Asia 21 Young Leaders: Meet the Class of 2022

July 13, 2022 — Asia Society is delighted to announce that 40 young leaders from across the world will form the newest class of the Asia 21 Young Leaders Network, joining an unparalleled network of over 1,000 individuals in politics, business, arts, education, sustainability, and technology. 

The Class of 2022 features a diverse mix of leaders representing 26 different countries and includes journalists, human rights advocates, entrepreneurs, fiction writers, politicians, and more. Together, they will form an integral part of the Asia Society family as the newest cohort of its signature young leaders initiative, embody the organization’s mission to navigate shared futures, and actively contribute in taking the network to new heights. 

“Drawing on their personal expertise and leveraging the collective power of the Asia 21 network, the class of 2022 will actively contribute in shaping a more peaceful, prosperous, and secure future for all,” said Asia Society President and CEO Kevin Rudd. “We are delighted to play our part in connecting individuals who share common values and desire to make this world a better place.”

Members of the incoming class include Hajra Khan, captain of Pakistan’s national football team and founder of the Fortis Sports Academy; Fumino Sugiyama, restaurateur and LGBTQ activist and co-representative of Tokyo Rainbow Pride; Si Thura, executive director of Myanmar’s Community Partners International; Mandovi Menon, creative director, writer, and media entrepreneur from India; Sopheak Chak, executive director of the Cambodian Center for Human Rights; Alexandre Chenesseau, managing director at Evercore; Guo Dong, associate director of the Research Program on Sustainability and Management at Columbia University; and James Griffin, minister of the environment, New South Wales, Australia. You can access biographies of all 40 members of the Class of 2022 here.

After a two-year hiatus caused by the coronavirus pandemic, the annual Asia 21 Young Leaders Summit will resume this year with an in-person convening hosted by Asia Society Japan from December 2 to December 4, 2022. The conference, centered around the theme of “leading in a world of competing values,” will include panel discussions, lectures, and special events in Tokyo, and will feature members of the new class as well as Asia 21 alumni. They will share best practices in leadership and explore opportunities to work collaboratively across borders and sectors to create positive impact. The sessions will also address diversity, equity, and integration through art, education, policy, leadership opportunities, and entrepreneurship.

For more information about the Asia 21 Summit, please reach out to Matt Schiavenza at pr@asiasociety.org

About Asia 21

Established in 2006, the Asia Society Asia 21 Young Leaders Initiative is the Asia-Pacific’s foremost young leaders’ network of diverse change-makers under the age of 40, united by a shared commitment to making their communities and the world a better place. Created to promote mutual understanding and effective collaboration among the next generation of leaders, the Asia 21 network comprises nearly 1,000 influential individuals from a wide variety of professions including politics, business, arts, media, and the nonprofit sector, representing over 40 countries and regions. 

Asia 21 provides a catalytic platform where young leaders form lasting relationships and enrich each other’s endeavors through mutual learning, collaboration, and a shared commitment to values-based leadership and public service. The annual Asia 21 Young Leaders Summit brings together these dynamic young professionals to generate creative, multidisciplinary approaches to problem-solving. Through workshops, special Asia 21 “Action Labs,” and leadership masterclasses,  they develop imaginative ways to address Asia’s most pressing issues and innovative approaches to solving global challenges.

For more information, follow @Asia21Leaders on Twitter and Asia 21 Young Leaders on Facebook, or contact asia21@asiasociety.org.