Umitzhan Nurkhojayeva
Kazakhstan, 17
She/Her
Project: SoilGuard
In the farming region where Umitzhan grew up, agriculture shaped everything — which made degrading soil, water scarcity, and pollution a threat to livelihoods and food security alike. She created SoilGuard, an AI-enabled soil system that helps farmers build long-term climate resilience. By combining controlled irrigation, water filtration, and AI-based monitoring, SoilGuard prevents soil contamination and cuts water use by 30%, supporting healthier, more productive farmland. It is already deployed across 50+ hectares, benefiting 50,000+ community members who depend on agriculture, and Umitzhan is adapting the technology for different climates to expand it across Central Asia. Leading a multidisciplinary team of 30 specialists, she works with farming communities, research institutions, and environmental organizations to make the system easier to scale — protecting the land these communities rely on while strengthening food systems for what comes next.