Frank Mugisha, keynote speaker

Frank Mugisha is a prominent advocate for the rights of LGBT persons, a respected champion of Human Rights, and an anti-violence advocate.

He founded Icebreakers Uganda, an organization created as a support network for LGBTI Ugandans who are out, or in the process of coming out. He is also the Executive Director of Sexual Minorities Uganda (SMUG), the largest and leading organization of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and intersex (LGBTI) movement Uganda. 

Mugisha’s work has been recognized worldwide, including by former United Nation’s Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and former United States Secretaries of State Hillary Clinton and John Kerry, and was awarded the United Nations Human Rights Defenders Recognition in 2010, as well as the prestigious Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Award, the Rafto Prize, and the Cinema for Peace Human Rights Award. In 2014 he was nominated for the Noble Peace Prize. 

Frank Mugisha bravely continues to work for the security, equality, and dignity of Uganda’s LGBTI community, despite threats to his life. He has given motivational lectures and talks around the world and he has met and influenced world leaders, celebrities, and influential persons to fight anti-gay legislation in his country. 

pronouns: he, him, his

Corinna E. Lathan, Power Dialogue Speaker, “How to be an Ally”

Dr. Lathan is the Founder and CEO of AnthroTronix, Inc., a biomedical engineering research and development company and leader in digital healthcare technology. Her work on technology for children with disabilities has been featured in Forbes, Time, and the New Yorker magazines as well as led to such distinctions as Maryland's "Top Innovator of the Year," and one of MIT Technology Review Magazine's "Top 100 World Innovators.” She has also been named a Technology Pioneer, a Young Global Leader, and Co-Chair, Global Futures Council on Human Enhancement by the World Economic Forum. Dr. Lathan received her S.M. in Aeronautics and Astronautics and a Ph.D. in Neuroscience from MIT.

Young Global Leader | pronouns: her/hers

DAVE HANLEY, Power Dialogue Speaker, “How to be an Ally”

Dave is the founder and CEO of Tomorrow, a financial services app that aims to bring economic security to millions by empowering anyone to make a plan, receive free estate planning, and receive recommendations for financial products. Previously, Dave founded Banyan Branch (acquired by Deloitte, 2013), a leading social media marketing agency that propelled blue-chip companies into the new world of engaging customers on social platforms. Dave’s love of music and technology positioned him to lead product development for the Rhapsody Music Service, where he helped bring the service natively to the web, then to a multitude of social sites. Dave along with Rhapsody colleagues built a social network for readers called Shelfari. Shelfari grew rapidly through solely social and viral marketing—reaching millions of members within 18 months—and was acquired by Amazon.com. Dave’s entrepreneurial efforts in microcredit banking include founding and editing the first academic journal and the largest conference on the subject, advising education microloan innovator Vittana, and authoring Grameen Reference while a Fulbright scholar with Muhammad Yunus at Grameen Bank.

Young Global Leader | pronouns: he, him, his

NERISSA NAIDU, Power Dialogue Speaker, “Navigating your corporate space as a minority”

In her corporate career, Nerissa Naidu has filled numerous senior executive positions to perform post-crisis turnarounds, lead the country or regional businesses, and orchestrate multinational strategic change. Most recently, Nerissa was the Global Head of Strategy at AIG and Executive Board Member, Audit Chair for four of its subsidiaries in Asia and the USA. In this capacity, she was a member of the extended leadership team (ELT), the 200 most senior executives of AIG. Nerissa is an independent board member and strategic advisor to - Fairhire, a firm engaged in promoting diversity by using behavioral science in recruitment - Fenech, a fintech developing intelligent cash management in a digital cash Ledger - Portabl.co, a SaaS eco-system that provides portable insurance, benefits, and savings products for the global freelance economy. In 2019, Nerissa was selected as a Young Global Leader at the World Economic Forum and subsequently, featured in the Financial Times as a leader. As a native South African who grew up during Apartheid, Nerissa has been a proponent of equality and strives to break the mold of stereotypes in gender, race, and professional norms. She is a global mentor, coach to underprivileged scholars, and an executive sponsor in diversity groups for women, minorities, and young professionals.

