0️⃣ Youth Leaders & Advocates
- Tamaki Hiroshi
- Sahith Kancharla
- Joanna Fang
- Connor Farrell
- Seth Zaki
- Cameron Tan
- Maddie Freeman
- Bruny Kenou
- Yoelle Gulko
- Maksim Batuyev
- Mariama Bah
- Brandon Bond
- Natalie Tuinstra
- Nicolas Gaulin
- Ross Estela
- Maira Elahi
- Ghusai Gubraiel
- Mohamed Alsharkasy
- Oneil Alec Mahoney
- Michron Robinson
- Olufunmilola Dominic
- Lamis El Khatieb
- Hawa Cabdullahi
- Chloe Mshana
- Zafir Naseem
- Sammy Hong
- Amylyn Unelli
- Matthew Azure Awini
- Chukwuma Paul
- Aliza Lopez
Tamaki Hiroshi
Tamaki Hiroshi
Name
Tamaki Hiroshi
Contact
For collaboration or connections, please contact Tamaki through her professional email or LinkedIn profile.
Work
Tamaki has made significant contributions to various social issues through her work in literature and public speaking. In 2020, she self-published a storybook aimed at educating readers about food waste and donated all the proceeds to UNICEF. Additionally, she co-authored a storybook as part of an urban regeneration project which focused on preserving the intangible cultural heritage of a small Indonesian village.
Organizations
Tamaki is involved with multiple organizations including UNICEF, where she has contributed by donating the proceeds from her self-published work. She has also participated in Miss World Japan, using her platform to promote educational initiatives.
Achievements
- 2020: Published a storybook on food waste, donating all proceeds to UNICEF.
- 2020: Co-authored a storybook for an urban regeneration project in Indonesia.
- 2021: Delivered a TED talk on discovering one's true colors.
- 2021: Competed in Miss World Japan, advocating for the "Beauty with a Purpose" initiative.
- Currently pursuing research in Japanese history and peace education at Waseda University's Graduate School of Social Sciences.
Areas of Interest
Tamaki's main areas of interest include sustainable development, cultural preservation, and education. She is particularly focused on how storytelling can be used as a tool to address and educate on social issues.
Theory of Change
Tamaki believes in the transformative power of education and storytelling. Her approach involves creating engaging educational content that not only informs but also inspires action among young readers and the community at large.
Areas Needing Help
Tamaki is always looking for collaborators and resources to help expand her reach and impact, especially in areas related to cultural preservation and educational content development.
Sahith Kancharla
Contact
For collaboration or connections, please contact Sahith through his professional Email or my LinkedIn profile
Work
Sahith works closely with different organizations at Virginia Tech to contribute to the betterment of advocacy and awareness of mental health issues in university students. He served as the present of the ActiveMinds chapter at Virginia Tech, leading a campaign to develop resources targeting and helping better STEM majors who are heavily underrepresented in the mental health discussion.
Organizations
Sahith is part of the Active Minds chapter at Virginia Tech. He also works through his family charity back in India to support disabled kids' orphanages in India.
Achievements
- 2017: Was featured in the Indian AP state newspaper for the charity work he did.
- Currently pursuing a master's degree in computer science at the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University.
Areas of Interest
Sahith's main areas of interest include
Joanna Fang
Joanna Fang
Name
Joanna Fang
Contact
For collaboration or connections, please contact Joanna through joannafg@foryoupage.org or her LinkedIn profile at www.linkedin.com/in/joanna-fang-6122ba182.
Work
Joanna is a passionate youth leader and advocate for mental health. As the Communication and Operation Manager at ForYouPage.org, she plays a crucial role in uniting young people and fostering their well-being through innovative community-building projects and open resource sharing. Her background in computer science and research has equipped her with valuable skills in data analysis, UX design, and web development, which she leverages to create impactful solutions for the nonprofit sector.
Organizations
Joanna's dedication to youth empowerment and mental health is evident through her work at ForYouPage.org, a youth-led nonprofit that aims to bring joy and flourishing to young people's lives. By spearheading advocacy projects and facilitating crowdsourced resource sharing, Joanna is actively working towards creating a supportive and inclusive community for youth.
