James Gunselman is the Associate Director of PV Intelligence, Strategy, and Engagement at Bristol Myers Squibb (BMS), a global biopharmaceutical company dedicated to discovering, developing, and delivering innovative medicines that help patients overcome serious diseases. His team created an employee burnout research project during the COVID-19 pandemic that resulted in the recommendation to have quarterly Days of Rest for the entire company. Working closely with the HR department, they identified clear evidence of burnout and took action to support their colleagues.

A member of the inaugural class of the United Nations Innovation Accelerator for Young Professionals, James helped develop a Mental Health Resources Framework that companies could integrate into their staff benefits. Through his involvement with both One Young World and the Innovation Accelerator, he was able to change some of the regional BMS sick leave policies to include mental health accommodations. Additionally, he founded the Mental Health Ally programme – a support network of colleagues trained in mental health first aid – alongside the BMS wellbeing lead. Mental Health Ally also provides training on the BMS Employee Assistance Program and the importance of mental well-being.

Trang Chu Minh is a running guide for people with disabilities (PwDs) and serves on the management committee of Runninghour, Singapore’s largest inclusive sports cooperative. She oversees external partnerships, fundraising, and new training programmes to expand access to opportunities that support the physical and mental well-being of PwDs. Around 3% of Singapore’s population has a disability and one in 150 children is diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. While disability sports organisations provide vital pathways for PwDs, their strict, often performance-based criteria exclude those who do not meet such benchmarks or fall outside existing parasports classifications.

Runninghour bridges this gap by making sports accessible to all abilities and needs. What began as an informal running group of 10 grew into a community of over 780 PwDs, caregivers, and volunteers. The cooperative organises weekly running, yoga, and fitness sessions, monthly hikes, and inclusive activities such as bowling, climbing, and Zumba. In 2024, Runninghour engaged over 10,000 people across more than 200 activities, while its flagship event, Run For Inclusion, remains one of Singapore’s largest inclusive races, with over 1,800 participants.

Recognising that many refugees and migrants in Switzerland face challenges even after their official integration period ends, Mirujaa Santhirasegaram founded Hand 4 Hand to provide support that truly meets the needs of refugees and migrants. The organisation encourages communities to get involved with societal integration and works closely with existing initiatives to ensure help reaches those who need it most. For Mirujaa, real inclusion is a shared responsibility. It is not just about offering opportunities at the start but ensuring ongoing access to the right resources. She believes no one should be left behind simply because they lacked information or didn’t know where to turn.

In just over a year, the organisation has helped 57 people gain independence and connected more than 150 individuals with valuable resources to help them reach their full potential. The Hand 4 Hand website also reaches 80 people every day, providing them with the information they need to navigate life with confidence.

Marcela Lessa is the Higher Education, Alumni, Strategic Partnerships, and Employability Manager at Ismart. Ismart is a non-profit organisation that identifies talented, low-income youth, providing them with scholarships to attend top private schools and offering comprehensive support, including wellbeing services, key skills development, professional guidance, and university application assistance. A key factor in Ismart’s success has been the influence of its stakeholders, who encourage a business-oriented approach that focuses on the organisation’s strength in identifying and developing raw talent.

Since its in-person programme began in 1999, more than 9,000 students have benefited from Ismart’s initiatives, with 99% of students in the in-person programmes passing their university entrance exams and 89% gaining admission to top universities. Additionally, 85% of students in Ismart’s online programmes passed their university entrance exams, and 72% went on to pursue courses at prestigious universities. Ismart alumni also serve as living proof of the lasting impact of the programme. Of the 652 alumni surveyed, nearly all were employed, with 64% earning above-average wages in their respective fields. This success has taught Marcela the importance of applying rigorous planning and data-driven evaluation to achieve meaningful and sustainable outcomes.

Rosemary Dionicio Vásquez is the Founder of JovenGO, an organisation that supports young people who are isolated from opportunities, providing them with information on education, human rights, leadership, democracy, and entrepreneurship. The organisation has also implemented projects supporting artisans in Latin American communities, giving them essential tools and resources. Their work has been recognised by national and international institutions, and they have built strategic alliances with government agencies, businesses, and nonprofit organisations that share their vision of empowered and proactive youth.

Since 2021, JovenGO has focused on Indigenous language courses such as Q'eqchi', Sakapulteko, K'iche', and Kakchiquel, enrolling 4,000 people. Their projects serve Indigenous, Xinca, Afro-descendant, and Ladino-mestizo peoples across 22 departments, offering scholarships and English courses through initiatives like EduGrowing and EduWoman Guatemala. They also promote inclusion by teaching sign language, with 100 scholarship recipients currently learning a third language. JovenGO has positively impacted nearly 12,000 young people in Guatemala and other Latin American countries.

As Quality, Health, Safety, Security, and Environment (QHSSE) Supervisor, Shannon Fernandes has contributed to various independent and corporate sustainability initiatives supporting the LEAP 28 strategy. He has supported Eyes for Africa, which provides cataract surgeries to remote Ethiopian communities, and participated in the Give a Ghaf Tree Planting Programme, promoting environmental awareness in the UAE. At Bureau Veritas Dubai, he conducted technical product safety conformity reviews, ensuring compliance with international standards in East Africa and the Middle East. He also directed the International Women’s Day 2024 video in collaboration with fellow Trust Makers from the Government Services Department, which won top recognition in the Middle East for the theme ‘Inspiring Inclusion.’

Shannon has also had the ability to partake in community service projects. He took part in the Bookings 2030 Programme by Dubai Cares, sharing stories of underprivileged children, and earned the Duke of Edinburgh Award – Bronze for volunteering at labour camps and beach clean-ups. He has supported initiatives such as the Beat Diabetes Walk, desert clean-ups, and seedling plantation drives, volunteering to support musical plays at the Special Needs Future Development Centre, while also contributing to the governance ESG pillar for compliance screening processes aligned with international ethical standards.

Elizabeth Gamarra is the founder of The DNA of Your Story: Scholarship Bootcamps, a project that uses free bootcamps to help students obtain scholarships by teaching them to tell their life stories through the principles of cognitive neuroscience. As a result, students not only experience greater success in competitive application cycles, but also gain an understanding of how the brain processes information, emotions, and memory.

So far, Elizabeth has run 33 bootcamps, serving over 1,700 students and young professionals. In addition to storytelling support, her bootcamps offer guidance on managing timelines and scheduling to ensure that no opportunity is missed. The bootcamp’s bilingual platform further connects students to a larger scholarship ecosystem, offering resources in English, Spanish, and Japanese. Finally, the project fosters a culture of giving back, where past participants become coaches, passing on their knowledge and experiences to help others succeed.