Young Global Leader | pronouns: she, her, hers

Alberto de Belaunde, Power Dialogue Speaker, “The power of visibility” (In Spanish)

Alberto is a congressman of the Republic of Peru, elected in 2016 and re-elected in 2020 with the second-highest vote in the country. He currently chairs the Congressional Climate Change Commission. Alberto is a lawyer, with a master's degree in territorial planning and environmental management. He also works as a university professor. He has published two books related to his parliamentary work.

Young Global Leader | pronouns: he, him, his

Parmesh Shahani, summit PANELIST

Parmesh Shahani is Vice President at Godrej Industries Ltd. and the founder of the Godrej India Culture Lab. Parmesh is a passionate advocate for LGBTQ inclusion in corporate India and has guided many of the country’s leading companies on their inclusion journeys. His first book Gay Bombay: Globalization, Love and (Be)Longing in Contemporary India (Sage Publications) was released in 2008 and re-released in June 2020 as an updated edition, and his second book Queeristan: LGBTQ Inclusion in the Indian Workplace (Westland Business) was released in August 2020. Parmesh holds an MS in Comparative Media Studies from MIT. He has been a TED Senior Fellow, a Yale World Fellow, and a World Economic Forum Young Global Leader. He is a member of the FICCI task force on diversity and inclusion and a board member of KHOJ International Artists’ Association.

Instagram: @parmeshshahani Twitter: @parmeshs

Young Global Leader | pronouns: he/his

Karen Saez, Opening Remarks

Karen Saez is the Community Manager for South East Asia and the Asia Pacific within the Global Shapers Community and is leading efforts on the Equity and Inclusion Impact Area. Joining the World Economic Forum in 2017, she has lent her expertise to the Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship, the Forum of Young Global Leaders, and the Global Shapers Community through her work in project management, communications, and partnerships. Karen holds a degree in International Development from the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies in Geneva and completed her undergraduate studies of Liberal Arts and Sciences at University College Utrecht. She is passionate about social inclusion, the environment, and the power of multimedia to change mindsets.

Equity and Inclusion Lead, Global Shapers Community, World Economic Forum | Pronouns: She, Her, Hers

In order of appeaRance

Facilitators

jake okechukwu, SUMMIT CHAIR

Jake Okechukwu Effoduh is a Partner at Praxis & Gnosis Law firm in Nigeria. He is also the founder of Law2Go: a digital library of human rights laws and legal services in Nigeria. Jake holds two master’s degrees in international law, one from the University of Oxford, and one from the York University’s Osgoode Hall Law School, respectively. For 11 years, he has anchored two of Nigeria's most popular radio programs which have aired on over 150 stations with more than 35 million Nigerians tuning-in in weekly. Jake has earned several national and international awards for his work on radio. He is currently conducting doctorate research on the legitimization of artificial intelligence for human rights in anglophone Africa. He is a member of the World Economic Forum Expert Network on Human Rights and is the current Global Lead for Social Inclusion in the Equity and Inclusion Steering Committee of the Global Shapers Community.

Global Shaper Alum, Abuja Hub, Nigeria; Equity & Inclusion Steering Committee, GSC| pronouns: he, him, his

MATTIA LIBERALE, mc/CompÈre

Previously a mechanical designer at CERN (Geneva, Switzerland), Mattia Liberale is currently studying for his bachelor's degree in Mathematics at the University of Padua, Italy. Born in Vicenza (where he still lives), he recently joined the Global Shapers Community through the Venice Hub, at the age of 21. Passionate about poetry and literature, he merges his scientific knowledge with his interest in environmental and equity issues, working both on digital inclusivity for people with disabilities and awareness of LGBT community issues, for which he is organizing a campaign on social media using our hashtag #ShapePride2021 to create an opportunity to discuss topics such as gender, asexuality, objectification in the gay community, abuse, representation, and many others.

