Meet the 2025 winners
The One Young World Entrepreneur of the Year Award recognises three of the world's most promising entrepreneurs aged 18 to 35. The award highlights the work of innovative young business leaders whose enterprises are shaping the world around them and inspiring others to launch their own ventures.
These 3 young entrepreneurs have all been selected as winners because of the tremendous impact of their business ventures and how they are inspiring others with their leadership.
The winners were selected from a shortlist by One Young World’s expert judging panel.
The three winners will be presented with this award at the One Young World 2025 Summit.
Kennedy Ekezie-Joseph
Kennedy Ekezie-Joseph
Kennedy Ekezie-Joseph is the CEO of Waymaker and Founder of Kippa, a financial management platform empowering African small businesses. Born in Lagos and raised in Calabar, Kennedy was deeply influenced by witnessing small merchants struggle with manual bookkeeping systems that limited their growth potential. At just 16, he founded the Calabar Youth Council for Women's Rights to combat female genital mutilation across 200 communities in Nigeria.
Carlos Andrade
Carlos Andrade
Carlos Andrade is the CEO and co-founder of Manzana Verde, a foodtech startup tackling food, labour, and economic injustice in Latin America. Born in Piura, a small city in northern Peru, Carlos overcame cancer at age 23, an experience that reshaped his values and led him to create a purpose-driven business. In 2019, together with co-founder Larissa Arias, he launched Manzana Verde to bridge the gap between healthy eating and affordability for the Latin American middle class.
Alex Schulze
Meet the judges
The One Young World Entrepreneur of the Year Award was created in 2019 to identify and promote the world’s most revolutionary entrepreneurs under the age of 35. Each year, it continues to celebrate innovative young leaders who are creating a positive global impact with their ventures and inspiring others through their leadership.
This expert judging panel has been invited by
One Young World to choose three exceptional winners who are overcoming barriers and taking on major global challenges that the world faces today.
The judges for the 2025 award are:
Ronan Dunne
Chair, Six Nations Rugby and Non Executive Director, M&S and Former CEO, Verizon and O2
Ronan Dunne
Chair, Six Nations Rugby and Non Executive Director, M&S and Former CEO, Verizon and O2
Kimberly Bryant
Founder and CEO of The Black Innovation Lab by Ascend Ventures
Kimberly Bryant
Founder and CEO of The Black Innovation Lab by Ascend Ventures
Luis Javier Castro
Co-founder of The Abundance Circle
Luis Javier Castro
Co-founder of The Abundance Circle
Elio Leoni Sceti
Co-Founder, The Craftory
Angela F Williams
President and CEO, United Way Worldwide
Angela F Williams
President and CEO, United Way Worldwide
Previous Winners
2024 Winners
2019 Winners
Catherine Mahugu
Catherine Mahugu
Elissa Freiha
Elissa Freiha
Kathyrn Minshew
Kathyrn Minshew
Severin Hacker
Severin Hacker
Srikanth Bolla
Srikanth Bolla