21st Century Leaders, Inc.

BIG NEWS! We are thrilled to announce that Georgia's high school students can earn a Leadership Certificate from Emory University - Goizueta Business School through our online learning platform, Leadership Connect (LC). Leveraging nearly 20 years of partnership with the business school, our new capstone level of curriculum in LC enables students to learn about social enterprise and entrepreneurship, work in cohorts led by Goizueta Business School's MBA students and grads, and develop and pitch a business plan. Completion of the capstone in Leadership Connect earns students the Leadership Certificate from GBS. This is the only program through which high school students can obtain this certificate. Special thanks to Emory University - Goizueta Business School, Dean Gareth James, our Executive Director, Kate Hewitt, and 21CL Board Members Brian Goebel and Alina Mencias for championing this first-of-its-kind opportunity for students. Read the full announcement here: https://lnkd.in/eKHuV9nF

Meet our 2025 Georgia Youth Leadership Award Winners! Join us in celebrating our 21 inspiring students being recognized for their leadership and impact at our Be the Inspiration Gala, presented by Warner Bros. Discovery, on March 15th at Zoo Atlanta. Congratulations to Sheona Diwakar from Campbell High School (Cobb County School District), Class of 2025! Sheona founded Soaring Doves in 2020 to address period poverty as a local and global issue. She has distributed over 13,000 menstrual products and placed 20 menstrual product stations around her school. Her organization, a recipient of Raksha’s Seeds of Change Award, hosts international menstrual product drives, workshops on safe sexual health practices, and advocacy campaigns to break the stigmas surrounding menstruation. Awardees are also paired with a business or community leader who serves as their coach and mentor: Sheona’s GYLA Coach is Poojan Karnik, MHA, WellStar Kennestone Hospital Regional Medical Center. Sheona’s leadership demonstrates being Service-Oriented, one of 21CL’s five leadership values. Congratulations, Sheona! Learn more about our sold-out gala at https://lnkd.in/eYbzQNew. #georgiayouthleadershipawards #betheinspirationgala #21stcenturyleaders

Meet our 2025 Georgia Youth Leadership Award Winners! Join us in celebrating our 21 inspiring students being recognized for their leadership and impact at our Be the Inspiration Gala, presented by Warner Bros. Discovery, on March 15th at Zoo Atlanta. Congratulations to Ethan Barlay from Rockdale Magnet School for Science and Technology, Class of 2025! As an inaugural member of Youth LEAD Georgia, Ethan applied for and received a grant to provide Thanksgiving meals for over 100 families in collaboration with the Rockdale Emergency Relief Center, National Council of Negro Women, NAACP, and local churches, while involving over 25 volunteers. Awardees are also paired with a business or community leader who serves as their coach and mentor: Ethan’s GYLA Coach is David Felfoldi, SHERPA Global. Ethan’s leadership demonstrates being Service-Oriented, one of 21CL’s five leadership values. Congratulations, Ethan! Learn more about our sold-out gala at https://lnkd.in/eYbzQNew. #georgiayouthleadershipawards #betheinspirationgala #21stcenturyleaders

Meet our 2025 Georgia Youth Leadership Award Winners! Join us in celebrating our 21 inspiring students being recognized for their leadership and impact at our Be the Inspiration Gala, presented by Warner Bros. Discovery, on March 15th at Zoo Atlanta. Congratulations to Pranav Yellapragada from Chattahoochee High School, Class of 2026! Pranav founded Soil for Souls, an environmental initiative to revitalize urban green spaces and improve biodiversity. He has raised over $23,000 and engaged over 300 volunteers to plant more than 1,000 trees, shrubs, and flowers across 15+ community parks and public areas, with a goal to plant 10,000 trees by 2026. By combining AI technology and drones with human capital, he has increased efficiency by 30% by analyzing soil, supporting strategic plant selection and optimizing resource allocation. Awardees are also paired with a business or community leader who serves as their coach and mentor: Pranav’s GYLA Coach is Chandra Farley, City of Atlanta Mayor's Office of Sustainability & Resilience. Pranav’s leadership demonstrates Forward Thinking, one of 21CL’s five leadership values. Congratulations, Pranav! Learn more about our sold-out gala at https://lnkd.in/eYbzQNew. #georgiayouthleadershipawards #betheinspirationgala #21stcenturyleaders

Meet our 2025 Georgia Youth Leadership Award Winners! Join us in celebrating our 21 inspiring students being recognized for their leadership and impact at our Be the Inspiration Gala, presented by Warner Bros. Discovery, on March 15th at Zoo Atlanta. Congratulations to Michelle Wang from Fulton Science Academy Private School, Class of 2025! To bridge the tech gender gap, Michelle co-organized two all-girls hackathons with Hack Club, investing over 180 hours of planning with an 8-member volunteer team. By partnering with Girl Scout for Atlanta's event (Blossom) and with SpaceX for her event in Los Angeles (Ascend), she secured over $62,000 in funding that enabled over 70 female girls and teens from across the world to attend and build over 50 projects. Michelle is a 21CL Youth Ambassador. Awardees are also paired with a business or community leader who serves as their coach and mentor: Michelle’s GYLA Coach is Assi Van Bastelaar, MBA, Spotfire. Michelle’s leadership demonstrates Forward Thinking, one of 21CL’s five leadership values. Congratulations, Michelle! Learn more about our sold-out gala at https://lnkd.in/eYbzQNew. #georgiayouthleadershipawards #betheinspirationgala #21stcenturyleaders

