Grassroots Voices Empowering young women leaders making an impact in their communities

Ahmya Rivera is a social entrepreneur and multidisciplinary creator dedicated to using technology as a force for educational equity. Her grassroots journey began with a simple philosophy: if a tool doesn’t exist to help her community, she will use her background in design and code to build it. 
 
Ahmya has spent her youth identifying hyperlocal problems and crafting solutions. She previously developed an app to streamline maintenance requests for public schools facing infrastructure decay and created a platform connecting student entrepreneurs with local clients to foster economic agency. Passionate about educational access early on, she also authored “STEAM Quest: Story-based Activity Book,” using narrative to make complex science concepts accessible to young learners. She traveled across the US leading workshops to witness firsthand its impact of empowering young, underserved women to pursue their STEM dreams. 
 
Currently, Ahmya is tackling the “guidance gap” in higher education. She led a year-long research study to understand the barriers underserved applicants face when pursuing higher opportunity, resulting in the creation of Applixy™—an AI-augmented admissions management platform that provides free, high-quality tools to underserved students to craft competitive college and career applications. 
 
Her work has garnered recognition from the Global Student Startup Competition, the AWS Education Equity Initiative, and much more. Ahmya views herself not just as a tech founder, but as a digital community organizer. She is eager to join the Grassroots Voices cohort to amplify her mission, ensuring that every student—regardless of their zip code—has the “time and tools” to build their own future. 

Amou Mawien is a social work–trained researcher, aspiring attorney, and founder focused on environmental justice and civic preparedness. She is the founder of Youth in Macro, a network that supports students and emerging professionals across social work, public policy, and related fields in macro practice and advocacy. 
 
Through Youth in Macro’s flagship environmental justice research initiative, Amou leads a cohort of five undergraduate and graduate students conducting community-based research in Buffalo, New York and Baltimore, MD. The project amplifies nonprofit organizations addressing food insecurity and examines climate resilience through qualitative research and policy analysis. She also serves as a Team Lead with the Carnegie Young Leaders for Civic Preparedness program and was a Social Justice Leadership Academy scholar at Morgan State University, where she earned her Bachelor of Social Work. Her experience includes legal work with the Legal Aid Bureau of Buffalo, community-based leadership with the World Economic Forum’s Global Shapers Buffalo Hub, and international diplomacy exposure through Morgan State University’s Global Experiential Learning Program in Italy. Amou is currently studying law and intends to pursue a career in environmental justice advocacy.

Anjani Sharma is a global mental health advocate and social entrepreneur committed to advancing equity, wellbeing, and youth leadership across the Global South. She is the Founder and Executive Director of Minds Without Borders, a youth-led nonprofit that has reached over 2,000 young people in underserved communities across India, Nigeria, Ghana, and the United States through culturally grounded mental health education, digital inclusion, and gender-focused empowerment initiatives. Her work prioritizes amplifying the voices of girls and marginalized youth who are often excluded from formal health and social protection systems. 
 
Rooted in lived experience and community partnership, Anjani’s leadership bridges grassroots action with policy advocacy. She has organized youth-led campaigns engaging policymakers on mental health access and healthcare equity, and has supported legislative efforts aimed at reducing structural barriers to care for vulnerable populations. Her approach emphasizes co-creation—working alongside local educators, youth leaders, and community organizations to design solutions that are contextually relevant and sustainable. 
 
Anjani has been recognized as a Z Zurich Foundation Scholar at the One Young World Summit and serves as a Rare Beauty Impact Ambassador, contributing to global conversations on youth mental wellbeing and inclusive leadership. She is particularly passionate about strengthening cross-border youth networks and ensuring that young women from the Global South are represented in global decision-making spaces. 
 
Through her work, Anjani seeks to reimagine mental health not as a privilege, but as a fundamental right—one shaped and led by the communities it is meant to serve. 

Anshi Bhatt is a freshman at Boston University, studying Political Science and Philosophy. She is the founder of Frontlines Foundation, a youth-led nonprofit protecting vulnerable committees online by promoting digital literacy. From speaking at the UN to providing recommendations to the White House OSTP, Anshi has cared deeply about media literacy since her grandfather fell victim to an online scam 6 years ago. On campus, she is involved with the Model United Nations team, the Boston Political Review, and is on a research team studying the effects of AI in mental health spaces. 

