BuyFoodWithPlastic (BFWP) aims to tackle two major global problems simultaneously - plastic pollution and extreme poverty. Two UN SDGs - ending poverty (Goal 1) and promoting sustainable production and consumption (Goal 12). BFWP organizes events in Ghana where the local population can pay for hot meals using plastic bottles or pure water sachets. This not only provides people in need with food but also raises awareness about environmental issues like plastic waste. The vision is to leverage the circular economy where collected plastic bottles are processed into new products and reintegrated into the production of new products.

Since 2004, I have taught, trained and coached individuals and organizations in Europe and in emerging countries. Entrepreneurship can be developed everywhere by everyone,from informal business, like selling fish or shea butter, to ethical biometrics, like network authentication for follow-up migration or digital vaccine booklets. I help micro, small and medium-sized enterprises become more competitive while focusing on women, young people, and refugees to empower themselves through employment and entrepreneurship and foster digital connectivity for a global transition to green, sustainable trade.

In 2019, I observed that the youth in our society are found blaming other people or the government for failures or weaknesses noticed in the society. I saw in them a lack of zeal to take responsibility. So I, in collaboration with a friend, decided to float an NGO to raise more leaders who will be ready to take responsibility and end the blame game. Our purpose then was to provide structured youth mentorship and develop leadership abilities among the youth. We are presently accelerating by establishing the Social Innovation Institute with the purpose of bridging the gap in social development in Ila-Orangun and extending it to other parts of Nigeria in the future.

My name is Ragulan Tharmakulasingam, I am the co-founder of ‘Pick a Book'. The mission of ”Pick a Book (PAB) is to encourage the reading habit by getting all participants to select a book, read and research it thoroughly, and present a summary, which also helps to hone their public speaking, communication, and presentation skills. By doing this, ‘Pick a book’ not only inculcates the habit of reading but also helps to impart a wealth of knowledge. A life without books is an unfulfilled life. Within the pages of a book is a wealth of knowledge, life lessons, and inspirations, where we have the enriching experience of living the lives of others as we find our own feet in the world and discover within ourselves what we never knew we had.

Maritha Osekre-Amey is the founder of Westfield Bridge College. Westfield Bridge College was founded in 2020. Our purpose is to make quality, world-class education accessible to every student (ages 12–17) in Ghana, regardless of sex, tribe, location, or circumstance. Our ambition is to operate a fit-for-purpose school that enhances the Ghanaian national curriculum (unlike our peers) by incorporating the use of modern technology, emotional intelligence and well-defined intellectual climates in Accra, Ghana, by 2025.

Vahid Suljic is the founder of Campus and Student Life in Qatar, a powerhouse of reliable educational information and impactful content that nurtures Qatar's student community with a suite of services and firsthand testimonials from both current and past students.

Kafayat OYEWO-OYELERE, is the co-founder of the Golden Gleams Empowerment Foundation, a not-for-profit organization ensuring quality education, opportunities and economic empowerment of women and girls in Ogun State, Nigeria, by offering continuous education and promoting climate change initiatives with the launch of a tree planting practice.

Kafayat OYEWO-OYELERE explained the reason for her motto "Humanity first". Her mission is to help women and girls have access to equal opportunities for continuous learning and a path to economic empowerment and self-reliance through education.

ProfDoc Rasheedat Adetoun Oke-Olaniyan is the founder of Dastia Academy, an educational center with the mission of helping children learn academics and integrate a holistic approach to life. The students are groomed to be multilingual and have a strong vision that learning is a lifelong process that needs grooming at an early stage. We catch them young from the cradle.

Smita Suchde Gruetter is the founder of HEMLATA. HEMLATA is empowering young women to gain financial independence, to lead lives of dignity and self-worth by accessing tertiary-quality education. HEMLATA is promoting gender equality and investing in young women’s socio-economic development and shaping actively their own future.

