Meet the young trailblazers tackling critical social, political, and environmental challenges.
In the year since we were last together in front of this stage, the unprecedented has become a daily occurrence. Ecological catastrophes are becoming more widespread; poverty – in decline for so long – is on the rise; images of children displaced and destroyed have taken over our screens. In the face of it all, remarkable young leaders are rising up across the world to drive the change that must happen. We are honoured to have Archana Konanur Ramachandraiah, Mathilde Caillard, and Jady Veríssimo joining us for our closing keynote.
From the favelas of Brazil to the streets of Paris and the villages of rural India, these trailblazers are tackling pressing social, political, and environmental challenges. At IFC 2024, you will hear their stories of resilience, innovation, and leadership as they create lasting impact for vulnerable communities and inspire the next generation of young changemakers.
From rural Karnataka in India, Archana Konanur Ramachandraiah – Archana KR – is an award-winning social entrepreneur, change leader, and sanitation advocate. With 15 years’ experience in social development, she has focused on climate-related issues, education, and health, particularly through empowering women and young people in marginalised communities. Archana’s work secured a budget of INR ₹1 billion (almost €11 million/USD $12 milllion) to improve sanitation in 49,000 government schools, which had the direct impact of significantly reducing dropout rates for girls. Her work to create meaningful policy changes uses technology, data, and community-driven initiatives, and has seen her honoured with the Web Wonder Women award by India’s Ministry of Women and Child Development.
A passionate climate activist, Mathilde Caillard is a leader in the movement for social justice and ecological action. Based in Paris, she has been a key figure in Action Justice Climat Paris since 2019. Known for her unique approach as a techno-activist, Mathilde combines activism with music and dance, organising events that use techno beats to amplify political messages. In 2023, she played a prominent role in opposing France’s pension reform, and during the 2024 French parliamentary elections, she rallied influencers to resist the rise of far-right politics. Her creative, energetic approach to activism has made her a well-recognised figure in the fight for environmental justice and social change.
Raised in a favela in São Paulo, Brazil, Jady Veríssimo grew up in a family where education was a challenge: her father is a driver and her mother completed high school through Youth and Adult Education (EJA) while pregnant with Jady. Since she was 15, Jady worked to help support her family, attending night school to continue her education. In 2021, Jady was accepted into Fundação Getulio Vargas to study public administration. Overcoming financial barriers through a scholarship and the support of 360 individuals, Jady became the first person in her family to attend university. That same year, she founded Pontes para o Amanhã (Bridges for Tomorrow), a project that to date has supported more than 500 vulnerable teenagers to access educational scholarships and employment opportunities and which has begun contruction on sports facilities in the Favela de Verdinhas. Jady has her sights set on achieving even greater impact, and at 23 has already run her first political campaign for office.