Roots and Sparks

What happens when someone walks into a classroom in a small Brazilian town and asks the children sitting there: what is your dream? For Marcos Vinícios Botelho, that single question at age 10 opened a door that has never closed. Growing up in Santana do Deserto, Minas Gerais, his world formed a literal triangle between home, school, and church, until the organization Onda Solidaria arrived and added a fourth point: the cattle field that would become the Vila dos Sonhos, a green school and eco-social center built alongside the community. Marcos traces his journey from curious child to board director of the organization that shaped him, sharing why emotional connection and small practical steps are the most powerful way to engage in any cause, including the climate crisis he works to mitigate as an activist and climate educator. Marcos is proof that dreaming big and starting small are not in conflict.Learn more about Marcos and his work at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marcos-vin%C3%ADcios-botelho-b9922517b/ and https://www.instagram.com/marcosbotsi/ and about Onda Solidaria at https://www.ondasolidaria.org/ or https://www.instagram.com/ondasolidariaorg/

Chef, Storyteller, and supper club curator, Dhvani Doshi sees food as a “living archive” with “every shared meal as an invitation to remember, reconnect, and reimagine together.” Her pathway to professional kitchen spans countries, continents, and sectors, and the thread that weaves this journey is a commitment to overlooked voices and advocacy, with the “power of food to nourish connection, reclaim tradition, and foster care.” Dhvani’s story illuminates today’s revolution in food through flavor, presentation, and mentality.Follow Dhvani at https://www.instagram.com/tinygoesaroundtheworld/?hl=en.

Dr. Nojus Saad, physician, social entrepreneur, digital health advisor, and founder of Youth for Women Foundation, grew up in northern Iraq under the shadow of the 2003 U.S. invasion. At just 16, he founded an organization to drive gender equality and digital health inclusion, choosing activism and hope over despair.He talks about his journey into medicine, the power of digital technology, and how men can make a difference in the movement toward gender equality. His story is a testament to the power of resilience and determination toward dignity and human rights and the transformation of oppressive norms. Learn more about Dr. Nojus Saad and the Youth for Women Foundation: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nojus-saad/ and https://youthforwomen.org/.

What are some misperceptions about the youth population and unemployment in Africa? How about strategies to bridge the gap between the job market and the knowledge and skills of young people, especially in rural areas? How are the aspirations of young women shifting? Social entrepreneur, Pape Samb shares his journey from a 13-year-old founder in Senegal to a global leader in social innovation and youth employment with creative partnership solutions to open new opportunities for young people in Africa.Learn more about Pape Samb: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pape-samb-7b26277/ or to get involved with Creating Opportunities for Youth in Africa (COYA) contact Pape at [email protected].

What has changed in the lives of women in Bosnia and Herzegovina since the end of the Bosnian War nearly thirty years ago? How are young women and women in rural villages defining their role in civic life? What role must men play in changing gender norms? Seida Sarić, Director of Žene za Žene International, has accompanied thousands of women on the decades-long journey to recover from the devastating effects of war and chart a new course for their roles in the country. Learn more about Žene za Žene International: https://zenezazene.ba/

Artist and filmmaker, Dr. Abel Tilahun, provokes important questions as he documents the uncertain and complex shifts that humanity experiences. He weaves connections from his native Ethiopia through history to outer space as a Guggenheim Fellow at the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, DC. He reminds us that when we produce the things that excite us and are not satisfied to be only consumers, we also have the power to shape what happens in the world around us.

Human rights advocate and expert in sexuality education, Amé Atsu David, strives for all children to have information about sex so they can make informed choices. She believes that adults must break taboos around sex and truly listen to young people. In her work with grassroots organizations in West Africa with Global Fund for Children, and in her own community, she challenges adults to work on themselves first.  Learn more about Amé Atsu David at https://www.linkedin.com/in/am%C3%A9-atsu-david-634bb338/?originalSubdomain=lr

Dr. Rodrigo Barraza, anthropologist and Co-Director for the Americas at Global Fund for Children, facilitates brave learning spaces where men can explore what it means to be a man. Connecting with hundreds of men across diverse backgrounds, Rodrigo senses breakthroughs emerging, often led by young people, who are nurturing new concepts of masculinity with the power to foster gender norms rooted in care and connection.Learn more about Dr. Rodrigo Barraza at https://www.linkedin.com/in/rodrigo-alonso-barraza-garc%C3%ADa-39662488/

Frederic Adou, a young Ivorian, created Atikan, a social business to tell new stories about Africa. Fred knows that powerful stories shaped by Africans and not Westerners are needed to shift the continent from a "narrative of despair" to a "narrative of hope."Learn more about Frederic Adou at https://www.linkedin.com/in/frederic-adou-9338a9121/ and Atikan at https://www.linkedin.com/company/atikan/.