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

Thank you to all of the sponsors of our 2025 Be the Inspiration Gala, presented by Warner Bros. Discovery, taking place Saturday, March 15, 2025 at Zoo Atlanta. We cannot wait to celebrate our Georgia Youth Leadership Awardees tomorrow and raise support for our leadership development and career readiness programs at the gala! Learn more at https://lnkd.in/eYbzQNew.

Thank you to our legacy partner Warner Bros. Discovery, the presenting sponsor of our 2025 Be the Inspiration Gala! Learn from Sydney Langdon on why Warner Bros. Discovery remains committed to investing in the next generation of leaders! Our sold-out gala takes place tomorrow at Zoo Atlanta's Savanna Hall, where we'll raise support for our year-round leadership development programs for Georgia's high school students and honor 21 of them with our Georgia Youth Leadership Awards. On top of this recognition, one awardee will also receive the Warner Bros. Discovery Student Leadership Award and $1,000 grant. Thank you for your support in inspiring youth to lead! Learn more about our gala and programs at https://lnkd.in/eYbzQNew. #betheinspirationgala #legacypartner #21stcenturyleaders #youthleadership

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 Ronak Vyas from Alpharetta High School, Class of 2025! Through multiple leadership roles at the state and local levels, Ronak’s service impacts over 315,000 youth across Georgia: initiating a school-wide recycling program, empowering 500 volunteers for grassroot civic engagement, advocating for aerospace education programs, shaping CTAE curriculum from a youth perspective, and mentoring 50 Tae Kwon Do students weekly. Ronak is a 21CL Youth Ambassador. Awardees are also paired with a business or community leader who serves as their coach and mentor: Ronak’s GYLA Coach is Tania Garcia, Senior Marketing Executive (21CL Board). Ronak’s leadership demonstrates being Service-Oriented, one of 21CL’s five leadership values. Congratulations, Ronak! 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 Sauyer Stewart from Arabia Mountain High School, Class of 2025! Sauyer volunteered over 2,000 hours to create opportunities for youth to serve and expand their horizons: led 9 service projects and 6 community events as founder and president of her school’s 21CLub, reached 500 listeners through her take-action podcast “The Quaranteen Club’” and introduced 24 underrepresented teens and volunteers to snowsports through her project “Seeking snow, smashing barriers.” Sauyer is a 21CL Youth Ambassador. Awardees are also paired with a business or community leader who serves as their coach and mentor: Sauyer’s GYLA Coach is Maranie Brown, MBT, FACHDM, BlackRock (21CL Board). Sauyer’s leadership demonstrates being Service-Oriented, one of 21CL’s five leadership values. Congratulations, Sauyer! 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 Yasmin Rios from Swainsboro High School, Class of 2026! As a bilingual leader, Yasmin volunteers her time to guide Hispanic students and their families through the application process for scholarships, equipping them with information and resources. She advocates for those in her community by sharing information about scholarships and programs, such as the Smile For A Lifetime Foundation whose scholarship she herself received, helping them to access opportunities that can help them thrive and further their education. Yasmin is a 21CL Youth Ambassador. Awardees are also paired with a business or community leader who serves as their coach and mentor: Yasmin’s GYLA Coach is Dr. Brandon Morgan, ICONIC ORTHODONTICS (21CL Alumnus). Yasmin’s leadership demonstrates being Service-Oriented, one of 21CL’s five leadership values. Congratulations, Yasmin! 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 MICAH NEWTON from Pickens County High School (Pickens County School District of Georgia), Class of 2026! Micah founded The Least of These, an initiative that brings together resources for the unhoused in his community. With the help of 40 volunteers and $1,750 in donations and funding, he spent over 300 hours and worked with four other organizations and programs to distribute 200 QR code tags to unhoused individuals through libraries, feeding centers, and local drug courts in collaboration with a Superior Court judge. Awardees are also paired with a business or community leader who serves as their coach and mentor: Micah’s GYLA Coach is Naceo Denney, Georgia Power Company. Micah’s leadership demonstrates being Service-Oriented, one of 21CL’s five leadership values. Congratulations, Micah! 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 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