Meet our Young Global Leaders for 2020

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What does the winner of the FIFA Women's World Cup have in common with the prime minister of Finland? They are both young leaders who gained international repute over the last 12 months. And now Megan Rapinoe and Sanna Marin have been recognized as Young Global Leaders by the World Economic Forum - joining a community of people dedicated to changing the world for the better.

Each year, the Forum of Young Global Leaders identifies the world’s most promising leaders under the age of 40 - people driving innovation for positive change across civil society, arts, culture, government and business. By connecting them to a community of remarkable peers and investing further in their leadership abilities, the aim is to create a ripple effect over five years that benefits their organizations and the world.

Here are some of the 115 YGLs that make up the class of 2020:

Megan Rapinoe - As co-captain of the US women's soccer team, Rapinow lifted the 2019 FIFA World Cup. Off the field, she advocates for gender equality, including equal pay in her sport, and speaks out on diversity and inclusion.

Jesús Cepeda - Chief Executive Officer of OneSmart City, a company that uses blockchain and artificial intelligence to help city authorities provide digital services. Cepeda hopes the technology will create greener cities and stronger institutions in line with the UN goals on sustainable development.

Larry Madowo - The BBC Africa Business Editor launched of six new business TV shows for African audiences in English, French and Swahili. Madowo is also an on-air correspondent on BBC radio and television and has reported from more than 40 countries.

Sanna Marin - Marin held her first political post at the age of 27. In just three months as prime minister, her government has reformed paid parental leave, giving both parents a total of 14 months.

Sanna Marin

Image: REUTERS/Reinhard Krause

Alicia Garza - A co-founder of Black Lives Matter, Garza is a US civil rights activist and editorial writer influential on issues of health, student rights, rights for domestic workers, and campaigns against police brutality, racism, and violence against gender non-conforming people of colour. She directs special projects at the National Domestic Workers Alliance.

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Kristo Kaarmann - Co-founder and CEO of TransferWise, a peer-to-peer money transfer business which aims to allow people to access the real mid-market exchange rate by cutting out traditional banking fees.

Akiko Naka - Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Wantedly, a social networking service for professionals, Akiko was the youngest female founder ever to take a company public in Japan.

Yetnebersh Nigussie - An Ethiopian human rights lawyer who pushes for women’s and girls’ rights and inclusive education. As a blind woman, she has helped change perceptions of disability in Ethiopia. She is a senior inclusion adviser for Light for the World, an organization that fights for the inclusion of the 15% – about 1 billion – of the world’s population who have some kind of disability.

Gaurav Gupta - Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer of Zomato, an Indian restaurant aggregator and food delivery start-up. He launched the table reservation business and scaled it up across India, the United Arab Emirates and Australia.

Henry Motte-Muñoz - Founder and CEO of Edukasyon.ph, which says it is the largest youth platform in the Philippines, empowering more than 10 million student visitors each year to find their path from education to career.