Achievements
- Successfully managing communication and operations at ForYouPage.org, contributing to the nonprofit's mission of uniting youth and promoting mental well-being.
- Designing and executing comprehensive testing programs to assess the usability of in-air gesture systems, demonstrating her ability to apply technical skills to real-world challenges.
- Leading the development of a web prototype for PikaCourse Startup, showcasing her proficiency in UX design and web development.
Areas of Interest
Joanna's primary areas of interest revolve around youth leadership, mental health advocacy, and leveraging technology for social good. She is passionate about exploring innovative ways to empower young people, promote mental well-being, and drive positive change through community-based initiatives and nonprofit work.
Theory of Change
Joanna believes that by empowering youth and fostering a supportive community, we can create a world where every young person has the opportunity to thrive and lead fulfilling lives. Her approach involves harnessing the power of technology, research, and collaborative action to develop solutions that address the unique challenges faced by youth, particularly in the realm of mental health.
Areas Needing Help
Joanna is always seeking to connect with like-minded individuals and organizations who share her passion for youth empowerment and mental health advocacy. She welcomes opportunities to collaborate on projects, share resources, and exchange ideas that can help advance the mission of promoting youth well-being and creating positive change in communities.
Connor Farrell
Name
Connor Farrell
Contact
Please direct any questions, comments or collaboration requests to my email at connorjf@foryoupage.org. For professional contacts, please reach out to my LinkedIn.
Work
Connor focuses on community-level work and organization. He's one half of Meals on Main, a Blacksburg/Christiansburg food truck that gives out about 150 meals per week in a local community. Connor is very passionate about helping others, and is a regular editor of this very wiki site.
Organizations
Connor is involved with the Blacksburg YMCA, and is well-connected with the local Blacksburg activism community. He's also done work for AmeriCorps, and completed his Eagle Project at the West County Courthouse in Palm Beach County, FL.
Achievements
- 2020: Planned and completed Eagle Project focused on protecting kids whose parents are in court for custody of their children.
- 2023: Joined Marx and Joanna to help develop ForYouPage.org and its associated wiki, attending multiple conferences and performing research for the future of the organization.
- 2023: Meals on Main begins, Connor and Seth serve their first meal.
- Currently working to elevate Gen-Z voices, and inspire/inform change around the country, while also working as a dishwasher at a restaurant in Blacksburg.
Areas of Interest
Connor's main areas of interest include sustainable urban development, community-level organization for change, and climate change. He is especially interested in how perspective informs action, and how to build connections with others through common humanity.
Theory of Change
Connor believes in the power of people. People will always learn from what is around them, and when given the chance will almost always choose to help those around them. His work is about feeding people, but it's even more about building genuine human connection, especially between other members of a community.
Areas Needing Help
Connor is looking for virtual collaborators looking to establish a similarly sustainable soup kitchen/free food program in their area for those in need. Beyond that, if you have experience coding in Python and would like to donate some of your time, there is a project that could use your skills. If this sounds like you, please email connorjf@foryoupage.org.
Seth Zaki
Cameron Tan
Name
Cameron Tan
Contact
For collaboration or connections, please contact Cameron through his LinkedIn profile
Work
Cameron advocates for youth mental health via policy, research, and programs.
Affiliated Organizations
- Silver Ribbon Singapore
- Youth Corps Singapore Mental Health Cluster
- Global Youth Mental Health Awareness
- Global Mental Health Peer Network
Cameron leads mental health programs and strategy in local and international roles. Locally, he served as the Youth Chapter Leader for Silver Ribbon Singapore and the Executive Committee of Youth Corps Singapore Mental Health Cluster to collaboratively lead the largest cluster in Singapore’s national institution for volunteering. Internationally, he sits on the Board of Directors of the Global Youth Mental Health Awareness Incorporated and the Country Leadership Committee for the Global Mental Health Peer Network.
Achievements
As the Director of the ASEAN Youth Organisation Research Centre, Cameron oversees research efforts for internal publications and youth consultations for regional governments and organizations in ASEAN. This includes leading the current development of an ASEAN Youth Mental Health Taskforce in collaboration with the ASEAN Secretariat. He also led research that was presented at the 2023 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28).
