UnitEd Youth Council

Empowering Youth for Change

Group of people working on a project with colorful sticky notes on a table.

About Us


The UnitEd Youth Council is a global coalition of young leaders committed to breaking barriers in education, advocating for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and creating meaningful opportunities for youth worldwide. We represent a diverse network of changemakers who believe that every young person—regardless of background, geography, or circumstance—deserves access to quality education, a platform to be heard, and the tools to shape their own future. Through collaboration, advocacy, and action, we are building a world where youth leadership is not the exception, but the standard.

Meet the executive team

  • Zoya Kalinsky

    FOUNDER, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

  • Young woman smiling in a light green shirt against a plain background.

    JOY TSAI

    FOUNDING MANAGING DIRECTOR

  • A young boy holding a microphone and looking to the side with a curious expression, seated indoors with blurred red and white background.

    NAYAAN VED

    FOUNDING HEAD OF PARTNERSHIPS

  • Snow-capped mountains with a vibrant orange sunset sky.

    “It’s weird how people talk about us more than they actually talk to us.”

    ZOYA KALINSKY
    FOUNDER, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

  • Mountain range with grassy foreground under a clear sky.

    "Education isn’t just about learning facts. It’s about learning how to think and lead. it's about growing as a person."

    JOY TSAI

    FOUNDING MANAGING DIRECTOR

  • Scenic landscape of turquoise lake with mountainous backdrop under a cloudy sky.

    It’s not about being the loudest voice in the room—it’s about ensuring the voices that matter are heard.

    NAYAAN VED

    UNITER

Be a part of the uyc team

Learn how you can join a global movement of young changemakers who are rewriting the rules and reshaping the future.

You don’t need permission to lead. Just a place to start—and this is it.

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