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
Ronan Dunne is a Chairman, CEO, Board Strategic Advisor and independent non-executive director.
He serves as Chair of Six Nations Rugby, the organising body of the Six Nations Championships and Autumn Nations Series. Six Nations Rugby is committed to the development of rugby at all levels, with its vision to make rugby the most engaging, entertaining and inclusive sporting experience. Ronan also serves as a non-executive director of British multinational retailer, Marks & Spencer, and strategic advisor to a number of companies in the telecom & technology sector.
Between 2016 and 2022, Ronan served at Verizon, most recently as strategic advisor to the CEO. As Verizon Consumer Group EVP & CEO, he led the teams responsible for delivering wireline, wireless and television products and services to more than 100 million consumers.
Prior to Verizon, Ronan was CEO of leading UK wireless operator, Telefonica UK (O2). Under his leadership, O2 became the industry leader and a leader in Corporate Social Responsibility, with Ronan being named the 2015 Ethical Corporation CEO of the Year. Ronan Dunne is a Chairman, CEO, Board Strategic Advisor and independent non-executive director.
Ronan’s charitable work focuses on education and providing opportunities for the next generation of leaders. Ronan serves on the Advisory Board of the Kairos Society and is a counsellor for One Young World, which promotes positive change and social impact at its annual One Young World Summit. He also served as a Trustee of Step Up to Serve, a UK social action charity.
Born and raised in Dublin, Ronan maintains strong links with Ireland, including Enterprise Ireland Tech Advisory Panel and Irish International Business Network memberships. In 2019, the American Ireland Fund honored him with the Corporate Leadership Award
Kimberly Bryant
Kimberly Bryant is a trailblazing tech entrepreneur, investor, and advocate for inclusive innovation. As founder and CEO of The Black Innovation Lab by Ascend Ventures, she’s building the next generation of impact-driven tech leaders, creating wealth and opportunity where it’s needed most. Before launching ASCEND Ventures, Kimberly founded Black Girls CODE, transforming it from a grassroots movement into a global force that introduced over 100,000 girls of color to technology and entrepreneurship. Her groundbreaking work has earned her top honors, including the Jefferson Award for Community Service, recognition as a White House Champion of Change, and the Smithsonian Ingenuity Award for Social Progress. She’s been named to The Root 100, Ebony Power 100, and Business Insider’s 25 Most Influential African Americans in Tech. A sought-after thought leader on tech equity and innovation, Kimberly has spoken at TEDx, SXSW, Platform Summit, Personal Democracy Forum, and more. Her highly expected book, Ascending (Penguin Random House, 2025), explores power, leadership, and resilience as a Black woman in tech. Through innovation, storytelling, and investment, Kimberly is redefining what’s possible—and inviting the world to build with her.
Luis Javier Castro
Luis Javier Castro defines himself as an entrepreneur and activist. He is the founder and CEO of Mesoamerica Investments, a Private Equity firm from where he has led investments in Latin America for the last 25 years in fields such as renewable energy, telecommunications, restaurants, dairy industry, among others, with world-class partners such as OTPP, ACTIS, Bain Capital and large business groups in the region.
Luis Javier, until last year was a member of the Board of Directors of Grupo de Energía de Bogotá and Codensa, as well as of different companies of the Mesoamérica portfolio. He is the founder of Yo Emprendedor, where more than 6 thousand entrepreneurs have benefited from its programs and more recently, has incorporated its model of entrepreneurship in public education in Costa Rica. He is president emeritus of AED (Business Alliance for Development), an organization he chaired for 10 years, which
brings together more than 150 companies in search of a more prosperous, inclusive and environmentally friendly environment.
He is a member of the Central American Leadership Initiative and Aspen Institute Initiative Colombia of the Aspen Institute, member of YPO, founder of Parque La Libertad and participates in multiple Boards of Directors of development organizations. Until 2022 he participated as a member of the Board of Directors of the largest NGO in the world, with a budget of 5 billion dollars a year, United Way Worldwide. In 2021 he was appointed to the One Young World global advisory board, for his efforts to identify, connect and promote young leaders around the world.
In 2023, Luis Javier was appointed member of the Superior Council of the Universidad de Los Andes, becoming the first foreigner to be part of this body. In the same year, he was invited to the Board of Directors of United World College Costa Rica, the only UWC movement headquarters in Latin America and the Caribbean.
