Highlights - RACHEL ASHEGBOFEH IKEMEH - Whitley Award Winner - Founder of Southwest Niger Delta Forest Project

Highlights - RACHEL ASHEGBOFEH IKEMEH - Whitley Award Winner - Founder of Southwest Niger Delta Forest Project

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Whitley Award-winning Conservationist
Founder/Director of the Southwest Niger Delta Forest Project

There's no question, we are in a state of conservation emergency. And we have a real situation on our hands and it's so fragile that if we take a step back, we could say goodbye to two types of chimpanzee species and the forest is also on the brink of disappearing forever. And when I started as a conservation researcher, there was kidnapping and insecurity throughout the Nile Delta region, and it was immersed in a lot of oil politics and civil conflicts. Kidnapping and insecurity ran throughout that region. Let's not forget that Nigeria is Africa's most populous nation now. We are over 200 million people in the country, and it's a growing population of young people who are looking for means of livelihood and on the lookout to find space to live. So parts of the forest within one year would suddenly become a new village.

RACHEL ASHEGBOFEH IKEMEH - Whitley Award-winning Conservationist - Founder/Director, Southwest Niger Delta Forest Project

RACHEL ASHEGBOFEH IKEMEH - Whitley Award-winning Conservationist - Founder/Director, Southwest Niger Delta Forest Project

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Whitley Award-winning Conservationist
Founder/Director of the Southwest Niger Delta Forest Project

There's no question, we are in a state of conservation emergency. And we have a real situation on our hands and it's so fragile that if we take a step back, we could say goodbye to two types of chimpanzee species and the forest is also on the brink of disappearing forever. And when I started as a conservation researcher, there was kidnapping and insecurity throughout the Nile Delta region, and it was immersed in a lot of oil politics and civil conflicts. Kidnapping and insecurity ran throughout that region. Let's not forget that Nigeria is Africa's most populous nation now. We are over 200 million people in the country, and it's a growing population of young people who are looking for means of livelihood and on the lookout to find space to live. So parts of the forest within one year would suddenly become a new village.

Highlights - MAGGIE GROUT - Founder & CEO of Thinking Huts tackling Global Education Crisis with 3D Printing

Highlights - MAGGIE GROUT - Founder & CEO of Thinking Huts tackling Global Education Crisis with 3D Printing

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Founder & CEO of Thinking Huts: tackling the Global Education Crisis with 3D Printing

I think being a young Asian woman and trying to lead people can be difficult in the sense that they have those assumptions in place. I do think the typical archetype of Asian women is that you're supposed to be quiet. And maybe those aren't going to be perceived leadership qualities, but in terms of what I have done to overcome that, I've really focused on building the trust and showing people that I genuinely care about them and valuing long-term relationships, especially on the business side. So with the construction team, just showing them that I'll stand up for them if I see behavior that's not okay in my perception. And just being a good person with ethics, I think is maybe what sets me apart because then people respect that and they'll follow you.

MAGGIE GROUT - Founder & CEO of Thinking Huts tackling Global Education Crisis with 3D Printing

MAGGIE GROUT - Founder & CEO of Thinking Huts tackling Global Education Crisis with 3D Printing

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Founder & CEO of Thinking Huts: tackling the Global Education Crisis with 3D Printing

I think being a young Asian woman and trying to lead people can be difficult in the sense that they have those assumptions in place. I do think the typical archetype of Asian women is that you're supposed to be quiet. And maybe those aren't going to be perceived leadership qualities, but in terms of what I have done to overcome that, I've really focused on building the trust and showing people that I genuinely care about them and valuing long-term relationships, especially on the business side. So with the construction team, just showing them that I'll stand up for them if I see behavior that's not okay in my perception. And just being a good person with ethics, I think is maybe what sets me apart because then people respect that and they'll follow you.