Celebrating the leaders shaping a more sustainable and responsible world
Meet some of the inspiring graduates of the Global Business Student Changemaker Program and learn what Changemaking means to them! These Changemakers are part of a dynamic global community of emerging leaders from GBSN member schools. Through collaboration across borders, disciplines, and cultures, they tackle global sustainability challenges through project work, international dialogue, and peer exchange.
Their journey through the program marks the beginning of a lifelong commitment to responsible leadership — one that continues to shape businesses, communities, and society.
About the Changemaker Program
The Global Business Student Changemaker Program, created by Global Business School Network in partnership with How to Change the World, brings together high-potential students from GBSN member schools around the world to develop the skills, networks, and experiences needed to drive positive change. The program promotes international collaboration, virtual global mobility, and engagement with real-world sustainability challenges, empowering students to become responsible leaders in business and society.
Participating schools nominate outstanding students to be recognized as Global Business Student Changemakers. Through an interdisciplinary Global Sustainability Project Bootcamp and a series of curated exlusive GBSN workshops focused on critical skills for Changemakers and future global leaders, participants collaborate with peers across institutions and disciplines, explore career pathways, and build a global network of changemakers committed to advancing sustainable development.
Meet some of the Changemakers
Amelia Kalkotour-Biehl
IE University | Madrid, Spain
“Changemaking to me means being courageous enough to question the current reality, believing in your vision, and taking action to implement that vision. It is about identifying genuine problems, collaborating from multiple perspectives to find solutions that will have a sustainable impact. Changemaking also requires perseverance and a willingness to experiment, adapt as necessary, and continue forward despite uncertainty regarding the outcome. Ultimately, changemaking is about making positive contributions toward a cause much greater than oneself through one’s talent and voice.”
Irina-Elena Ionescu
University of Economic Studies in Bucharest | Bucharest, Romania
“I believe that empathy and solidarity are the pillars of every prosperous society. To me, changemaking is about action, about identifying a systemic gap or injustice and having enough heart to find solutions and fight for their implementation. Even small changes can really impact the betterment of a community.”
Boniface Ekwealor
American University, Kogod School of Business | Washington, DC, United States of America
“To me, changemaking means taking bold, everyday actions to tackle issues that truly matter, whether that’s mentoring youth in my community or advocating for sustainable policies in Nigeria and beyond. It is less about flashy grand gestures and more about consistent, heartfelt effort that ignites real impact and rallies others to the cause. At its core, it is the quiet magic of transforming empathy into enduring action.”
Sulaiman Gatap
Henley Buisness School | Johannesburg, South Africa
“Honouring the minds that have and continue to make positive changes globally, remaining mindful that the world has and continues to grow more complex over time as the world has become more interconnected as ever before. Changemaking therefore personally acknowledges this and instead of addressing necessary change aggressively, I aim to address positive changes with respect and compassion to all fellow human beings, unbiasedly as a member of a global citizenship established by the GBSN.”
Chitragari Sai Vinesh
IIM Indore | Indore, India
“For me, changemaking began as a question: why do some ideas transform communities while others fade away? Through this journey, I’ve come to see changemaking as the space where empathy meets responsibility. It is about listening deeply to people’s lived realities, understanding the systems that shape them, and choosing to act even when the path is uncertain. Meaningful change is rarely individual; it is built through dialogue, courage, and shared commitment across cultures. To be a changemaker is to stay curious, stay compassionate, and keep building solutions that outlast you.”
Join the next generation of Changemakers
Are you a student from a GBSN member school interested in creating meaningful impact?
Participation in the Global Business Student Changemaker Program is coordinated through GBSN member schools. If you would like to be part of the program, connect with your school and encourage them to learn more about how they can nominate students to participate.
Are you a GBSN member school?
Learn more about the Global Student Changemaker Program and how you can be part of the next cohort of emerging leaders shaping the future of responsible business.