Meet our 2025 Georgia Youth Leadership Award Winners! Join us in celebrating our 21 inspiring students being recognized for their leadership and impact at our Be the Inspiration Gala, presented by Warner Bros. Discovery, on March 15th at Zoo Atlanta. Congratulations to Wendell Rogers from Dunwoody High School, Class of 2025! Wendell founded Paws & Wicks to raise awareness about fragrances and scents that are harmful to animals. Through an informational website and selling over 100 of his pet-friendly scented candles, he has reached over 1,000 individuals and raised over $1,250. As a financial literacy coach with Step Banking, he created and posted weekly content that reached over 20,000 teenagers with financial education. Awardees are also paired with a business or community leader who serves as their coach and mentor: Wendell’s GYLA Coach is Taunia Nkromo-Stevenson, Warner Bros. Discovery (CNN). Wendell’s leadership demonstrates Forward Thinking, one of 21CL’s five leadership values. Congratulations, Wendell! Learn more about our sold-out gala at https://lnkd.in/eYbzQNew. #georgiayouthleadershipawards #betheinspirationgala #21stcenturyleaders

Meet our 2025 Georgia Youth Leadership Award Winners! Join us in celebrating our 21 inspiring students being recognized for their leadership and impact at our Be the Inspiration Gala, presented by Warner Bros. Discovery, on March 15th at Zoo Atlanta. Congratulations to Ashley Nelson from Chamblee High School, Class of 2026! Ashley founded Hulk Hands Lacrosse, a nonprofit creating protective shields for lacrosse goalies to reduce their risk of injury. She has donated over 30 of her 3D-printed thermoplastic hand shields to goalies across Georgia, with a goal of donating 150 this year. To expand access to this safety gear, her shields are available to order online at no cost. Awardees are also paired with a business or community leader who serves as their coach and mentor: Ashley’s GYLA Coach is Martin Fleischmann, The Masters Team (former 21CL Board). Ashley’s leadership demonstrates Forward Thinking, one of 21CL’s five leadership values. Congratulations, Ashley! Learn more about our sold-out gala at https://lnkd.in/eYbzQNew. #georgiayouthleadershipawards #betheinspirationgala #21stcenturyleaders

Meet our 2025 Georgia Youth Leadership Award Winners! Join us in celebrating our 21 inspiring students being recognized for their leadership and impact at our Be the Inspiration Gala, presented by Warner Bros. Discovery, on March 15th at Zoo Atlanta. Congratulations to Moatapari Agbere from Chattahoochee County High School, Class of 2025! Moatapari founded The Schools Project in 2023 to increase educational accessibility in Ghana, Africa by recording lessons that fill in the gaps in education. She spent over 1,000 hours creating content, reaching over 200 students through her virtual classroom. With over 5,000 viewers, her videos give students confidence to learn and succeed. In addition, she founded Rural Youth in STEM and Youth for Cancer, two other initiatives that give students access to knowledge and educational opportunities. Awardees are also paired with a business or community leader who serves as their coach and mentor: Moatapari’s GYLA Coach is Lanita Lucas, Aflac. Moatapari’s leadership demonstrates Forward Thinking, one of 21CL’s five leadership values. Congratulations, Moatapari! Learn more about our sold-out gala at https://lnkd.in/eYbzQNew. #georgiayouthleadershipawards #betheinspirationgala #21stcenturyleaders

Meet our 2025 Georgia Youth Leadership Award Winners! Join us in celebrating our 21 inspiring students being recognized for their leadership and impact at our Be the Inspiration Gala, presented by Warner Bros. Discovery, on March 15th at Zoo Atlanta. Congratulations to JACE WILLIAMS from Westlake High School (Fulton County Schools), Class of 2026! Jace is the owner of a beverage business, Maji Ya Liamu, that sells fresh, natural lemonade. This year alone she has sold over 400 cups of lemonade, giving 60% of her proceeds to support local organizations and clubs at her school. She has developed her business since 8th grade and is now a preferred vendor for events hosted by The Cities of South Fulton, East Point and Union City. Awardees are also paired with a business or community leader who serves as their coach and mentor: Jace’s GYLA Coach is Brian Goebel, Emory University - Goizueta Business School - Goizueta’s Business & Society Institute (21CL Board of Directors). Jace’s leadership demonstrates being Resourceful, one of 21CL’s five leadership values. Congratulations, Jace! Learn more about our sold-out gala at https://lnkd.in/eYbzQNew. #georgiayouthleadershipawards #betheinspirationgala #21stcenturyleaders

Meet our 2025 Georgia Youth Leadership Award Winners! Join us in celebrating our 21 inspiring students being recognized for their leadership and impact at our Be the Inspiration Gala, presented by Warner Bros. Discovery, on March 15th at Zoo Atlanta. Congratulations to CA'LEIA NELSON from Milton High School, Class of 2025!   Ca’Leia founded Mini Minds Matter in 2021 to advocate for teen mental health, using $26,000 in proceeds from her online retail store Ca’Leia’s Closet to set it up. Her organization and its volunteers have spent 600 hours hosting monthly support groups, connecting mental health resources from the community, and empowering teens with tools for self-advocacy. Awardees are also paired with a business or community leader who serves as their coach and mentor: Ca’Leia’s GYLA Coach is DJ Lewis, Technology Consulting Executive. Ca’Leia’s leadership demonstrates being Resourceful, one of 21CL’s five leadership values. Congratulations, Ca’Leia! Learn more about our sold-out gala at https://lnkd.in/eYbzQNew. #georgiayouthleadershipawards #betheinspirationgala #21stcenturyleaders