Engine Room for the Future
Young People Driving Change
The world’s challenges can feel overwhelming – climate change, inequality, debt, and digital divides.
These issues shape our collective future, yet young people – who will live with the consequences longest – often have little say in the decisions that define it. But what if that changed? What if young people weren’t just learning about economic injustice, but actively shaping the systems that drive it? What if they had a seat at the table — collaborating across generations with changemakers from around the world to drive real impact?
This isn't just a thought experiment – this is the Engine Room for the Future – a digital, intergenerational platform led by and for young people. It’s a space where young changemakers go from understanding global challenges to actively shaping the solutions. By bridging the gap between high-level policy spaces and young people’s lived experiences, the Engine Room mobilizes young voices, amplifies their leadership, and creates meaningful opportunities to engage directly with decision-makers.
It also supports efforts to advance the Sustainable Development Goals and guide the development of a 2100 Roadmap to ensure future global policies reflect younger generations' needs and aspirations. Since its launch in March 2023, the Engine Room has engaged closely with over 6,000 young people, 86% of whom come from the global south, and engaged nearly two million young people across our digital platforms.
From Vision to Action: Spotlight on Youth-led Change
At the heart of the Engine Room’s work are the young changemakers who are not just participating — but leading.
Through dynamic, youth-led Action Groups, they are tackling the most pressing challenges facing their communities and countries. Organized around the five core pillars of the Sustainable Development Goals — People, Planet, Prosperity, Peace, and Partnerships — these Action Groups are reimagining how solutions to global challenges are shaped from the ground up.
In this feature, we spotlight a few of these bold young leaders whose ideas and actions are helping shape a more inclusive, equitable, and sustainable 2100 future.
Esther Ajudeonu: Expanding Youth Mentorship Across Africa
Action Group: People Action Group
Role: Social Media Lead
Country: Nigeria
“The achievement I am most proud of in my Engine Room journey is being able to start the African Youth Mentorship project last year, and scale it to 30 countries in 2024 through the support of the Engine Room network.”
Esther is a 24-year-old Nigerian MBA candidate at the University of Suffolk and the founder of Primacy Youth Development Initiative (PYDI). Through PYDI, she leads the African Youth Mentorship Project, which has reached more than 500 youth and scaled across 30 countries. As a changemaker in the People Action Group, Esther leverages intergenerational collaboration to empower young people with leadership, peacebuilding, and advocacy skills.
“In 2100, I hope to witness a world where young people are empowered to access jobs, drive change, and solve pressing community issues... working together with elders to craft solutions for a more inclusive and sustainable world.”
Through the People Action Group, Esther is helping define what long-term investment in young people looks like — not just as beneficiaries, but as co-creators of the future.
Noshaba Sattar: Storytelling as a Force for Justice
Action Group: Peace
Role: Changemaker
Country: Pakistan
Like Esther, Noshaba is transforming systems from the inside out — this time through the lens of storytelling. A filmmaker, peace activist, and climate advocate, she uses digital media to elevate voices often silenced in Pakistan, especially those facing gender discrimination and religious extremism.
For Noshaba, filmmaking isn’t just storytelling — it’s justice work. Through the Diverse Democracy Initiative and her digital campaign “Future Leaders,” she is redefining activism for a digital generation. In the Peace Action Group, she fuses creativity with purpose, using data, tech, and art to build a more inclusive future.
“The Engine Room’s commitment to data-driven change inspired me. It’s not just about ideas — it’s about impact. In 2100, I hope we’ve built a world where inequality is behind us and sustainability is part of every system.”
Daniela Fernández: Forging Intergenerational Policy Partnerships
Action Group: Partnerships
Role: Social Media Lead
Country: Bolivia
Daniela’s path reflects the Engine Room’s core belief: young people are not just campaigners — they’re policy influencers. As an environmental economist at Bolivia’s Ministry of Development Planning, she’s helping monitor SDG investments and shaping national development plans with youth priorities at the center.
Her work in the Partnerships Action Group connects these efforts to a global network, where she fosters trust across generations and geographies. Whether it’s organizing Instagram Live sessions or co-leading the “12 Days of Christmas” youth campaign, Daniela is making space for others to lead.
“I’m proud of building spaces where young people feel ownership, not just participation. In 2100, may we look back knowing we built a world rooted in peace, shared power, and real sustainability.”
Divyam Yadav: Turning Climate Tech into Climate Justice
Action Group: Planet
Role: Researcher
Country: India
As part of the Planet Action Group, Divyam is proving that climate innovation isn’t only about bold ideas—it’s about building tools that shift power. He’s the founder of Project Prakreti, an IoT-driven carbon credit platform designed to tackle greenwashing and make decarbonization more transparent, inclusive, and accountable. Using Internet of Things (IoT) technology, his platform tracks and verifies emissions reductions in real time—ensuring companies can no longer overstate their climate commitments. It's a powerful response to a growing problem: climate promises without action.
But for Divyam, this work is about more than just data. It's about ensuring that environmental accountability is no longer reserved for the privileged few. Through the Engine Room, he’s connecting with a global network of changemakers working toward systems that are not only sustainable, but just.
“The Engine Room gives me access to a vast network of like-minded changemakers. Collaborating with them keeps me motivated and focused on impact.” In his vision for 2100, sustainability, equity, and technology go hand in hand—a future where innovation serves people and the planet, not profits.
Across continents and causes — from mentorship to peacebuilding, climate innovation to financial justice — these young changemakers are showing that youth leadership isn’t a future aspiration. It’s happening now.
They aren’t just reacting to injustice; they’re designing alternatives. They aren’t waiting for power to be handed to them — they’re contributing to platforms, like the Engine Room, that shift how global systems include and listen to young people and young countries.
Their visions for 2100 — of equality, sustainability, peace, and shared leadership — are more than dreams. They are blueprints for action. And through the Engine Room for the Future, these blueprints are becoming reality.
Find out more about the Engine Room 2025
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