most inspiring and innovative young speakers, significant scientists and outstanding experts in the field. Stay tuned for the lineup of 7th International Youth to Youth Summit! The list is being constantly updated.
The Host
Nicole Banister is a TV show host, presenter, and emcee. Splitting her time across Los Angeles, California and Cape Town, South Africa, Nicole is the host of the IGTV show NIKKI BANZ LIVE every Tuesday and her newest series for YouTube, Start It Up, follows student entrepreneurs from around the world as they pitch their social impact businesses to an elite panel of judges in the hopes of winning a $40,000 cash prize. After receiving her Bachelor’s degree in Culture and Politics from Georgetown University, Nicole spent the first decade of her career in international development working with the United Nations, US government, and civil society. She spearheaded multi-sectoral partnerships for public health, youth empowerment, and sport engagement programs in 18 countries across Africa and the Western Pacific. She is also a United Nations Alliance of Civilizations Fellow (2017) and a Returned Peace Corps Volunteer (2013-2016). Since pivoting to entertainment, Nicole’s list of celebrity interviews includes drag queen Manila Luzon, Marketing Hall of Famer Bozoma Saint John, Miss Universe 2018 Catriona Gray, content creator Nas Daily, South African actor Siv Ngesi, Nollywood star Tobi Bakre, and Saudi Arabian actress Fatima Al-Banawi. Whether it’s hosting a TV show or moderating a United Nations panel–give Nikki Banz a microphone and watch her make magic!
Speakers
Saida Ibrahimava is the Co-founder and Director of Youth to Youth Initiative and the coauthor of the SDG-based book “We have a dream – 201 countries 201 dreams”. For six years she worked in a capacity of One Young World Coordinating Ambassador for Eastern Europe/Asia, building impactful youth community from Ukraine to Mongolia. She is Founder Institute, Impact Hub and OXFiD mentor, speaker and trainer in social entrepreneurship, youth leadership and PVE/CVE actions. She has been engaged in youth development field for over a decade now, supporting young people globally in their efforts to positive change their societies, design meaningful campaigns and turn their ideas into sustainable projects.
She is a graduate of Charles University in Prague, UNAOC, John Smith Trust, and Hong-Kong Co-Creators Fellow. She is an active member of UN women, Amnesty International, Greenpeace, and Grameen Foundation.
She is a graduate of Charles University in Prague, UNAOC, John Smith Trust, and Hong-Kong Co-Creators Fellow. She is an active member of UN women, Amnesty International, Greenpeace, and Grameen Foundation.
Robin is an award-winning social entrepreneur and educator based in Japan. He is the Representative Director of Social Innovation Japan, a platform for social good focusing on the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). He is also Co-founder of mymizu, a global platform to reduce consumption of single-use plastics through the power of technology and community. For 10+ years, Robin has worked with social enterprises, NGOs and inter-governmental organisations, including the World Bank and UNDP, and has managed sustainable development projects around the world, including in Haiti, Vanuatu and Mozambique. In 2017, Robin launched the “Michinoku Trail Walker” project, which involved walking 1,000+kms along Japan’s coastline to document the changing landscapes since the 2011 Fukushima nuclear crisis and promote tourism to the disaster-affected area. In 2020, he was recognised by M.I.T. Technology Review’s ‘Innovators Under-35’ Awards and in 2022, won Business Insider’s ‘Beyond Millennials’ Award. He is a Board Member of one of Japan’s leading innovation hubs, Shibuya QWS, an advisor/mentor to a range of social ventures, and graduated with an M.A. in International Business from Edinburgh University, UK.
