By Camila Zavala, Account Executive, DC, Qorvis
For two days, young delegates from more than 120 countries gathered in Washington, D.C. to demonstrate that innovation, purpose, and action can and must go hand in hand to solve our biggest challenges.
The World Bank Group Youth Summit 2025, held May 19–20, was a dynamic laboratory of youth-led ideas, driven by a shared purpose to redesign global development. Under the theme “New Horizons: Youth-Led Innovation for a Livable Planet,” this 12th edition explored solutions across three strategic areas: food security and green agriculture, digital transformation and data, and creative industries.
I had the honor of being selected as a delegate for this year’s Summit, following a global application process open to young leaders from around the world. Representing youth voices was a unique opportunity to join a diverse community united by a shared goal: to actively contribute to positive global change.
A Vision-Driven Agenda
From the opening remarks by World Bank Group President Ajay Banga and Managing Director Axel van Trotsenburg, to roundtable discussions featuring United Nations experts, nonprofits, and think tanks, the event carried a clear message: youth voices must not only be heard, they must also be acted upon.
Among the most powerful sessions, speakers discussed how artificial intelligence, data analytics, and digital platforms are helping close structural gaps in fragile contexts. Regenerative agriculture models, clean energy solutions, and creative industries were also highlighted as engines of economic resilience, particularly in historically underserved communities.
A particularly inspiring session, “Seeds of Change,” featured Shobha Shetty (World Bank) and the CEO of Luxeed Robotics, who shared how technology is transforming food systems. Poet and activist Alhanislam reminded us that innovation is also cultural, symbolic, and deeply human. As she noted, art must be understood not only as expression but as a strategy to spark emotional response and open pathways to inclusion.
Technology in Action: Where Ideas Become Tangible
Beyond the panels, interactive activities brought delegates together for in-person collaboration. The Innovation Lab was the collaborative core. Working in multidisciplinary teams of five to six participants, delegates took on a four-hour sprint to develop innovative solutions to real-world challenges aligned with the event’s three core themes. The competition concluded with project pitches before a jury of experts from the World Bank Group and International Finance Corporation (IFC), who selected three winning teams. The result: viable, scalable ideas with strong implementation potential.
At the immersive Innovation Expo, World Bank teams presented technological solutions for real-world challenges in health, education, financial inclusion, and climate change, from augmented reality demos and robotic operations to AI avatars and live data visualizations.
The Pitch Competition was one of the most anticipated moments. With over 1,200 applicants from 120 countries, six finalists presented their ventures proposing bold, youth-led solutions to critical development challenges. The winning project, Agora Citizen Network, is an open-source platform designed for large-scale civic dialogue, using AI and decentralized technologies to promote inclusive, secure, and censorship-resistant public debate.
Why the Youth Voice Matters Now More Than Ever
Eighty-five percent of the world’s youth live in low- and middle-income countries, and over 600 million are in fragile or conflict-affected settings. In this context, the message of the Summit was clear: youth are not just a demographic category; they are a transformative force.
Nicole Levoyer, a delegate from Ecuador and consultant at the Organization of American States’ Department of Social Inclusion, reinforced this perspective: “Being part of the World Bank Youth Summit was a reminder that change starts with us,” she said. “Surrounded by passionate and committed young leaders, I saw how our ideas, our voices, and our actions can come together to address the world’s most pressing challenges. We are not waiting for the future, we are building it now, grounded in human rights, social justice, equity, and shared purpose.”
Ignatia Manek, a delegate from Indonesia and intern at the United Nations Association of the National Capital Area (UNA-NCA), shared that the Summit reignited her passion to serve her community, to ensure no one is left behind, and to pursue innovation that is both sustainable and inclusive. Connecting with peers from around the world, she said, made her realize that nothing is impossible when youth unite.
What emerged was a renewed understanding: when youth are given the space, tools, and trust to lead, they deliver. And their solutions must be seen, supported, and scaled.
Ideas turn into action when the right conditions are in place. Throughout the 2025 World Bank Youth Summit, delegates addressed complex topics with clarity, and spoke with openness, sharing not only their successes, but also their lessons learned and failures.
