Melati Wijsen is testament to the fact that young people’s voices matter immensely when it comes to eliciting transformation. Founder of Bye Bye Plastic Bags, a non-profit organisation that Melati started with her sister at the age of 12, she strives to achieve a world free of plastic bags through youth empowerment and campaigns.
Melati is also the Founder of Youthtopia – a community centric platform through which she hopes to build a youth empowering ecosystem that creates content to accelerate change. Graduating high school a year early, Melati couldn’t wait to become a “full-time” changemaker. In addition to her aforementioned endeavours, Melati is also Founder of Mountain Mamas and One Island One Voice.
A force to be reckoned with, Melati has made huge strides at prominent platforms such as the UN Headquarters. She has delivered two TED talks entitled “A Roadmap for Young Changemakers” and “Our Campaign to Ban Plastic in Bali”. She has also co-chaired the World Economic Forum GPAP Committee, sat on the Expert Advisory Panel for the Earthshot Prize and was selected as one of the top 10 most inspiring women in the country by Forbes.
Recipient of the Blue Water Heroes Award in 2022, Melati was included on the TIME Annual list of Most Influential Teens in the World, CNN Heroes Young Wonders and Forbes 30 Under 30. Her film, Bigger Than Us, premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in 2021. A prolific speaker, Melati has spoken at stages for the World Economic Forum, Allianz Global Investors and CNBC. She is now available to speak at a wide range of events where she consistently proves that young people can accelerate change too. Hire Melati Wijsen today!