Nwabisa is an entrepreneur for entrepreneurs. She is the Strategic Partnerships Director at the Branson Centre of Entrepreneurship South Africa. Her role entails making sure the Centre is the most collaborative enabler of entrepreneurs in South Africa. Her entrepreneurial journey dates back to 2006 and her passion lies in connecting others to people, resources and opportunities. She hosts the In Conversation With The Branson Centre podcast and in her spare time she co-produces and co-hosts the She Rocks Global podcast with friends in Serbia and Uruguay. Nwabisa is Founding & Managing Director of The Collective Genius, top five in the Goldman Sachs- GIBS 10 000 Women Certificate Programme, she participated in the Austrian Leadership Programs (ALPS), nominated as one of Inspiring Fifty South Africans and was selected as one of the 100 brightest young minds – SA.
Zintle is the Project & Fundraising Director of ‘The Great People of South Africa” – an organization advocating for gender justice, for the equal and quality access to the justice system for victims of violence and abuse, human rights education, and the eradication of gender-based violence and femicide in South Africa.
Being a victim and survivor of gender-based violence herself, gender-based violence victims are close to Zintle’s heart. Over the past year, the organization has started a court support program to help victims and survivors of GBVF to navigate through the criminal justice system. The organisation provides marginalized communities with free basic legal aid, psychosocial support services and facilitates a post-school paralegal training program for young women living in vulnerable communities.
“Coming from a small rural town it was necessary for my mom to work in the city to provide for us. I learnt from a young age that for me to have and be anyone in life, I would have to fight and claw my way to the top. As any young black person would tell you it is not easy to make something of yourself in South Africa, due to all the poverty and socio-economic challenges we face daily. I will continue to be a voice for the voiceless. I will not falter in my pursuit to ensure those that deserve justice, get it” – says Zintle.
Being a victim and survivor of gender-based violence herself, gender-based violence victims are close to Zintle’s heart. Over the past year, the organization has started a court support program to help victims and survivors of GBVF to navigate through the criminal justice system. The organisation provides marginalized communities with free basic legal aid, psychosocial support services and facilitates a post-school paralegal training program for young women living in vulnerable communities.
“Coming from a small rural town it was necessary for my mom to work in the city to provide for us. I learnt from a young age that for me to have and be anyone in life, I would have to fight and claw my way to the top. As any young black person would tell you it is not easy to make something of yourself in South Africa, due to all the poverty and socio-economic challenges we face daily. I will continue to be a voice for the voiceless. I will not falter in my pursuit to ensure those that deserve justice, get it” – says Zintle.
Keitumetse Pule is a social entrepreneur with ventures in the technology and non-profit sectors. She is the co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Legal Standpoint, an app-centred legal tech start-up working to democratize legal education and services and in recognition of which she was named the inaugural Changemaker of the Year at the Nedbank YouthX Awards. She has been part of the entrepreneurship ecosystem for 10 years, as a start-up founder, advisory board member and Fellow of the Allan Gray Orbis Foundation. She holds a BA Law degree from the University of Witwatersrand. Keitumetse is also a gender equality and youth activist, notably working with the G20, G7, UN Women and Women Political Leaders to make policy recommendations and advance discourse on increasing women’s economic participation and amplifying youth and women’s voices in decision-making spaces.
Named one of 100 young Mandelas of the future by News24, Masabata Sebusi is a 26 year old lady from South Africa who is passionate about building sustainable communities and changing lives.
Her passion for entrepreneurship was born when she became involved and later became president Enactus University of Free State, an organization that aims to bring together students, business leaders and academics to create sustainable change in the world. She served on the teams Board from 2019 – 2021, ensuring the sustainability of the community projects and maintaining the legacy.
Her Entrepreneurship journey continues as she is a co-founded a company that facilitates access to market for small holder farmers in South Africa and provides training and development opportunities for farmers in marginalized communities. This earned me a place as a Womenboss society ambassador and a BrandAfrica women in business award in 2021.
She believes that young people have a huge role to play in impacting our global society and continues to be committed to improving lives and creating real impact through the work she does as a Regional Program Coordinator at Enactus South Africa.
Her passion for entrepreneurship was born when she became involved and later became president Enactus University of Free State, an organization that aims to bring together students, business leaders and academics to create sustainable change in the world. She served on the teams Board from 2019 – 2021, ensuring the sustainability of the community projects and maintaining the legacy.
