6Under 26 Australia’s hottest young innovators to watch in 2013

YOUNG PEOPLE SHOULD

CREATE T H E F U T U R E

NOT JUST

I N H E R I T

IT

Youth not for profit Vibewire has announced its inaugural 6 under 26.

We want to recognise the six young people who have created the greatest impact or change in their communities through social initiatives.

This year’s 6 under 26 are from a broad range of backgrounds with a variety of

projects, from Indigenous youth empowerment initiatives, sustainable food movements, programs that foster social entrepreneurship skills in high school

students, to organisations that encourage young women to take up engineering and technology.

Since 2010, Vibewire in conjunction with the Powerhouse Museum has been hosting the monthly fastBREAK innovation series featuring Australia’s young innovators. Drawn from the ranks of fastBREAK speakers and the broader Vibewire community, 6 under 26 showcases the innovators to watch in 2013.

Abdi Malik Osman is the Somali Podcast Coordinator for the Community Relations Commision, he is also an award-winning short film documentary maker and runs his own design business. He is a member of the NSW Government’s Muslim Reference group and is an executive member of Horn of Africa Relief and Development Agency. Osman is a refugee who fled the war in Somalia and has since returned to Somalia and Kenya on behalf of HARDA, working to provide humanitarian aid and to document the suffering in the Horn. His short film about Refugees called Tilted Scales won the Elephant In the Room competition, a Human Rights Commission Award.

MalikOsman

Marita Cheng is a 23 year old student of Mechatronics Engineering and Computer Science at the University of Melbourne. Cheng is the Founder and Executive Director of Robogals, and the Young Australian of the Year for 2012. Cheng found this initiative to substantially increase the number of young women pursuing engineering in their tertiary studies and careers. Follow Marita Cheng on Twitter at @maritacheng.

MaritaCheng

Alexandra Iljadica is 25 years old, a Public health researcher at UNSW and food security researcher at Australian Red Cross. Iljadica is also one of the founders of Youth Food Movement in Australia. Youth Food Movement strives to make young people aware of their power as conscious consumers by building understanding and value for the food we eat. Follow Alexandra Iljadica and the Youth Food Movement on Twitter at @YFMSydney.

Alexandra Iljadica

Vik Nithy is 21 years old, and currently studying Psychological Science and at UNSW. Nithy is the co-founder of One Can Grow, a not for profit organisation that equips young people with business skills and knowledge of social issues to make a positive social impact in the world while remaining financially sustainable. Follow him on Twitter at @Vikashan

VikNithy

Sophie Weldon studied at the United World College of the Atlantic, which enabled her to live with over 350 people from over 80 countries and study subjects she was passionate about from a young age such as Peace and Conflict Studies. She was appointed Special Youth Representative for the UN Refugee Agency, which is a role she undertook from 2008-2012. During that time she piloted the first youth arm of the organisation – Youth for UNHCR. She was selected as a Steering Committee Member of the Australian Youth Forum when she was 19. Sophie studied at the Australian Film, Television and Radio School and since graduating has worked for the Global Peace Index, set up her own hybrid freelance business Creative Ventures and also undertaken a role of Design for Change coordinator at Oxfam Australia.

SophieWeldon

Benson Saulo is 24 years old and a descendant of the Wemba Wemba and Gundjitmara nations of western Victoria and the New Ireland Provence of Papua New Guinea. Saulo is the Director of the National Indigenous Youth Leadership Academy (NIYLA). NIYLA is an initiative that aims to develop a national network of young Indigenous Australians as the next generation of change makers who are passionate about creating positive change in their schools, community and wider Australia. Follow Benson Saulo on Twitter at @bensonsaulo.

BensonSaulo

Vibewire salutes young change makers across the country.

We congratulate the 6 under 26 for 2013.

Vibewire is running a CROWD FUNDING campaign

to help support the next generation of 6Under 26s.

Show your support at START SOME GOOD

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