Sophia Kianni Keynote Speaker

  • Founder of Climate Cardinals
  • Youngest Member of the UN Youth Advisory Group on Climate Change
  • VICE Media's Human of the Year

Sophia Kianni's Biography

Sophia Kianni is an Iranian-American climate activist and social entrepreneur studying at Stanford University. She is a popular keynote speaker on topics including climate change, women in leadership, Generation Z, sustainable fashion, social entrepreneurship, and youth activism.

She is the founder and executive director of the world’s largest youth-led climate non-profit, Climate Cardinals, which translates climate information into over 100 languages, and has over 10,000 volunteers in 40+ countries.

Sophia represents the United States as the youngest member of the inaugural United Nations Youth Advisory Group on Climate Change.  She sits on several other boards and advisory councils including for The New York Times, Lady Gaga’s Born This Way Foundation, World Economic Forum, American Lung Association and Ashoka.

Her social following has grown to over 200,000 and her work is regularly featured in several media publications including Business Insider, CNN, Vogue, The New York Times, The Guardian, ELLE, and the front page of The Washington Post.  Sophia has previously worked as a freelance journalist for TIME Magazine, The Washington Post, Cosmopolitan, Teen Vogue and MTV News.

She is an inspiring storyteller and an experienced speaker. Her climate activism has taken her across the world speaking at various universities including Harvard, Stanford, Yale, Cambridge, and Princeton.  She was the winner of the TED global idea competition and her debut TED Talk has been viewed over 2 million times.

Sophia was named VICE Media’s youngest Human of the Year, a National Geographic Young Explorer, and featured in several reputable lists including Forbes 30 under 30: Social Impact, Business Insider’s Climate Action 30, and Teen Vogue’s 21 under 21.

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Sophia Kianni's Speaking Topics

  • How To Change The World: Activism 101

  • Climate Advocacy and Youth Leadership: If Adults Won't Take Action to Protect Our Future, Youth Will

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Videos of Sophia Kianni

TED: Language Shouldn't be a Barrier to Climate Action
TED: Language Shouldn't be a Barrier to Climate Action
New York Times Climate Hub
New York Times Climate Hub
Web Summit |  Is climate salvation lost in translation? | Sophia Kianni
Web Summit | Is climate salvation lost in translation? | Sophia Kianni
Washington Post |  Kianni on accountability and the individual carbon footprint
Washington Post | Kianni on accountability and the individual carbon footprint

Articles, Media & Podcasts

Comments & Testimonials

"Sophia Kianni is a powerful spokesperson for the Youth Climate Movement. Her presentations integrate science, social activism, political policy and humanitarian goals. Her personal story and passionate activism, informed by deep thinking and research, makes for a comprehensive and stirring presentation. I highly recommend her."
Joanna Brandt VP and Program Chair, Baltimore Ethical Society
"She’s a very empowering role model, especially for young women of color. Sophia’s speech brought up topics of environmental justice such as indigenous rights, intergenerational learning, disability rights, and environmental racism, sexism, and ageism. She also offered ways for people to get involved at multiple levels as well as structural changes needed to forward the movement. Sophia really was inspirational in her knowledge and passion and is a terrific speaker."
Elizabeth Sabetta earthday365
"We at MUN Impact work to empower students around the world to take action for the SDGs and believe that their youth is not a disadvantage, in fact it is a strength. Ms. Sophia Kianni’s work is testament to that very statement and hence, we were delighted to have her present at the MUN Impact Global Summit 2020. Her passion for environmental advocacy shined through in the enthusiastic manner in which she delivered critical information on the climate crisis and proposed solutions to the same. Though climate change is an issue we’ve heard of frequently, Ms. Kianni was able to re-ignite curiosity and zest in our audience for the cause."
Rahul Nair MUN Impact Global

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