Virgin Unite and One Young World join forces to support bold young leaders
Now a scholarship for young leaders from the Global South, The NewNow will support young change-makers that are taking innovative approaches to addressing the challenges facing communities at a systemic level.
Ten leaders, with exceptional track-records in the delivery of long-term transformation on global challenges, will be selected as they work to evolve the current structures we operate within - whether political, social or corporate.
“Many of the challenges we face today — from climate change to social inequality — are extremely complex. In 2018, Virgin Unite set up The NewNow, a collective of rising global leaders committed to tackling some of the toughest challenges for humanity and the planet.
“Together with One Young World and The NewNow, Virgin Unite is committed to empowering the next generation of young leaders as they begin their journey to create a brighter, more sustainable future,” said Richard Branson, Virgin Group founder.
The newly launched programme will continue to amplify leader voices as they take bold strides towards global transformation - challenging the status quo through collective action and strategic collaboration. With the support of The NewNow, participants will share knowledge, insights, and approaches to foster ‘systems-thinking’ among other leaders and initiatives.
“I am really excited by the energy and creativity of the young leaders in The NewNow programme. I hope they inspire more young people globally to come together in the pursuit of equality and justice for people and planet. With guidance from experienced leaders, we can all learn from each other and build a better future for ourselves and generations to come.
“I’m delighted to be a Founding Leader of The NewNow to encourage more young people, especially from the Global South, to think big and work together to tackle some of the greatest challenges we face. The One Young World Summit is the perfect forum to inspire this mindset and action,” said Roya Mahboob, CEO and founder of the Afghan Citadel Software Company and Founding Leader of The NewNow.
The chosen leaders will receive a place at the One Young World Summit in Munich, 2025 – spending time with 2,000+ of the brightest young leaders from every country and sector, working to accelerate social impact. Delegates will participate in three transformative days of speeches, panels, networking, mentorships and workshops with the world’s media in attendance.
“The One Young World Summit equips young leaders with the right platform and skills to drive important change in their efforts to create a better, more sustainable and inclusive world for everyone. We are excited to listen to and learn from the inspiring young leaders from this cohort at the One Young World Summit 2025,” said Ella Robertson Mckay, Managing Director at One Young World.
The young leaders selected for the programme will receive exclusive access to the Global Leadership Programme and will be granted membership to The NewNow Community, a peer-support group of previous NewNow leaders designed to build their confidence, skills, and influence as systems leaders.
Young leaders from the Global South tackling global issues with innovative solutions and a systems-thinking approach, can apply for The NewNow programme now. Applications for the programme will close early December,2024.