Kate co-founded One Young World with David Jones in 2009. What began as a bold idea has since grown into the world’s leading global community for young leaders tackling humanity’s greatest challenges — from climate action and health equity to human rights and inclusive growth.
Raised in apartheid South Africa, Kate’s worldview was shaped by the injustices she witnessed and by the leadership of figures such as Nelson Mandela and Archbishop Desmond Tutu. Inspired by the unifying ideals of the Olympic movement, she created One Young World to empower young changemakers to build a fairer, more sustainable world.
Since the first Summit in 2010, Kate’s vision has sparked action that has positively impacted more than 58 million people worldwide. In 2024/25 alone, One Young World initiatives generated an estimated $747 million in social value across all 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals.
In her conversation with Jon Harvey, Kate reflected on her remarkable career, the challenges of building a purpose-led organisation, and the leadership lessons she learned along the way.