His experiences in mental health policy include serving on several youth government panels to co-create policies on mental well-being in Singapore:
- Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth: Digital Wellbeing Youth Panellist
- Health Promotion Board: Youth Resource Panellist
- Ministry of Health Office of Healthcare Transformation: Mindline Youth Fellow (Mental Health)
- National Youth Council (Young ChangeMakers Grant): Deputy Chief Curator
To promote evidence-based advocacy, he has worked on numerous mental health randomised controlled trials, systematic reviews, and mixed-method evaluations with research institutes such as Harvard Lab for Youth Mental Health, Melbourne University Centre for Mental Health, Orygen Global, and NUS Social Service Research Centre. In his role as the Global Research Director of ForYouPage, he served as the Chief of Staff at the Youth Mental Health Summit 2024, Science Summit, at the United Nations General Assmebly (UNGA79). He also advises on youth mental health for the Youth Sounding Board for the European Union in ASEAN.
Areas of Interest
Cameron's main areas of interest include youth mental health and digital interventions, with a focus on evidence-based interventions and evaluations.
Theory of Change
Cameron firmly believes in the power of collaborative advocacy. His approach involves facilitating opportunities for knowledge sharing and collaboration. Fundamentally, he seeks to connect with others to inspire and be inspired by their stories.
Areas Needing Help
Cameron is open to collaborations and virtual coffee chats, especially about youth mental health research and programs.
Maddie Freeman
- 2023 FYP Conference on UNGA78 Inaugural Speaker & Co-Organizer
Bruny Kenou
- 2023 FYP Conference on UNGA78 Inaugural Speaker
Yoelle Gulko
- 2023 FYP Conference on UNGA78 Inaugural Speaker
Maksim Batuyev
- 2023 FYP Conference on UNGA78 Inaugural Speaker
Mariama Bah
- 2023 FYP Conference on UNGA78 Inaugural Speaker
Brandon Bond
- 2023 FYP Conference on UNGA78 Inaugural Speaker
Natalie Tuinstra
- Active Minds at UNC-Chapel Hill
Nicolas Gaulin
- Global Coordinator at Loss and Damage Coalition
Ross Estela
Maira Elahi
Ghusai Gubraiel
Mohamed Alsharkasy
Oneil Alec Mahoney
Michron Robinson
Olufunmilola Dominic
Lamis El Khatieb
Hawa Cabdullahi
- Co Founder of MN Teen Activist
Chloe Mshana
Zafir Naseem
Sammy Hong
- Leader of Northern Virginia Community Initative
Amylyn Unelli
Matthew Azure Awini
Chukwuma Paul
- Communication Director of Loss and Damage Coalition
Aliza Lopez
Aliza Lopez
Contact
For collaboration or connections, please contact Aliza through ForYouPage.org
Work
Aliza advocates for youth mental health and healthcare access through education, research, and community programs.
Affiliated Organizations
- Medicine Encompassed (Founder & Director)
- The Astrocyte Initiative (Founder)
- Neolth (Outreach Subcommittee Leader)
- IDONTMIND "Our Future in Mind" community (Member)
- YOUNGA network (Former Mental Health Working Group Leader)
Recognition
Aliza has spearheaded several impactful initiatives:
- Directs Medicine Encompassed, a 501(c)(3) organization combining STEAM and health literacy
- Founded The Astrocyte Initiative to increase accessibility to mental health resources for students
- Collaborated with Hopelab on research studying sociocultural factors impacting mental health access for minorities
- Co-authored research with Dartmouth College on SSRI usage in patients
- Named 2021 T-Mobile Changemaker Challenge Grand Prize Winner in Education
- Recognized as TD Bank and National Liberty Museum Young Hero
- 2022 Taco Bell Ambition Accelerator Quarterfinalist
- Youth Program Honoree in New Jersey Governor's Jefferson Awards
Areas of Interest
Aliza's interests span healthcare advocacy, mental health activism, and interdisciplinary research, with a focus on education and cultural competence.
Theory of Change
Aliza believes in democratizing quality mental healthcare services and literacy for all populations. She emphasizes the importance of diversity, equity, and inclusion to ensure representation and engage all communities.
Areas Needing Help
Aliza welcomes collaborations on mental health education initiatives, research projects examining sociocultural factors in healthcare access, and programs to increase youth engagement in health advocacy.