Bridget McManamon is a global development professional whose work bridges grassroots leadership with international development systems. As Curator of the Washington, DC Global Shapers Hub, an initiative of the World Economic Forum, she leads a network of young professionals advancing community-rooted solutions across climate education, civic engagement and local service. She also advises the hub’s Climate Reality Project, helping expand accessible climate education and amplifying community perspectives on climate justice. 
 
Her career has spanned Africa, Asia, the Middle East and the United States, where she has supported initiatives in global health, international development and girls education. She currently works at Johns Hopkins Medicine International, strengthening cross-border partnerships in oncology and cardiovascular care and helping connect global expertise with health system needs. 
 
Bridget’s commitment to gender justice traces back to her founding Herstory at age 16, a youth-led menstrual equity initiative that distributed 40,000 period products across 10 states and four countries and secured more than $25,000 in funding. Her TEDx talk, “The Bring Your Own Tampon Society,” continues to inspire conversations on menstrual hygiene. She has also contributed to gender-focused policy work as an intern at the U.S. Department of State, supporting programs on women’s leadership and human rights. 
 
Bridget is a graduate of Creighton University and is motivated by a belief that young leaders and community-driven movements are essential to building more equitable global systems. 

Celine Qin is a globally-recognized, award-winning youth changemaker, social impact founder, and activist. She is a first-generation college undergraduate at Stanford University and a proactive builder in social impact investing and consulting, social enterprise, fund development, and movement organizing and strategy. When she was just 13, Celine started The Reclamation Project, a nonprofit social justice organization spearheading youth-led movements for systems-change, equity, and liberation. As a speaker to a cumulative audience of 400,000+ youth across 171+ countries worldwide, Celine empowers marginalized communities to reimagine society in their boldest truths. Under her vision as Executive Director, The Reclamation Project has mobilized 270,000+ community members, built a coalition of 2,500+ youth mentees and 175+ partner organizations, and successfully directed 280+ events, projects, and programming since 2020. Celine’s high-impact leadership mirrors her unwavering mission of societal transformation through innovation and intention. She has advised nearly $20 million dollars in grants and private and government partnerships for racial justice, immigrant/refugee youth empowerment, and multicultural social development at grassroots, national, and global scales, including directly reinvesting $600,000+ towards mutual aid, civic innovation, and leadership programs for youth impacted by trauma, violence, and poverty. Celine’s work has been recognized by Princeton University’s Prize in Race Relations, Harvard Project for Asian and International Relations, Taco Bell Foundation, members of the United States Congress, U.S. Departments of State and Treasury, California Department of Public Health, UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs, United Nations Economic and Social Council, Her Campus, NPR’s Cap Radio, Porte Global, and the International Organization of Youth. She is additionally an Alexander Hamilton Scholar, Brandon Harrison Social Justice Award Winner, and the youngest recipient of the California Youth Rising Trailblazer Award. After college, Celine plans to earn her Masters in Public Policy and attend law school. 

Fatima Sagnia is an undergraduate student at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. She is the President and Chapter’s Founder of My Sister’s Keeper, which she established in February 2025. My Sister’s Keeper is a Black Women’s Health Imperative (BWHI) signature program dedicated to empowering young Black women to advocate for their health and overall well-being. Through this organization, Fatima leads initiatives that educate both the UNC Charlotte community and Charlotte-area youth, with a focus on sexual and reproductive health, rights, and justice; mental and emotional health; menstrual insecurity and stigma; gender discrimination and violence; and anti-racism and allyship. The chapter hosts campus events and community service opportunities centered on health education and self-advocacy for Black women in healthcare spaces. 

Haley C. Campbell is a first generation college student, nonprofit founder, and strategic communications major at Hampton University with a minor in marketing. Raised by a single mother of six, Haley’s upbringing shaped her commitment to community, leadership, and creating access for others. She has consistently translated that commitment into action across nonprofit, corporate, and campus spaces. 
 
Haley is the Executive Director and Founder of HBCU Canvas, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to uplifting and supporting Black artists at Historically Black Colleges and Universities through creative programming, mentorship, and professional development initiatives. Under her leadership, the organization has expanded nationally and received recognition for its impact and innovation. 
 
