Isabella Cortés is a passionate conservationist, committed feminist, performer, and artist of indigenous ancestry born in Popayán, Cauca, Colombia. She is the Executive Director for Women for Conservation, a nonprofit that empowers women in rural communities around Key Biodiversity Areas. As an artist and musician, she uses her creative forces to advocate for endangered species protection, the rights of the LGBTQ community, rights of indigenous communities, reproductive rights, and the conservation of ecosystems. She has a BS in Wildlife and Fisheries Management and Conservation Ecology from West Virginia University and a MS in Natural Resource Conservation at the University of Kent in England. Isabella also has the great honor of being the namesake for a species of hummingbird, Eriocnemis isabellae listed on the IUCN Red List as Critically Endangered.

Chelangat Esther Labu is a law student at Makerere University, youth leader, and advocate for sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) and mental health. She serves as President of the Youth Advisory Committee at SRHR Alliance Uganda, where she champions meaningful youth participation in advocacy and decision-making. She is also a Peer Educator at Reach A Hand Uganda and a youth leader at CEHURD, advancing rights-based advocacy and amplifying young people’s voices in health and policy spaces.

Joel Ntina is a 26-year-old Kenyan, working as a Youth Program Officer at Dandelion Africa. In his role, he focuses on community development and child protection. He is passionate about empowering young people, promoting gender equality, and creating safe environments for children and adolescents. Through his work, Joel engages with schools, teachers, and community stakeholders to promote life skills, leadership development, and awareness of sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV).