Voice Gems

Alfred Grand is an organic farmer and entrepreneur that transitioned his family’s 90-hectare conventional farm in Austria to a diversified organic production system. His vision is to show that it is possible to leave the earth better than it was before, by adapting well-known regenerative and nature-positive systems to different climates and contexts.

In 2019, he was selected to be a member of the Mission Board for Soil Health and Food for Horizon Europe, and is an ambassador for the European Innovation Partnership for agriculture.

Mikaela Jade is a Cabrogal woman of the Dharug-speaking nation of Sydney. Her company, Indigital, founded in 2014, is Australia’s first Indigenous tech company. Indigital is built on a belief that together we can use digital technologies to express 80’000 years of human knowledge while engaging our people in education that leads to skills, jobs, and wealth creation to build a stronger future for all.

Indigital Schools, the company’s flagship program, is an elder-led, curriculum-integrated exploration of cultural expressions, heritage and knowledge through augmented and mixed reality production. It exists to preserve, access and share traditional knowledge, language and law.

Mikaela and her company have achieved several honours. In 2019 Mikaela addressed the UN in New York to demonstrate the impact of new technologies in Indigenous communities, she is a World Economic Forum Global Futures Council Member, UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues delegate, and an Indigenous Entrepreneur in Residence at the University of Wollongong.

Mikaela joined Microsoft Australia's Reconciliation Action Plan Advisory Board in 2018 and, in addition to completing a Master of Applied Cybernetics (with Commendation) at the Australian National University’s School of Cybernetics, was included in The Australian’s 100 Top Innovators List. Mikaela is a Schwab Foundation Social Entrepreneur awardee.

Alejandro Daly majored in Government and International Relations in Colombia. He is the Director of El Derecho a No Obedecer, a platform that proposes, develops and accompanies citizen advocacy processes to achieve greater impact in Colombia.

Currently, he is working to promote the integration of Venezuelan migrants and refugees in Latin America, impacting more than 115’000 people through artistic and cultural manifestations, public conversations and social media. In addition, he is co-founder of the Xenophobia Barometer, the first platform in Latin America to analyze the narratives around migrants and refugees in social media with the objective of positively transforming them. Alejandro was awarded first place for the Youth Leadership and Innovation Award at the 2021 Global Forum on Migration and Development.

He is a UNICEF Consultant working on issues such as air pollution and youth participation in Latin America, and co-authored the toolkit ‘Air Pollution: It’s time to act’. He is also a founding member of the National Citizen Network for Clean Air in Colombia, which organizes debates and demonstrations bringing together activists, local governments, citizens and academics to share their worries, knowledge and proposals to improve air quality in their cities.

Alejandro is a World Economic Forum Global Shaper from the Bogota Hub and strongly believes that having the opportunity to feel at home everywhere is a human right.

Composer Huang Ruo has been lauded by The New York Times for having “a distinctive style.” His vibrant and inventive musical voice draws equal inspiration from Chinese ancient and folk music, Western avant-garde, experimental, noise, natural and processed sound, rock and jazz to create a seamless, organic integration using a unique compositional technique he calls “Dimensionalism.”

His diverse compositional works span from orchestra, chamber music, opera, theatre and dance, to cross-genre sound installation, architectural installation, multi-media, experimental improvisation, folk rock, and film. His music has been premiered and performed by world renowned orchestras and philharmonics.

An American Soldier (with libretto by David Henry Hwang) was named one of the best classical music events of 2018 by The New York Times and had its world premiere at the Opera Theatre of St. Louis in June of that year. His upcoming opera M. Butterfly will have its world premiere with the Santa Fe Opera and other upcoming operas will be premiered and presented by the Washington National Opera, Royal Danish Opera, Prototype Festival and the Hong Kong New Vision Festival.

Born in 1976 in Hainan Island, China, he began learning composition and piano at six years old with his father, who is also a composer. As the Chinese Cultural Revolution ended and China was opening its gate to the Western world, Huang Ruo was able to absorb newly allowed Western influences. In 1995, after winning the Henry Mancini Award at the International Film and Music Festival in Switzerland, he moved to the United States.

Huang Ruo has a Bachelor of Music degree from the Oberlin Conservatory of Music, a Master of Music and a Doctor of Musical Arts degrees in composition from the Juilliard School. He is a composition faculty member at the Mannes School of Music in New York and is the artistic director and conductor of the Ensemble FIRE. In 2006, he was selected as a Young Leader Fellow by the National Committee on United States–China Relations.

Rupi Kaur is a poet, artist, and performer.