In addition to her nonprofit work, Haley has held roles in marketing and communications, including serving as a Marketing Coordinator for Hampton University’s Health Center and a Digital Marketing & Content Strategist working with high profile clients. She has also been recognized as an AT&T Dream in Black Rising Future Maker for her leadership and campus influence. 
 
Through her experiences, Haley is driven by a passion for mentorship, storytelling, and empowering women and underrepresented communities. She aspires to continue building mission driven initiatives that merge creativity, business, and social impact. 

Harlie Williams is the Founder and Executive Director of Black Girls Govern, a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering the next generation of Black girl civic leaders. A first-generation college student, she founded the organization to create the resources, mentorship, and leadership pathways she wished had existed for her growing up. Black Girls Govern advances civic education, grassroots organizing, and political confidence through conferences, panels, educational programming, and community-based initiatives that center Black girls’ voices and lived experiences. 
 
Through her advocacy, Harlie has become a recognized leader in the fight for the CROWN Act in Florida, working to advance policies that protect Black students and professionals from hair-based discrimination. She has collaborated with leaders and organizations connected to the CROWN Coalition powered by Dove, as well as brands including Miss Jessie’s and Briogeo, to bridge policy, culture, and corporate social responsibility in service of social change. 
 
Harlie is currently a sophomore at Harvard University studying Government. She is deeply committed to advancing racial and gender justice by amplifying the voices of communities historically excluded from decision-making spaces. Her work sits at the intersection of youth civic leadership, policy advocacy, and cultural change, with a focus on creating sustainable, community-centered impact for Black girls and young women. 

Janhitha (18) is a youth advocate and community organizer dedicated to strengthening democratic participation through youth leadership and civic engagement. She is currently a freshman at Barnard College of Columbia University, where she is exploring her academic interests while working to create meaningful social impact. 

She is the Founding Chairwoman of the Jersey City High School and College Democrats, which she built from the ground up; mobilizing young people to engage in elections, advocacy, and party organizing. Through this work, she collaborated with youth across Hudson County to help lead the largest active statewide chapter of the High School and College Democrats of America. Most recently, she has taken on the role of Co-Chair of the Hudson County Vote16 initiative, advancing efforts to expand youth participation in local democracy. 

As a Legislative Intern in the Office of State Senator Raj Mukherji, Janhitha conducted policy research and assisted in drafting legislation focused on expanding youth civic engagement in New Jersey high schools, with an emphasis on experiential civic education that empowers students to participate meaningfully in their communities. She also served as Lead Youth Volunteer Coordinator for AAPIs/MENA for NJ Victory during one of New Jersey’s most divisive election cycles, engaging diverse communities and supporting youth-focused voter outreach. Through her organizing, she has mobilized hundreds of young voters and helped build one of the most active youth Democratic infrastructures in the state. 

Janhitha recently co-founded Pluribase, an organization dedicated to educating, training, and supporting the next generation of progressive leaders. Through Pluribase, she works to identify and develop grassroots leadership by partnering with school districts and local organizations to host mock elections nationwide, while also advocating for municipalities to adopt youth advisory councils as part of their education and youth development strategies. Her work centers on translating youth voices into policy, fostering inclusive leadership, and building a more responsive democracy. 

In Jersey City, she was appointed the youngest member of the policy committee on the Mayor’s transition team for the first four years of the administration. She has been highlighted with her work supporting youth through the New Jersey Governor’s Volunteerism Award, ADL’s Cynthia Marks Student Legacy Award, and several others.  

Her commitment to civic engagement is rooted in the belief that young people are not future leaders; they are present-day stakeholders whose voices deserve institutional power. Janhitha’s leadership emphasizes coalition-building across age, race, and community lines, with a focus on converting grassroots energy into durable policy outcomes. After college, she plans to attend law school and pursue a career in constitutional law. 

Makaila Davis is a nationally recognized public health and community justice leader committed to advancing health equity, protecting vulnerable youth, and opening pathways for women and girls—especially young mothers and young women of color—to succeed. As the Founder and Chairwoman of Angels Protection Inc., she leads a national nonprofit dedicated to maternal mental health, harm reduction, women’s leadership, and legal empowerment for young women ages 13–20. 

