Youth Opportunities Platform

Over 60% of the world’s young people are living in Asia-Pacific, but are they getting their fair share of opportunities? There is no doubt many stakeholders across the public, private, and social sectors are investing in youths, but things often operate in silos. The ecosystem to drive youth empowerment is fragmented. The Youth Opportunities Platform aims to advocate for under-represented youth voices and identify opportunities for diverse players and investments to collaboratively meet youth needs. Access to opportunities and connections are key to empowering youths to participate meaningfully in society. Within 3 months since its inception, the platform has already aggregated over 60 funders and resource providers from over 20 global markets, to support a pilot cohort of 10 Young Impact Leaders. As champions for youth priorities within 10 Asian markets, the first cohort of Young Impact Leaders are driving advocacy movements around: youth employment and upskilling for marginalized communities, socio-emotional learning and mental health support, refugee rights, coastal protection, music education, and more. The connections they gain through the platform opens more doors for them to gain access to often-exclusive connections with capital providers, such as the likes of Cartier Women’s Initiative, Cisco LaunchPad, Target Foundation, Lorinet Foundation, The Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation, Brightlight Investment Management, Patamar Capital, Villgro, and more - all of whom are bringing their expertise to the table to provide advisory support to the young leaders.