Global Shaper, Venice Hub, Italy | Pronouns: he, him, his

Olga Osuchowska, Opening the power dialogues!

Fuelled by meaningful conversations and always on a quest for authentic connections, Olga thrives by creating spaces for others to speak up. Her most formative experiences include competitive debating in the British Parliamentary format; facilitating MUN simulations; volunteering for EXPO, AIESEC, and TEDx. She belongs to numerous local and international communities, most notably the Young European Federalists (JEF) and Global Shapers. Working with theatre-makers and community organizers has led her to run Tender Communication, a consulting service that covers all aspects of Personal Branding and Public Relations, focusing on specific needs of Artists, NGOs, and Social Enterprises. She has an academic background in Theatre Studies (University of Glasgow) and in Psychology (University of Turin).

Global Shaper, Turin Hub, Italy | Pronouns: she, her, hers

CAROLINA PEREIRA, Facilitating “navigating corporate space as a minority” session

Carolina Pereira is the media activist founder of Tipping Up—a movement and media platform mobilizing, empowering, and connecting a new generation of media activists. She is also Co-Director of the Sathyam Project, a  non-profit organization in Chennai, India dedicated to empowering women and girls through education—breaking the cycle of poverty and inequality. She also works as a Storyteller for the UN SDG Action Campaign (UNDP).  As an ambassador of #HeForShe (UN Women movement), Carolina started and implemented the movement in Portugal, which is now a national movement running in universities from north to south—mobilizing young people for gender equality and LGBTQIA+ rights. During the last few years, she has worked as a host and storyteller at the SDG Studio (UN Web TV), collaborated with the communication team of #RightLivelihoodAward (also known as Alternative #NobelPrize), was the ambassador and content creator for ID Europa (by the European Parliament), and has worked as a multimedia content creator, among other initiatives, like Global People's Summit (United Nations).

Global Shaper: Lisbon Hub, Portugal | pronouns: she, her, hers

JOSEPH J. SOLIS, Facilitating “navigating corporate space as a minority” session

Born and raised in Ecuador, Joseph studied marketing in New Orleans and when he returned to his hometown after college he started (together with a group of activists) "Tejido Diverso,” an organization dedicated to raise awareness on LGBTQ rights in Quito and change perceptions through culture. He specializes in digital marketing for B2B brands and non-profit organizations and also works on employer branding initiatives for his clients. He's the recently elected Vice Curator at his Hub in Quito for the upcoming term and he is leading a project called ShapeTV that shares the knowledge of hub members in short videos with content and skills that are relevant to young professionals and the future of work. He created a podcast in Spanish where he explores LGBTQ issues and discrimination from a mental health angle. He invites psychologists to share how certain mental health issues work and how they manifest in adults that have faced discrimination. Regarding discrimination and LGBTQ rights he believes things have gotten better for sure but his community still faces homophobia at a structural level both in businesses and government—except that now these types of violence (and its consequences) are harder to see or are silenced altogether.

Global Shaper: Quito Hub, Ecuador | pronouns: he, him, his

DIEGO TOMASINO, Facilitating “The power of visibility” session (in spanish)

Diego Tomasino, executive coach specialized in business diversity, author of the book “Come Out! Las empresas también tienen que salir del closet” and “La Universidad fuera del closet”. He is the founder of CoachMap and regional director of Casin & Asociados, an international consulting firm. He is currently the Coordinator of Pride Connection Panama, primarily developing the business diversity sector. With the Convive Panama Foundation, he has been successfully executing the "Conference of Exemplary Practices" in Panama since 2017—the country’s first LGBTQIA+ conference. He also co-founded the Miami edition of F*ckUp Nights, a global movement that shares stories of professional failure. He is also an alumni member of the Global Shapers, where he has promoted several projects in favor of gender equality and rights. In his spare time, he loves traveling and has ventured into writing his blog and #365daysofgaytravel.