Her leadership has been honored at the local, state, and national levels. In 2025, she received the Horizon Youth Award from Self Inc., recognizing young leaders shaping the future of community advocacy and social impact. That same year, she was awarded both the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. Tau Omega Charitable Trust Fund Inc. 2025 Woods White Family Legacy Scholarship and the Alpha Kappa Alpha Educational Advancement Foundation, Inc. 2025 Graduate Merit Award—two prestigious recognitions that reflect her academic excellence, community leadership, and commitment to uplifting women and girls. 

She has also secured and executed multiple competitive grants for Angels Protection Inc., including the 2025 Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. Ivy Legacy Foundation Community Grant and the 2023 Alpha Kappa Alpha Educational Advancement Foundation (EAF) Community Assistance Award. These awards support her organization’s work in maternal health, mental health advocacy, harm reduction, and resources for underserved communities. 

In 2024, she was honored with the Bell of Hope Award – Innovator Peer Category by Mental Health Partnerships for her contributions to mental health advocacy. Earlier that year, her work gained regional recognition when she was featured on FOX 29 News during their Women’s History Month Special (March 2024), highlighting her mission to protect young women and children through Angels Protection Inc. 

Her impact in civil rights and justice advocacy expanded in 2023 when she was appointed as the first Social Justice Ambassador for the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission in the Delaware County region. In this role, she supports anti-discrimination initiatives, youth education, and community-based justice outreach. 

Her leadership is shaped by participation in multiple selective national fellowships, including the GLOW Global Cohort and the Western Union Foundation Fellowship, which highlight her as one of the nation’s emerging leaders in public health, advocacy, and women’s empowerment. 

Across all of her work, she blends public health, mental health, and justice to create systems-level change. She leads research on maternal mental health disparities, collaborates with government and nonprofit agencies, and develops programs that prepare young women to lead in their families, communities, and professional fields—including law. 

Rooted in service, equity, and transformational leadership, Makaila continues to shape national conversations about women’s rights, community health, and justice. Her work inspires countless young women and strengthens the foundation for a more equitable future. 

Mursalina Amin is a nonprofit leader and advocate committed to advancing education, leadership, and civic participation for women and girls in conflict-affected and displaced communities. She is the Founder and President of Girls Toward Leadership (G2L), a youth-led initiative that has empowered more than 2,000 Afghan girls since 2020 through education access, leadership development, digital literacy, and mentorship programs. 
 
Grounded in her lived experience as an Afghan woman who has navigated displacement and resettlement, Mursalina centers community-driven solutions and works to amplify voices often excluded from decision-making spaces. Under her leadership, G2L has developed cross-border, volunteer-powered programs that create safe learning environments and pathways for young women to build skills, confidence, and agency amid ongoing political and social restrictions. 
 
In addition to her grassroots work, Mursalina has contributed to refugee advocacy, international development, and community engagement through roles and collaborations with organizations including UNHCR, IRAP, Refugee Congress, CSW NGO, Girl Up, Counterpart International, and Dar Al‑Hijrah. She has represented Afghan women and youth at international platforms, including the UN Commission on the Status of Women, where she has spoken on education, digital safety, and inclusive leadership. 
 
Mursalina holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Tulsa and continues to work at the intersection of grassroots organizing, global advocacy, and women’s leadership. 

Rachel is the Founder of For Every Child, an organization that focuses on addressing the biggest issues that impact children. Through For Every Child, she advances social justice through three primary pathways: policy advocacy, programming, and curriculum development. The organization has created over 150 free lesson plans and 50 games to make climate education accessible and engaging for elementary schoolers, especially in underfunded schools. Rachel founded and manages the For Every Child semi-annual policy fellowship for high school students that teaches them how to lobby with congressional staffers, write testimony, and draft policy briefs. She has trained over 40 high school students so far and fellows have written testimony on over 50 bills, drafted 30 policy reports and briefs and submitted bill amendments to their state’s legislature. Rachel has successfully lobbied for policy change in New Jersey and Virginia and met with over 20 congressional staffers to discuss topics ranging from nuclear energy to mental health services. 

