Climate Change Activist and The Youngest Member on the United Nations Youth Advisory Group on Climate Change
Sophia Kianni
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Primary Topic Category: Environment
Sophia Kianni At A Glance:
Sophia Kianni is a 19 year old Iranian-American climate activist. She is the founder and executive director of Climate Cardinals, an international nonprofit with 9,000 volunteers in 40+ countries working to translate climate information into 100+ languages. She also represents the United States as the youngest member on the inaugural United Nations Youth Advisory Group on Climate Change. She sits on boards and advisory councils for The New York Times, World Economic Forum, Iris Project, JUV Consulting, Ashoka, and American Lung Association. Sophia’s work has been featured in outlets including Forbes, CNN, Business Insider, and more.
Sophia Kianni is a 20 year old Iranian-American climate activist studying science, technology, and society at Stanford University. She is the founder and executive director of Climate Cardinals, an international nonprofit with 8,000 volunteers in 40+ countries working to translate climate information into 100+ languages. She represents the United States as the youngest member of the inaugural United Nations Youth Advisory Group on Climate Change. She sits on boards and advisory councils for The New York Times, World Economic Forum, Inkey List, Iris Project, Ashoka, and American Lung Association.
Sophia is a prolific public speaker and has spoken at universities across the world including Columbia University, UC Berkeley, Johns Hopkins, Cambridge University, and Harvard University. She was chosen out of thousands of applicants as one of TED Talks’ Global Idea Search Winners and was the closing speaker at the inaugural TED Countdown Conference in Scotland. Her work has been featured in news outlets including Forbes, CNN, BBC, TIME magazine, The Guardian, NBC and even the front page of The Washington Post.
She has been named VICE Media’s youngest Human of the Year, a National Geographic Young Explorer, and one of Teen Vogue’s 21 under 21.
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How To Change The World: Activism 101
When Sophia was 12 years old, she looked up at the night sky in Iran and realized that she couldn't see the stars due to pollution. Since then, she has worked tirelessly to raise awareness of the environmental degradation that impacts the most vulnerable populations on our planet. Her middle school advocacy has led her to start an internationally acclaimed nonprofit, Climate Cardinals, and work as the youngest advisor to the United Nations Secretary-General. Sophia believes that in this digital age, anyone can make a difference through the power of social media and mass mobilization. In this inspiring presentation, she will share how anyone can make a difference by sparking a movement or starting an initiative. -
Climate Advocacy and Youth Leadership: If Adults Won't Take Action to Protect Our Future, Youth Will
In middle school, Sophia brought up her concerns about climate change to her relatives and was shocked when they told her they knew nothing about global warming. She later learned that 40 percent of adults on Earth have never heard of climate change. Kids back in the day used to skip school to play hooky; now, they're skipping school to fight for their futures. As a national strategist for Fridays for Future, Sophia worked alongside Greta Thunberg to mobilize millions of students to strike for climate action.
After decades of inaction by the government, the young generation has finally decided to take matters into their own hands. Through this presentation, Sophia will provide a look into the dynamic world of youth climate activism and sketch out what life is like for the teenagers saving our planet.
