GUIDING THE NEXT GENERATION OF CHANGEMAKERS

Dr Toyin Ajao (Moon Goddess) is a Restorative Healing Researcher and Practitioner at Ìmọ́lẹ̀of Afrika Centre (ìAfrika). She found ìAfrika to spread soulidarity and advance restorative healing and Ubuntu culture across Africa. She further provides wholistic wellbeing, systems change and organisational strengthening services at Moon Goddess Consults. She is also a Research Associate of the African Leadership Centre, King’s College London.

Her main multidisciplinary foci (earning her Dr Witch) are at the intersection of intergenerational healing, environmental regeneration, ancestral technologies, posthuman security, healing justice, conflict transformation, systems change leadership, visionary/intersectional feminism, and gender and sexual rights. Toyin holds a PhD in Political Science from the University of Pretoria, an MA in Conflict, Security and Development from King’s College London and a BSc in Accounting from Obafemi Awolowo, Ile-Ife.

Her empirical research, praxis, and activism spanned two decades and cut across academia, civil and political societies, LGBTQIA+ and feminist organisations. She is a proud globetrotter (earning her Gyspy Oríșà) and an award-winning international blogger with several scholarly and creative publications to her credit. Her innovative work has been published by Routledge, Palgrave Macmillan, Matatu Journal, Kujenga Amani, African Studies Association, Pambazuka and so on.

Jonathon Porrit CBE is an Eminent writer and campaigner on sustainable development. Formerly Co-Chair of the Green Party (1980-83), of which he is still a member, Director of Friends of the Earth (1984-90), a Trustee of WWF-UK (1991-2005), a member of the Board of the South West Regional Development Agency (1999-2008), and a Trustee of Ashden (until 2020). He stood down as Chair of the UK Sustainable Development Commission in 2009, after nine years providing high-level advice to Government Ministers. Jonathon served a ten-year term as Chancellor of Keele University (2012-2022), and was a Non-Executive Director of Willmott Dixon until 2022. He is President of The Conservation Volunteers and Population Matters, and is involved in the work of many other NGOs and groups.

In 1996, he co-founded Forum for the Future, a leading international sustainable development charity. He was also a co-founder of the Prince of Wales’ Business and Sustainability Programme. In 2017, Jonathon received Ethical Corporation’s Lifetime Achievement Award at the Responsible Business Awards.

Maria Modigh is a visionary leader blending entrepreneurial drive, systems thinking, and creativity to drive global systems change and impact millions through innovation. With over 18 years of international experience in the CSO, corporate, and international development sectors, Maria has proved herself as a social entrepreneur, lawyer, board executive, and values-driven leader.

Currently, Maria supports UNICEF’s Global Office of Innovation as an innovation specialist, focusing on transforming mental health systems worldwide. Collaborating with partners across 190 countries, she co-creates, iterates, and scales impactful solutions for mental health and psychosocial wellbeing. Her passion lies in sustainable and regenerative development, impact innovations, human development, youth initiatives, and systems innovations on a global scale. Maria has served in the executive team of the ADG for Culture at UNESCO and spent over a decade scaling social innovations that enhance the lives of youth worldwide.

As co-CEO of the non-profit tech platform 29k, Maria harnessed technology to foster deep human connections, mental health, and inner growth. Now serving as a board member of 29k, she continues to champion the organization’s mission.

Parker is a climate-aware psychotherapist, clinical social worker and facilitator working at the intersection of mental health, engaged spirituality and climate justice. He recently created Frontline Resilience, an EarthShare project, that provides no-cost clinical mental health and emotional resilience support to climate activists and organizations. Parker holds a Master of Science in Social Work from the University of Louisville and a certification as a mindfulness meditation teacher.