Linda and Lana speak with Poonam Ahluwalia, social entrepreneur, founder and President of YES, Youth Entrepreneurship and Sustainability, Inc. Poonam shares with us how the seed of social justice was planted in her heart early on and how her driving passion to create a world of opportunity, particularly for global youth, is being realized.

She’s a perfect example of how ignoring fears and doubts, embracing not knowing and taking action in the service of something greater than yourself leads to making a difference in the world.

Poonam Ahluwalia is the President of Youth Entrepreneurship and Sustainability (YES) Inc. Over the last 15 years she’s developed two innovative programs that shaped the global youth employment agenda: YES Campaign and YouthTrade.

Since the inception of YES in 1998, five Global Summits, 5 Regional Summits and countless in-country forums have been organized. Through her innovative low-touch, high impact approach to development, over 400 projects have been initiated and implemented by young people throughout the world.

Youth Trade, inspired by conscious capitalism, is an innovative architecture that certifies mission-driven youth entrepreneurial businesses and provides access to markets, while building demand for their products. YouthTrade products can be found at Whole Foods Market and Nordstrom.

Poonam sits on the World Economic Forum’s Global Agenda Council for Youth Unemployment. She was named the 2013 India New England Woman of the Year.

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