Due to his business career, El Financiero has twice named him Entrepreneur of the Year, being highlighted for his efforts in promoting conscious capitalism. He has also been included in the list of the 100 most
influential people in Latin America according to America Economía and is on Bloomberg's list of the 500 most influential people in Latin America. His impact transcends borders, being honored as Impact Leader for the World by YPO Global in 2023.
In late 2020, Luis Javier founded Alejandria, a company with the purpose of building an educated, connected, and empowered society. Alejandria is founded from the intersection of two concepts that, for its founder, are essential to build a successful society in the long term. Conscious capitalism as a force for value creation and well-being, putting purpose at the center and understanding the interdependence of actors; and exponentiality. Some of Alejandria's investments are creating high impact globally. Knowledgehook a platform for the improvement of mathematics education in the world, through formative assessment, and Elenas a startup empowering 200 thousand women to increase their income, are just two examples of this.
Luis Javier studied Agribusiness and Texas A&M University and completed an MBA at Georgetown University.
Luis Javier is married and has three kids. He is passionate about the art world, supporting cultural projects in Costa Rica and Colombia.
Elio Leoni Sceti
Elio Leoni Sceti has over 30 years of experience in the consumer goods and media sectors. He is co-founder, Chairman and chief crafter of The Craftory, the first investment house for mission-driven challenger brands in Consumer Goods.
Elio Leoni Sceti is Chairman of LSG Holdings, and an independent Board director of Kraft Heinz Inc. Elio is also a director of E.P.S., a holding Co of Anheuser Busch InBev where he has been a Board director for over 10 years.
Elio is a Trustee and a Counsellor of One Young World and is the Chairman of the UK Board of Room to Read, a charity promoting education and gender equality.
Elio was formerly CEO of Iglo Birdseye until June 2015, when he oversaw its sale to Nomad Foods. Previously, Elio was CEO of EMI Music from 2008 to 2010 and he earlier held senior leadership roles, firstly at Procter & Gamble and then at Reckitt Benckiser, where he served as CMO, global head of Innovation and then head of the European operations.
Elio Leoni Sceti holds a degree in Economics from LUISS in Rome, where he also passed the Dottore Commercialista post-graduate bar exam.
Angela F. Williams, J.D., M.Div.
Angela F. Williams is the President and CEO of United Way Worldwide, leading a global network serving 48 million people in 1,100 communities across 36 countries. Angela’s family, culture, and early life experiences culminated in her role at United Way and have influenced her entire career. Growing up as the child of civil rights activists, Angela learned early on the power of community, the importance of resilience, and the impact that individuals can make by standing up for justice. Those formative experiences not only instilled in Angela a sense of purpose, but also taught her the value of perseverance, which has been a guiding force for her throughout her life and career.
Angela is bi-vocational, serving as an ordained minister, attorney, and civil society executive. Angela’s leadership is grounded in service and community-driven solutions. Under her leadership, United Way is undergoing a strategic transformation, focusing on systemic change, collaboration, and modernizing its global brand to meet the challenges of the 21st century and beyond.
With over 30 years of leadership experience across the nonprofit, public, and private sectors, Angela has led organizations through major transformation. As President and CEO of Easterseals, she rebranded the 100-year-old organization and expanded disability services. At YMCA of the USA, she oversaw governance and operations for 2,700 YMCAs nationwide. Previously, Angela held senior leadership positions at Sears, Roebuck & Co., where she managed litigation, government affairs, and compliance programs.
Her public service career includes roles as Special Counsel to the late Senator Edward M. Kennedy, where she helped draft the Hate Crimes Prevention Act, and as a prosecutor in the Civil Rights Division’s National Church Arson Task Force with the Department of Justice. She began her career as an officer in the U.S. Air Force Judge Advocate General’s Corps (JAG). Angela’s time in government gave her exposure to how institutions can make a difference and fueled her passion for creating systemic change.
Angela is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, OpenAI’s Ethics Council, and the Wall Street Journal’s CEO Council. She has been recognized by USA Today as a 2025 Woman of the Year, the NonProfit Times, Forbes, and Inside Philanthropy. She holds degrees from the University of Virginia, University of Texas School of Law, and Virginia Union University’s School of Theology. She resides in Chicago and Washington, D.C., with her husband, Reverend Roderick Williams.