Her Entrepreneurship journey continues as she is a co-founded a company that facilitates access to market for small holder farmers in South Africa and provides training and development opportunities for farmers in marginalized communities. This earned me a place as a Womenboss society ambassador and a BrandAfrica women in business award in 2021.
She believes that young people have a huge role to play in impacting our global society and continues to be committed to improving lives and creating real impact through the work she does as a Regional Program Coordinator at Enactus South Africa.
Dr Jonathan Hunter-Parsonage is the CEO of the School of Hard Knocks (SoHK), a Cape Town-based NPO which seeks to use sport to address the trauma and mental health challenges that young people in under-resourced communities face. Beyond his work with SoHK, Jon has extensive experience as a constitutional educator, designing programmes that teach young people about their rights, and how to access them, in South Africa, Zimbabwe, Kenya, Zambia and Malawi, creating written, animated, digital and audio content to reach wide audiences in these countries, as an attorney, and as a management consultant. He has worked extensively in youth employment in Kenya, is an admitted attorney in South Africa, and holds degrees from the University of Cape Town, Harvard Law School and the University of Bristol.
Carol Kagezi is an Arts Journalist with a keen interest in the creative ecosystem in Uganda.
She currently works as the Community Manager at MoTIV, a Maker Space based in Kampala, Uganda.
Core to her work is stimulating the creative community, identifying pain points and deploying programmatic solutions with the goal of fostering connection and collaboration.
She is also the Creative Director of an online based magazine and platform, AfroToned .
She currently works as the Community Manager at MoTIV, a Maker Space based in Kampala, Uganda.
Core to her work is stimulating the creative community, identifying pain points and deploying programmatic solutions with the goal of fostering connection and collaboration.
She is also the Creative Director of an online based magazine and platform, AfroToned .
As a self-taught Software Engineer, With over 4 years of experience in the field of IT and Software Development. He has worked with reputable companies like Andela, Medable, GitStart and Pareto among others where he has attained a multitude of experience working in both Startup and Enterprise teams. It is with this expertise that he is able to work at Waape as Operations Lead which is a startup revolutionising curating today’s jobs and careers through an African talent marketplace.
Outside of work, he enjoys Debate, Public Speaking, Sci-Fi and Fantasy genres, and is one of the few supporters of Manchester City.
Outside of work, he enjoys Debate, Public Speaking, Sci-Fi and Fantasy genres, and is one of the few supporters of Manchester City.
Niranjan Dev Bharadwaj, Indian Author of the books “Environmental Ethics and India’s Perspective on Environment” and “Environmental Renaissance”. He is a Member, Core Advisory Group, National Human Rights Commission NHRC (on “Environment, Climate Change and Human Rights”).
Presently, he works as a Distinguished Advisor for Global Foundation for Advancement of Environment and Human Wellness. He considers himself as an Environmentalist, Researcher, Environmental Chemist, Blogger, who has written for UNICEF’S online portal, Voices of Youth, theenvironmentalblog.org and Urunji Child Care Trust.
Niranjan is a TEDx Speaker, who has given half a dozen TEDx talks categorically on environment, climate change and sustainability issues.
Emanuel is an entrepreneur and community builder. His startup Authory helps Journalists to take control of their brand and content back. He also is the community director of Sigma Squared, Europe’s largest entrepreneurship community for young founders.
Trainers
Michelle is the founder of Rubix Potential – a Germany-based NGO that brings out the best of everyone by unleashing and finding happiness, purpose and potential for a positive social change. She believes that every individual has something unique. A soon as they manage to unleash the hidden potential – everything is possible – a life full of happiness, self-fulfillment and energy. From Michelle’s experience, happy people are ready to be changemakers. For this reason she choose the path of a social entrepreneur and trainer, empowering people to find their own path and work together for a sustainable future. In addition, Michelle’s RubixPotential works in collaboration with different partners across Europe on health, well-being and sustainability.
