EKIN AKMAN
TÜRKIYE, 18
She/Her
Project: The Youth Business Compact
As a teen changemaker, Ekin saw the power of youth participation to drive change. In 2023, she became UNICEF's youngest Business Advisory Board member, representing 13 million Turkish youth. Collaborating with global organizations revealed the vital need for diverse advisory. To advance youth representation, she also became Türkiye's UNDP Youth Delegate and head of UNICEF's Youth Leadership Council. Leveraging her leadership roles, Ekin founded The Youth Business Compact — the world's first partnership including youth in the private sector’s creation of sustainable business models. Dogan Holding became the first signatory, where Ekin also established a Youth Advisory Board, embedding climate perspectives into one of Türkiye’s largest conglomerates. Her advisory to companies like Dell and Microsoft has secured green skills training and climate action partnerships benefitting 85+ million people. Ekin plans to globalize The Compact, forging partnerships to make the private sector more sustainable, inclusive, and youth-driven.
Check out Ekin’s work here: LinkedIn