Bekah Sargent is a Biomedical Engineering student at the University of South Carolina, where she also studies minors in Leadership Studies and Medical Humanities & Culture. Her academic and advocacy work is rooted in a deep commitment to community-centered healthcare, health equity, and grassroots leadership. 

At UofSC, Bekah is actively engaged in student advocacy, research, and peer leadership. She serves as a Research Assistant in the College of Engineering and Computing, contributing to lipid bilayer simulation research, while also working within Student Affairs and Student Success initiatives to strengthen student engagement and access to resources. As a Changing Carolina Peer Leader, she facilitates mental health education and leads outreach initiatives that promote student well-being. 

Bekah is the Founder and Executive Director of NextGen Cancer Advocates, a youth-led nonprofit focused on cancer awareness, education, and community support. Through this work, she amplifies young voices, challenges stigma, and helps connect communities to critical health information and support systems. Her leadership and service have been recognized nationally through her selection as a participant in the Allstate Foundation National Youth Service Summit. 

Motivated by both personal and community experiences with healthcare inequities, Bekah aspires to pursue an MD–PhD and a career in oncology. She is particularly interested in bridging research, patient advocacy, and community-based solutions to improve cancer care and outcomes. With over a decade of sustained community service addressing food insecurity and public health needs, Bekah brings a grounded, people-first perspective to grassroots storytelling and systems-level change. 

Riley Reed (she/her) is a passionate advocate and public servant with a strong background in policy, community engagement, and equity-driven leadership. A proud Chicagoan and graduate of DePaul University, Riley was the university’s first ever senator for LGBTQ+ students. During her time at DePaul, she created and organized the institution’s inaugural Queer Prom and was honored as one of the university’s “125 Faces” in recognition of her leadership. 
 
Now based in Washington, D.C., Riley is one of the youngest appointees in the DC Mayor’s Office managing a grants and partnerships portfolio with community based organizations, advancing equity and strengthening resilience across the District. She is also the youngest planner of World Pride 2025 leading the youth initiatives and festival operations.  
Riley’s commitment to social impact is reflected in her previous roles on the Harris for President HQ operations team and in leadership positions with organizations such as Team ENOUGH, GLAAD, and the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization. She currently serves on the advisory board for the Born This Way Foundation, helping to amplify youth voices and champion mental health. 
 
Driven by a deep passion for LGBTQ+ visibility, inclusive policymaking, and international collaboration, Riley continues to work at the intersection of governance, advocacy, and social change. 

Sophia is a researcher, organizer, and emerging policy leader committed to ensuring that the technologies shaping our lives are built with, not against, the communities most impacted by them. She is the founder of the Feminist Tech Lab at Stanford University, an initiative she created to address a fundamental gap: the absence of spaces where students from marginalized backgrounds can critically examine, challenge, and reimagine the digital systems that govern civil rights, bodily autonomy, and democratic participation. 

Under Sophia’s leadership, the Feminist Tech Lab has become a hub for interdisciplinary education and community-rooted action. The initiative centers women, nonbinary students, and queer and BIPOC technologists through workshops, speaker series, and collaborative design sessions addressing algorithmic discrimination, surveillance capitalism, reproductive justice technologies, and ethical frameworks for human-centered design. She has built partnerships with community organizations working on digital equity, data justice, and anti-carceral technology alternatives, ensuring the Lab’s programming remains accountable to those most affected by technological harm. 
Sophia’s leadership is informed by her broader work at the intersection of policy, feminist theory, economics, and justice. She has contributed civil rights policy analysis at the White House Initiative on AANHPI, and spent over a year as a crisis counselor at Bay Area Women Against Rape, where she supported survivors navigating technology-facilitated abuse, image-based harm, and systems often ill-equipped to meet their needs. 
As a woman from an island community with a history of colonization, she understands that technology is never neutral—it encodes power, and it can be collectively reimagined. The Feminist Tech Lab operates on a core belief: that the next generation of technologists, lawyers, and policymakers must be trained not only in technical skill, but in ethical reasoning and structural accountability. Sophia is dedicated to cultivating that generation—building toward a future where technology governance centers dignity, consent, and liberation. 