Global Shaper: Miami Hub, USA | pronouns: he, him, his

Rivonia Pillay, facilitating “How to be an ally” session

Rivonia Pillay is a South African civil engineer and queer advocate. At the Department of Water and Sanitation, she works on water and sanitation provision, improving access to basic services for those who have been historically underserved. She believes that strong moral leadership in government is key to achieving an equitable society. As a recipient of InspiringFifty 2018, she advocates for more women in STEM, leadership, and in-country building. She’s passionate about the progress and protection of LGBTQ+ rights and people. She co-leads the LGBTQ+ Community gatherings with Johannesburg Hub, providing more safe spaces for the queer community especially during the varying levels of lockdown around the world. She is eager to help more hubs to do the same so we create more inclusive and progressive communities. Rivonia served as the 2018-19 Tshwane Hub Curator which opened her eyes to the power of this community and strengthened her aspiration to create more positive change through it. She is an Apolitical Academy Public Service Fellow, Climate Reality Leader, UNESCO EauMega Youth Committee member, IWA Young Water Professionals ExCo, and now an Impact & Knowledge Advisory Council member. Her hope is that we keep removing obstacles, starting with the preventable ones, so that people can achieve their full potential!

Global Shaper, Tshwane Hub, South Africa | Pronouns: she, her, hers

Shreya Nama, citation of keynote speaker

"Whenever I think about LGBTQIA+ I feel the warmth and support this community has offered me and I'm constantly trying to give it back," says Shreya. She is a Research Engineer working with National Bearings Corporation, India. She's a Young leader who believes in bringing a change through identified actions. She's constantly engaged in creating dialogues about LGBT within the local community and has brought significant change around her. An artist herself, she also creates Illustrations to spread awareness about different identities in LGBTQIA+. As a Uni student, she had also curated various campaigns to raise awareness about Mensuration in local villages. She has joined the Jaipur Hub recently and is already the Director of Creativity within the hub.

Global Shaper, Jaipur Hub, India | Pronouns: she, her, hers

SHIKHA SONI, citation of summit panelists

Shikha Soni is a queer-identifying/queer affirmative psychologist, and a mental-health researcher at University College London. She works at the intersections of critical psychiatry, community mental health, and cross-cultural psychiatry. Her past experiences include working with people with serious mental illness in rural India, the linguistic and ethnic minority groups as well as the crisis intervention team at NHS London, and the psychiatric liaison team at North Middlesex University Hospital. Outside her professional role, she’s found dedicating her time to the movement for global mental health, making mental health more accessible and affordable In India, and promoting LGBTQI+ activism in India. At Global Shapers, she is able to blend in her twin passions of LGBTQI+ activism and mental-health well-being, by leading 2 projects - Queerious conversations and The Prison Project at Global Shapers Jaipur Hub. Queerious conversations work towards creating an oasis of encouragement, acceptance, and empathy to foster dialogue around Queer Activism in tier 2-3 cities of India, through increased awareness and sensitivity and has successfully conducted over 15 interactive workshops pledging over 300 active allies and has generated a regional awareness-based curriculum to instruct sensitive communication, LGBTQ+ terminologies, and identity mapping. The prison project works towards creating an ecosystem of mental health rehabilitation at the central women’s prison in Rajasthan.

Global Shaper, Jaipur Hub, India | pronouns: she/her, they/them

kSHITIJ MISRA, FACILITATING ARTISTIC PERFORMANCES

Kshitij is the incoming curator of Varanasi Hub. He is a queer activist and has been a part of the Pride Organising Committee of the Lucknow Pride for three years. In addition, he has partaken in the organization of other events for LGBTQ+ inclusion and awareness, such as queer literature festivals, awareness campaigns, etc. He is a student of Architecture and is involved in several professional organizations like ICOMOS and ISHRAE. He has also worked with several NGOs working on climate action, environmental conservation, and community outreach. He has been a part of PETA India, WWF, and BloodConnect, among several others.