As a 21-year-old university student Rupi wrote, illustrated and self-published her first poetry collection, ‘Milk and honey’. Next came its artistic sibling, ‘The Sun and Her Flowers’. These collections have sold over 10 million copies and have been translated into over 42 languages. Her most recent book, ‘Home Body’, debuted #1 on bestsellers lists across the world. In 2021, Rupi executive produced and starred in her debut film, Rupi Kaur Live, which is currently streaming on Amazon Prime Video.  

Rupi's work touches on love, loss, trauma, healing, femininity, and migration. She feels most at home when creating art or performing her poetry on stage.

Makhtoum Abdalla, 18 year old student from Nyala, South Darfur, Sudan.  

He is Unicef Sudan Youth Advocate and a TED speaker. Makhtoum lives in Otash, a camp for internally displaced people. He is passionate about equal access to quality education for all children and young people. Whilst growing up in the camp, he continues to raise awareness on education, child rights, improvement in health services, and the importance of investing in young people. He taught himself English, Turkish and is currently learning French.  

His dream is to become a doctor to not only heal people, but to ensure the healthcare system advances and is equitable.

Creative innovator, Futurist, musician and technology investor.  

Member of the World Economic Forum Fourth Industrial Revolution Advisory Committee and Global Artificial Intelligence Action Alliance (GAIAA). Chairs GAIAA’s Smart Toy Awards that recognizes excellence in ethical AI-powered toys. Honorary Fellow, Institutions of Engineering and Technology. Recipient of TIME 100 Impact Award; seven Grammy Awards; Emmy; CLIO; and World Economic Forum Crystal Awardee(2016).  

As an advocate for STEAM education, started i.am/Angel Foundation, which uses project-based learning modules to deliver STEAM education for at-risk youth via dedicated STEAM Academy preparatory schools, after-school tutoring, robotics clubs and enrichment activities within the US. At-risk students participate in advanced coursework including robotics, coding, app development and geographic information system mapping. In 2021 the i.am/Angel Foundation teamed with the Los Angeles Unified School District, America's second-largest state-run public school system, to offer robotics clubs as an official after-school activity, with the capacity to serve 12’000 students.  

Interests: promoting the health and planetary benefits of a plant-based (Vegan) diet; alternative energy-powered cars.

Ahmad Joudeh is a dancer and a choreographer. He was born in Damascus in 1990 as a stateless refugee and was raised in Yarmouk camp, a settlement established by Palestinian refugees. Ever since childhood, Ahmad’s dream was to be a dancer. Despite opposition from members of his family and community, Ahmad attended dance lessons, often in secret.  

Ahmad was trained at the Syria branch of Enana Dance Theatre from 2006 to 2015 and studied at the Higher Institute for Dramatic Arts in Damascus. In his free time, he taught dancing to young people with Down’s Syndrome, as well as orphaned children from the civil war at the SOS villages around Damascus.  

During the conflict, Ahmad faced life-threatening situations. He lost five of his family members and his home. As a declaration of his determination to keep on dancing, Ahmad had the words “Dance or Die” tattooed on the back of his neck.  

In August 2016, Ahmad’s struggle in Syria was reported in a news program on Dutch National Television. Touched by the story, The Dutch National Ballet organised The Dance For Peace Fund, which invited him to The Netherlands. A few months later, he moved to Amsterdam and in 2021 obtained the Dutch nationality.  

Since 2017, he has been internationally active as a freelance artist and has contributed to many events raising awareness for refugees. A 2018 documentary about his life entitled ‘Dance or Die’, won an International Emmy Award. The same year, Ahmad performed at UNHCR’s Nansen Refugee Award ceremony. He also performed at the 2021 Eurovision Song Contest in Rotterdam and released a memoir about his life, ‘Dance or Die’.

Sinéad Burke is an educator, writer, and Founder of consultancy company Tilting the Lens, continually asking “is this accessible?”. She sparks conversations in every room to bring visibility to inaccessibility, and partners with clients and stakeholders to build collaborative solutions that have impact today, tomorrow, and forever.  

Through education, advocacy, and a design approach, Tilting the Lens aims to build a more equitable world by creating accessible practices, products, and places. Sinéad has been hosting conversations with leaders for over a decade, first through her blog, then through the ‘As Me with Sinéad’ podcast which has included conversations with activists and thinkers such as Samantha Power, DeRay McKesson, Lonnie Bunch III, Riz Ahmed, and Glenda Jackson.  

She is the author of ‘Break the Mould’, a book that encourages children to find their place in the world. The book is a number one bestseller and was awarded the Irish Children’s Book of the Year (Senior) Award.

Sinéad is the first little person to appear on the cover of Vogue, featured in British Vogue’s ‘Forces for Change’ issue; guest-edited by Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex. She is a member of the President of Ireland, Michael D Higgins’, Council of State, and a member of Gucci's Global Equity Board.  

She is responsible for the introduction of the term “duine beag” (little person) into the Irish language dictionary.