Srihitha Dasari (she/her) is a youth health equity and mental health advocate, researcher, and social entrepreneur. She is the Executive Director and co-founder of Project No Bounds, a national youth-led nonprofit advancing hygiene equity and health literacy through grassroots action, advocacy, and community-centered storytelling. Since its founding in 2020, Project No Bounds has reached over 50,000 individuals in vulnerable communities across the United States through hygiene distribution, menstrual and broader health literacy programming, and youth-led awareness campaigns. 
 
A neuroscience student at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Srihitha’s work sits at the intersection of public health, medicine, gender equity, and systems change. She is a co-developer of PuntoSalud, an AI-powered WhatsApp health access tool co-built with local governments and frontline clinicians in rural Argentina to deliver culturally relevant, locally verified health information and strengthen community access during public health emergencies. 
 
Srihitha also served on the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Next Gen Youth Advisory Council, contributing to national youth mental health advocacy and campaign strategy across NAMI’s network of 600+ local affiliate organizations reaching millions of people nationwide each year. Her research and fieldwork span the United States, South Asia, and Latin America, including community-based maternal health research in India and Nepal and innovation mapping for low-resource health systems. 
 
She has spoken at the United Nations on youth advocacy and health access and continues to champion approaches to care that center dignity, lived experience, and community leadership. Through her work, Srihitha is committed to reimagining systems of care that are inclusive, accessible, and shaped by the people they are meant to serve. 

Titilope Olotu is a Nigerian-American social innovator and biology student at UCLA, dedicated to transforming menstrual and mental health access for marginalized communities globally. At 19, she is the founder of PADÍ, an initiative focused on providing vital support for women whom traditional medical systems have often failed. Through her nonprofit, Period Padi, she has successfully reached over 22,000 youth, providing them with essential access to menstrual, mental health, and financial resources.

Titilope’s leadership and commitment to social impact have earned her significant international recognition. She is a recipient of the prestigious Diana Award and was named a Chegg Global Scholar. Her work has garnered partnerships and support from major organizations, including Bloomberg Philanthropies and Accenture, and she has been featured by AFROTECH for her innovative approach to community health and social entrepreneurship.

Driven by a passion for health equity and systemic change, Titilope combines her academic background in biology with her entrepreneurial spirit to advocate for those at the intersections of social and medical neglect. Her work with PADÍ and Period Padi reflects a profound commitment to empowering the next generation with the resources and advocacy needed to thrive. As a leader, she continues to bridge the gap between healthcare and marginalized communities, ensuring that access to basic health needs is a right rather than a privilege. 

Varsha Karthikeyan founded her youth-led organization in Fall 2024, with the mission of combatting the reducing literary rates among troubled youth and incarcerated individuals. Utilizing creative writing, she touches the hearts of marginalized groups while fostering an inclusive educational environment for all. Ellipsis sends out thousands of original positive messages, opportunities for publication, donates hundreds of books to shelters, and conducts workshops, all aimed towards instilling a love of learning within detention centers. 
 
As a current high-school senior, she is hoping to continue her passion for connecting youth through the expressive and literary arts well into her collegiate studies. 
 
Varsha is highly involved in political activism and literary equity. She serves on multiple boards of the High School Democrats of America and advisory teams within her community. An alumni of the Telluride Association Summer Seminars, she hopes to expand her global outreach and create communities of politically aware youth all over. 

Victoria Rodríguez Villarreal is a graduate student in the BS/MPH program with a concentration in Environmental and Occupational Health at Drexel University’s Dornsife School of Public Health. Originally from Monterrey, Mexico, she is an intersectional ecofeminist activist and public health advocate committed to advancing climate justice through research, public policy advocacy, and community-centered action.

Victoria has worked with organizations such as the Academy of Natural Sciences and World Vision Eswatini, contributing to initiatives at the intersection of environmental health, climate resilience, and social equity. She currently serves as the Advocacy and Mexican Delegation Coordinator for Latinas por el Clima, where she supports projects that center frontline communities, promote gender equity, and uplift local knowledge systems, such as the National Ecofeminist Camps. She is also a member of the Young People’s Action Team (YPAT), third cohort, of Generation Unlimited.

Her work focuses on the interconnections between climate change, gender equity, and environmental justice, and is grounded in a decolonial epistemology that seeks to reimagine pathways toward a just transition. Her interests include climate and health equity, community science, and reparative policy design.