Global Shaper, Varanasi Hub, India | Pronouns: he, him, his

Saahithiyanan “Shaggy” Ganeshanathan, FACILITATING ARTISTIC PERFORMANCES

Saahithiyanan more fondly known as Shaggy is a development practitioner with more than four years of experience in project management and implementation. Holding a bachelor’s degree in International relations and a Diploma in Social Science. He has been working for over five years as a community leader in skills development, youth empowerment, and gender rights. Shaggy is a strong ally for LGBTQI+ and an activist for gender and social equity. His hobbies are traveling, photo blogging, and creative writing. He serves as a Curator of Global Shapers Kandy Hub and actively working towards bringing social inclusion and cohesion.

Global Shaper, Kandy Hub, Sri Lanka | Pronouns: he, him, his

Katlego Kai Kolanyane-Kesupile, Artist

Katlego Kai Kolanyane-Kesupile is an international award-winning Cultural Architect, Development Practitioner, and Interdisciplinary Artist from Botswana. Her work in human rights, education, DEI, and communications centers on decoloniality, feminism, and Disability theory. Katlego is a globally recognized voice in the arena of LGBTQIA+ advocacy and activism and counts historic speaking engagements at the United Nations and featured in Teen Vogue and World Economic Forum Agenda among her contributions to social justice. She published writing ranges from contemporary critiques, creative work in poetry, music, and theatre, and scholarly research. In 2021, the USA Embassy Botswana nominated Katlego for the International Women of Courage award, administered by the Secretary of State for her contributions to LGBTQIA+ visibility, activism, and global advocacy. Katlego was the first openly Trans-identifying Curator of a Global Shapers Hub (2015) in the world, and graduates to alumni status after serving as Vice Curator of the Gaborone Hub 2020-2021. She holds an MA in Human Rights, Culture, and Social Justice from Goldsmiths University of London, and a BA (Hons) in Dramatic Arts from the University of the Witwatersrand.

Global Shaper Alum, Gaborone Hub, Botswana | Pronouns: She/Her, They/Them

Haylea Rudge, Artist

Haylea spent the first years of her life on a tiny peninsula called Wirral next door to Liverpool, now residing in Marseille, France. At 18 she went to the University of Bristol and continued her passion for science and child psychology where she achieved a Bachelor of Science in Childhood studies in 2015. Haylea has worked with children and young people for over 10 years and has gained a unique perspective on working alongside those with disabilities. In addition, she has provided care for elderly adults and has reached B1 level in French. Highlights of her career so far include raising over £1000 in one day by speaking to a room of 100 people. This was as founder of a Manchester chapter of the international charity Cycling WIthout Age. Another notable highlight has been joining Global Shapers Marseille and being voted in as Curator for 2021-2022. She has lived experience of disability and chronic illness. If you have lived experience of disability and would like peer support feel free to reach out for a friendly chat. We need to use this massive transitional period in our history to shout about marginalized people's stories and doing this involves self-advocacy. We have to be brave to the reactions of those around us.

Global Shaper, Marseille Hub, France | Pronouns: she, her, hers

Moonlight Experiences, Artists

Moonlight Experiences is a platform for LGBTQ+ Experiences. Led by a dedicated queer collective of diverse voices who are changing the perception of queer culture through curated activities and stories from the community. Moonlight Experiences is a company dedicated to the celebration of queer culture through tourism and nightlife. Through their carefully crafted experiences and activities, they educate and entertain whilst uplifting QTIPOC members and marginalized voices in their community. Moonlight Experiences is breaking down intersectional barriers and reshaping the way people navigate travel and community as LGBTQ+ individuals and as allies.

Angelinah Montshiwa, Artist

A fanatic for diverse Arts and love social interaction; spaces for meeting new people and networking. A hands-on human rights activist.

