The World Around, a global nonprofit at the forefront of design and architecture, announces a cohort of 25 under 25s for the second cycle of its Young Climate Prize. These exceptional young self-starters were selected from hundreds of entries, representing 19 countries, and were chosen for their unique and innovative approach to addressing the climate crisis in their community.
Each member of this interdisciplinary cohort–encompassing farmers, fabricators, birdwatchers and game designers—will be mentored by some of the most celebrated names in design and architecture, including Formafantasma, Hella Jongerius, and Mariam Issoufou. These mentors are committed to guiding the next generation of climate pioneers, equipping them with the tools to lead the design world toward purposeful, sustainable solutions.
In addition to personalized mentorship, the cohort will attend a bespoke Design Academy, offering workshops on topics including fundraising, communication, and filmmaking, led by experts such as Alice Rawsthorn, Xu Tiantian, Klaus Thymann and Henk Ovink and experts from MillerKnoll. The program will culminate at The World Around’s prestigious 2025 Summit in New York, where three winners will present their groundbreaking work. Following the success of the 2022–23 edition, this year’s prize promises to spotlight the most urgent and visionary design solutions for our planet’s future.
This year’s cohort is:
Mohamed Salem Mohamed Ali, 23, Algeria—Building a desert farm within the Smara refugee camp. Mentored by Brendan McGetrick.
Mohammed Anower, 19, Myanmar/Bangladesh—Empowering young people in the Kutupalong refugee camp through climate education. Mentored by Gurmeet Sian.
Pedro Arles, 23, Brazil—Applying waste management solutions in one of Brazil’s largest favelas. Mentored by Stephen Burks Man Made.
Carlos Ayvazian, 22, Lebanon—Biomass Entrepreneur converting organic waste into eco-friendly biomass for heating. Mentored by Scott Massing
Dayana Blanco, 25, Bolivia—Community Leader protecting the Uru Uru Lake using Indigenous knowledge, activism and science. Mentored by Sebastián Acampante.
Owen Chiou, 23, UK—Interactive artist exploring more-than-human relationships and Queerness. Mentored by Lucy McRae.
McKenna Dunbar, 23, USA—Training marginalized communities, including incarcerated individuals and students, in renewable energy skills. Mentored by Arancha Martinez.
EcoWave Team, 13, Bangladesh—Activists raising awareness about the pollution levels in Bangladesh’s waterways. Mentored by Diana Campbell.
Blossom Eromosele, 22, Nigeria—Architect designing solar-powered modular housing for refugees. Mentored by Katie Swenson.
Alinta Furnell, 24, Australia—Developing biomaterials that outperform petrochemical plastics. Mentored by Hella. Jongerius
Wawa Gatheru, 25, US—Advocating for Black girls, women, and gender-expansive people in the climate movement. Mentored by Mariam Issoufou.
Grace James, 23, Nigeria—Inspiring action on climate through immersive video and board games. Mentored by Liam Young.
Keebon Team, 22-24, Indonesia—Reusing waste corn cobs to create sustainable furniture and materials. Mentored by Formafantasma.
Lawrence Kosgei, 25, Kenya—Designer transforming marine plastic waste into affordable eco-friendly school desks. Mentored by Amy Luthman.
LixiLab Team, 23-24, Colombia—Biodesigner tackling heavy-metal water contamination using bacteria-based filtration for irrigation. Mentored by Rosario Hevia.
Filbert Minja, 23, Tanzania—Amplifying the voices of marginalized communities at the forefront of climate action, through a series of short films and documentaries. Mentored by Hunter Braithwaite.
Monitoring the River Team, 23, México—Engaging locals in monitoring Monterrey’s Santa Catarina River, driving evidence-based conservation. Mentored by Sean Connelly.
Fowota Mortoo, 23, US—Mapping the Spatial & Ecological Memory of Keta—Preserving the cultural heritage of Keta, Ghana, through maps shaped by local words. Mentored by Claudia Schmukli.
Francesca Norrington, 23, Greece—Advocates for recognizing the High Seas as an independent entity. Mentored by Justin McGuirk.
Amara Nwuneli, 17, Nigeria—Transforming a site in Lagos into a sustainable community hub.Mentored by Joseph Zeal-Henry.
Karinne Tennenbaum, 20, US—Promoting youth environmentalism through the magic of birdwatching. Mentored by Ellie Stathaki.
Jeremiah Thoronka, 24, Sierra Leone—Combating energy poverty with community-driven, sustainable solutions. Mentored by Germane Barnes.
Kenneth Uche, 24, Nigeria—Providing smokeless fuel to reduce health risks from cooking. Mentored by Suchi Reddy.
Balay Yatu Team, 22-24, Philippines—Youth-led creative space regenerating cultural and ecological knowledge. Mentored by Dong-Ping Wong.
Zoha Waqas, 22, Pakistan—Alleviating water collection burdens and empowering women. Mentored by Julia King.
Young Climate Prize Official Design Partner is MillerKnoll. For more information about the Young Climate Prize, please contact youngclimateprize [at] theworldaround.com.