Sheshnee Naidoo, a storyteller, her goal is to connect people with wisdom through the ancient art of story. Her personal life mission is to connect people with sources of information and wisdom, practices and to have fun doing it.
Sheshnee is the founder of OpenMic Foundation – a South African based NGO that’s connecting, teaching, inspiring and most importantly influencing people through stories. Everyone has a story to tell, a lesson to teach and wisdom to share. Life is a beautiful masterpiece bound together by our experiences. Sheshnee teaches people to express their truth and authentic self through various practices that she has learnt through her own pain and suffering. She is also the founder of JustBe Studios the business entity of OpenMic Foundation. JustBe has been created to bring together a bigger vision of helping humanity to connect with themselves the awaken nature inside of them through a group of mental and spiritual practices and disciplines. We are all seekers of life, trying to understand why are we are here and what is our purpose, so I ask what is your Story?
Sheshnee is the founder of OpenMic Foundation – a South African based NGO that’s connecting, teaching, inspiring and most importantly influencing people through stories. Everyone has a story to tell, a lesson to teach and wisdom to share. Life is a beautiful masterpiece bound together by our experiences. Sheshnee teaches people to express their truth and authentic self through various practices that she has learnt through her own pain and suffering. She is also the founder of JustBe Studios the business entity of OpenMic Foundation. JustBe has been created to bring together a bigger vision of helping humanity to connect with themselves the awaken nature inside of them through a group of mental and spiritual practices and disciplines. We are all seekers of life, trying to understand why are we are here and what is our purpose, so I ask what is your Story?
Maarten wears many hats, but all of them serve a clear purpose. Throughout his life Maarten has made many experiences, starting from being a competitive athlete in Martial Arts as a child, studying music later, touring the world and then turning his back on everything to study ancient methods of breathing, yoga, cold exposure and movement, running ultramarathons and climbing frozen mountains in shorts. Now he offers his experience as a coach, writer and a speaker.
Joanne studied science of education and since 2016 has been a communications officer in an asbl that supports people with disabilities and wants to make society accessible. She has a keen interest in psychology. Since 2013, she is particularly focused on trauma, polyvagal theory, non-violent communication, somatic-oriented techniques such as Somatic Experiencing and Somatic-oriented safety exercises, as well as somatic-emotional integration, autism, mental health and adoption. She also explores techniques such as meditation, qi gong, chanting, voice and speech therapy, cardiac coherence breathing, neurofeedback, SSP, and animal-assisted intervention. In 2020 she devised a workshop with Michelle George on Self and Co-Regulation. At the heart of her commitment is the belief that successful Self- and Co-Regulation is the foundation for contentment, belonging, livability and success.
Ambassadors
Susan is currently pursuing her Master of Management in Entrepreneurship at Wits Business School Johannesburg as a Mandela Rhodes Scholar and has is focused on exploring sustainable business models for social ventures in Africa.
Susan is a community builder, program designer, and social innovator, that’s excited about enabling young social entrepreneurs to create and sustain their impact. She is a co-founder at the Africa Young Entrepreneur Support Center a social incubator, and has spent the last four years working with and supporting over 60 young social entrepreneurs in Kenya.
Susan was part of the Youth to Youth Summit in Hong Kong, and has been part of the Y2Y Community ever since. Her commitment is to continue enabling more social entrepreneurs across the African continent to not only set up their ventures but also scale the impact they have.
Susan is a community builder, program designer, and social innovator, that’s excited about enabling young social entrepreneurs to create and sustain their impact. She is a co-founder at the Africa Young Entrepreneur Support Center a social incubator, and has spent the last four years working with and supporting over 60 young social entrepreneurs in Kenya.
Susan was part of the Youth to Youth Summit in Hong Kong, and has been part of the Y2Y Community ever since. Her commitment is to continue enabling more social entrepreneurs across the African continent to not only set up their ventures but also scale the impact they have.