Pronouns: She/Her

Frequently Asked Questions

FAQs

Where does the #ShapePRIDE Summit take place?

For the second year in a row, the Summit will take place online. Tune in from the comfort of your home – please remember to first register here.

What happens once I register?

Once you register, you will receive an email with detailed instructions on how to connect to the summit.

What are the technical requirements needed to participate in the summit?

The Summit will take place on Zoom. To fully enjoy the summit, you need a reliable Internet connection. We encourage participants to keep their webcams on, especially during interactive breakout discussions.

Do I have to attend the entire event?

No, you can connect anytime and jump off anytime.

How long is the #ShapePRIDE Summit?

The #ShapePRIDE Summit will last for about 2 hours on Friday, June 18th, 2021. In addition, the summit will be immediately followed by a 1 hr (optional) virtual Happy Hour and Networking Session. Be sure to check the schedule for event-specific questions.

Who are the organizers?

The Global Shapers Community (GSC) is a global network of industrious young people under 30 working together to address local, regional and global challenges. It was founded in 2011 at the initiative of the World Economic Forum and remains independent, neutral, non-political, and not for profit. As of 2021, it counts 10,000+ members in 440+ city-based Hubs in 140+ countries. Shapers are diverse in background and expertise but are united by their desire to meaningfully serve their local communities. In each city, they self-organize to create projects addressing the needs of their communities, in the areas of Education & Employment, Climate & Environment, Equity & Inclusion. Shapers enjoy access to the global network and international events, including bottom-up, community-driven events created by Shapers for Shapers.

Why #ShapePRIDE?

For the second year in a row, while we are saddened by the cancellation of traditional PRIDE events due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, we would like to seize the opportunity to connect participants from all around the world to celebrate LGBTQI+ Pride together. We are delighted to lead the first initiatives of this kind taken by Global Shapers and Young Global Leader communities to support the rights of LGBTQIA+ people.

How can I participate?

Our initiative rests on two pillars

Social Media Campaign:

We invite Global Shapers, Young Global Leaders, friends and partners to share our campaign’s contents on social media. Feel free to download and share images, texts and materials from this website (don't forget to use the hashtag #ShapePRIDE).

Summit:

On Friday, June 18th, 2021, we will host the second #ShapePRIDE Summit featuring a prominent keynote speaker and a panel with YGLs and Global Shapers. The programme also includes breakout sessions

What is the Significance of #ShapePRIDE?

Our goal is to reinvent PRIDE as a parade in the public space into a covid-safe digital event accessible to all. We are concerned that the COVID-19 pandemic disproportionately affects LGBTQI people around the world and recognize the urgency to lend attention to specific plights of LGBTI people in the circumstances of the health crisis and lockdowns. In the spirit of intersectionality, we also want to take a stance against anti-black racism that continues to affect LGBTQI people and communities around the world, particularly black Trans* people and other Trans* people of colour, some of whom have lost their lives to hate crimes. We want to remember that Pride started as riots of black queer and transgender people like Marsha Johnson against oppression, violence and police brutality.

Social media CAMPAIGN

#ShapePRIDE

While most gatherings and events for PRIDE this year have been cancelled due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, we are initiating a social media campaign that will serve as our digital alternative to celebrating PRIDE this year. As a first of its kind, the goal is to see that within our Global Shapers and Young Global Leader communities (and our networks and allies), this significant annual tradition for recognizing the inclusion and equality for LGBTQIA+ people is not erased.

So, we are calling on every Global Shaper and Young Global Leader—as well as our allies, partners and friends—to use the hashtag #ShapePRIDE while sharing posts on social media this month (Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, etc). For material assets you can use, you can download any of the images in our gallery below.

Don’t forget to use the hashtag #ShapePRIDE and please tag and nominate your friends/colleagues to do the same. Follow us on Instagram @shapepride for more updates!