HEMLATA Scholars receive a holistic impact scholarship that includes funding for quality education at accredited universities along with mentorship, skills development and career support, all designed to lead to economic development.

HEMLATA alumni have provided proof of concept and broken inter-generational cycles of poverty within a single generation. They are now not just supporting themselves by uplifting other young women in the program, but also contributing to their families and communities.

Marian Thushari Fernando is a social entrepreneur. During her undergraduate agriculturist studies, she worked closely with the farming communities in Sri Lanka. She discovered that supporting people was more rewarding as you learned about their challenges and found solutions together that contributed to positively and directly impacting their livelihoods and communities. This rich experience and exposure at an early stage of her career path convinced her that her focus and energy should be dedicated to serving communities in Sri Lanka.

Sonia Karkare has devoted nearly two decades of her life to digital transformations at some of the largest and most iconic humanitarian and nonprofit organizations in the world. She has built her remarkable career through her ability to harness technology as a tool for revolutionary social impact, affecting lives across North America, Europe, and Africa.

Ataa Dabour is the founder of Sustainable Seed. Sprouted from the idea that every individual and project holds the potential to become a force for positive change. The mission is to empower people and organizations to drive change, inspire people and embrace sustainability as a way of life and thinking. Sustainable Seed offers consulting and training services and equips clients with the tools, knowledge, and mindset necessary to catalyze systemic and positive transformation and engagements to co-create impact initiatives that contribute to a more sustainable world.

Pooja Saxena is the Chief Executive Officer of Innovoidea, India. Her mission is to build capacity resilience programs for disaster preparedness by training local communities on equipment and safety gear.

ProfDoc Adetula Aishat IBIDUN (a.k.a. Nana Adetula) is the founder and director of the Kanzul Light of Hope Foundation (KLOHF), a non-profit organization that supports less privileged and vulnerable individuals by providing educational and vocational training with counseling, mentoring, and coaching services to individuals or groups in organizations to attain their purpose.

Jonelle Simunich is the co-founder of [y]our 2040, a member-based organization bringing together people who are passionate for and committed to making the world a better place - one step at a time. [y]our 2040 works to accelerate the transition to a regenerative future.

Priscilla Sarnau is the Head of Marketing and Communications at >>venture>>. She is also the founder of the Swiss cosmetics brand, Elemen, modern aromatherapy for him. Priscilla has over 15 years of experience in marketing and communications for international corporations/nonprofits and uses her certified aromatherapy and yoga skills to help others reach their wellbeing goals.

Dr. Ruby Bakshi Khurdi, founder of RAY Academy Swiss, is a renowned innovative educator, celebrated as a LinkedIn Top Voice, TEDx speaker, and trainer based in Switzerland. Her passion for education is evident in her belief that learning and teaching should be an enjoyable and enriching experience for both educators and learners alike. She conducts highly engaging and interactive workshops on public speaking and emotional intelligence.

My name is Melitta Campbell. I am the founder of the Driven Female Entrepreneur Podcast. Through my work, I noticed a challenge - many women starting their own ventures are isolated from the business tools, knowledge, and support they need to succeed. In response, I launched the Driven Female Entrepreneur podcast. Each week on the podcast, I share practical lessons, tried-and-tested tips, and powerful insights from my own business journey and those of a range of successful women. Our goal is to help women dream bigger, achieve more in their business and in their lives, and build the confidence and tools they need to succeed.

My name is Ritah Ayebare Nyakato, Duty Editor at Startupticker.ch, #1 information platform for the Swiss start-up scene, positioned as an editorially independent channel. Founded in 2011, the portal supports technology and science-based startups by increasing their visibility through publishing news on their milestones, from launching the company to investments, expansion, and exit.

Raimi Olaide Basirat is the founder of Plastic Entrepreneurship Ventures (PEV), a social enterprise committed to reinventing, recreating and reengineering plastic waste in Nigeria. Her mission is to educate the next generation by sharing the social and economic opportunities of using plastic waste as a resource material.